How to Protect Your Mental Health When the News Feels Overwhelming

Whether it is an election, a crisis, or a steady stream of alerts on your phone, the news can feel like too much. If you finish scrolling feeling tense, drained, or hopeless, you are not alone. At Wellness for Our Future, we hear from many clients who want to stay informed without letting the headlines take over their wellbeing.

Why the News Can Feel So Heavy

News is available all day, and it often highlights the most alarming stories. Your brain treats those stories as signals to stay alert, even when the events are far away or out of your control. Doomscrolling, which means scrolling through bad news again and again, can keep that alert state running for hours.

For many people of color, news about injustice or violence can also hit close to home. That personal connection adds weight, even when you are only watching from a screen.

Signs the News Is Taking a Toll

Pay attention if you notice:

• Anxiety, irritability, or a sense of dread after checking the news

• Trouble sleeping or focusing

• Feeling hopeless or powerless about things you cannot change

• Checking your phone over and over, even when you do not want to

Ways to Protect Your Mental Health

Set Limits That Fit Your Life

Choose one or two times a day to check the news, instead of reaching for it whenever you feel a pull. Turning off non-urgent alerts can also help.

Pick Your Sources Carefully

Stick to a few reliable sources, and skip the endless commentary and comment sections that can raise stress without adding information.

Notice What Your Body Is Telling You

If your shoulders tighten or your heart races as you read, take that as a cue to pause. Grounding exercises can help you settle in the moment.

Stay Connected and Take Small Actions

Talk with people you trust about how you feel. Taking one small action in your community, like volunteering or helping a neighbor, can also ease the feeling of helplessness. Building small daily habits around rest, movement, and connection gives you steadier ground.

How Therapy Can Help

Therapy offers a space to process what you are carrying without judgment. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can help you notice anxious thought patterns and respond to them differently, so staying informed does not cost you your peace.

You Can Care and Still Take Breaks

Stepping back from the news is not the same as not caring. It is how you keep the energy to care about what matters. Contact us if you would like support. At Wellness for Our Future, our clinicians provide culturally responsive, evidence-based therapy in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, rooted in culture and understanding.

Wellness for Our Future

📞 Call us at (781) 817-3956

🌐 Visit www.wellnessfof.org

📧 Email us at inquiry@wellnessfof.org