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An avalanche of bad news can trigger anxiety. One effective defense is consciously balanced thought.
When television news features natural disaster and economic trouble, campaign ads become increasingly negative and alarmist, and headlines greet readers with more bad news each morning, anxiety can build. People find themselves exhibiting symptoms of worry. They are on edge, always dreading the next bit of news and fearing the future. Much like the fabled character, Chicken Little, they can be overwhelmed by fear that the sky is falling. Unlike the unfortunate Chicken Little, whose obsession led to a disastrous lack of awareness of the real danger of local foxes, people can keep themselves on an even keel by consciously focusing their thoughts differently. Most Feared Events Do Not Occur When the stock market plunged 777 points in one day, some predicted immediate collapse of the entire financial system. That did not occur. Fearing the worst is wasted energy. Although disasters do happen, and it is wise to make plans for responses to emergency situations, dwelling on such possibilities does not lessen their likelihood. Anxiety Produces StressStress is the conflict between what one feels she must do and what she desires to do or feels capable of doing. For example, a surgeon may feel only a slight elevation in stress when confronted with the need to perform a routine tonsillectomy. However, the average person with no special medical training would feel tremendous stress if called upon to perform such a procedure. There would be too great a difference between the performance required and the knowledge of how to do it successfully. Similarly, anxiety creates stress when people fear that a future event will present unreasonable difficulties or the inability to protect themselves or loved ones. Not knowing exactly what the event might bring increases anxiety and stress, as one cannot plan adequately for the unknown. Analyze Content of Frightening MessagesIgnoring danger is foolish, and so we are naturally inclined to give it our full attention. The problem comes when we lose our ability to distinguish between danger that is immediate and danger that only exists as a possibility. Television and video messages rely heavily on sensory input to seize and hold viewers’ attention. Color, lighting, music, and rapid shifting of focus have a subliminal effect on the viewer, to the point of producing an emotional response out of proportion to the verbal content of the message. We can make a conscious decision to ask ourselves, “What real information, if any, does this message hold? Do I accept that information as true? Can I check other sources to determine the truth of a troubling message?” Focus on Positive Events and BeliefsChoosing to participate in positive, pleasurable activities provides relief from worry as well as a more balanced view of reality. Keeping in mind that it is wise to maintain an awareness of risk in order to live prudently, being intentional about pursuing balanced life and thought patterns reduces the extent to which worry and anxiety build up and produce stress. Participation in such things as sports, music, the arts, visiting with friends and family, and meaningful work adds different information to the mix of thoughts and ideas we entertain. Each satisfying achievement or interaction tells us that we are not helpless to affect the world around us. We are able to believe, because we have experienced it, that not everything is bad, and indeed, there is much that is good.
The copyright of the article Dealing with News-Induced Anxiety in Phobias/Anxiety is owned by Brenda Layman. Permission to republish Dealing with News-Induced Anxiety in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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