Another negative headline: how news affects our mental health
Anastassia Murašina
“Nuclear threats increasing: Global security more fragile than ever.”
“Scientists warn: Climate change nearing the point of no return.”
“Thousands dead in earthquake – families in mourning.”
How did you feel when you read those lines? Did anxiety, tension, or hopelessness arise?
If so, you’re not alone.
In today’s world, crisis news—wars, natural disasters, economic crashes, pandemics, and violent events—reaches us in near real-time. We’re no longer just witnesses to our own communities but spectators of global turmoil.
The newsfeed never stops — social media, headlines, notifications, and images keep us in a constant state of alertness as if we’re personally involved in every event.
However, the human brain was not evolutionarily designed for this kind of global information and stress overload. The danger signals that once helped us survive real physical threats now activate in the same way every time we read about a tragedy — even if it’s far away and doesn’t affect us directly.
Our brain reacts to invisible threats as if they were real and immediate: stress hormone(cortisol) levels rise, heart rate increases, sleep quality drops, and our ability to focus decreases. Over time, this state can lead to chronic crisis awareness—a psychological readiness for a crisis that never actually comes. It’s exhausting and draining and can lead to burnout.
Chronic crisis awareness
This is a condition in which a person remains constantly prepared to respond to danger that doesn’t directly concern them. It can result in mental exhaustion and a sense that“nothing feels good anymore,” while also reducing our ability to enjoy the small joys of everyday life. Fatigue, decreased concentration, insomnia, anxiety, and even apathy are increasingly common experiences in today’s world.
Many people feel they can no longer handle the news, yet at the same time fear“missing something important.” This creates a vicious cycle — we keep scrolling despite exhaustion, absorbing the world’s suffering over which we have no real control.
we keep scrolling despite exhaustion
What Can Help?
Chronic crisis awareness doesn’t just affect us individually — it silently seeps into our workdays as well, influencing focus, motivation, and interpersonal communication. Here are a few simple yet effective steps that can help restore inner peace and balance amidst global chaos:
Create a conscious information diet.
You don’t need to stay up to date every minute. Limit news checking to once or twice a day and prefer reliable sources. Constant doomscrolling doesn’t provide a sense of control — it deepens anxiety. Break this habit, and offer your colleagues space to do the same.
Ask:“Does this information help me today?”
Before clicking another dramatic headline, pause. Ask yourself: Will knowing this help me do something better or solve a problem today? If the answer is no, redirect your focus to something that brings clarity or peace — collaboration, routine, or meaningful conversation.
Create calm within — and let it reflect outward.
When the world feels out of control, finding stability within is essential. Conscious breathing, movement, nature, personal routines, and deep conversations all help create a sense of safety and ease tension — personally and collectively.
Transform helplessness into action.
When something in the world feels too big or painful, find where you can make a difference — whether it’s a kind word to a colleague, a small good deed, leading a shared initiative, or simply being present. Feeling a sense of impact helps ease helplessness and empowers action — in yourself and others.
As leaders and colleagues, we also have the power to support one another in navigating this ongoing information overload. That doesn’t mean having all the answers – sometimes, it’s simply about acknowledging that feeling drained or distracted is human.
Encouraging mindful breaks from news consumption, modelling healthy boundaries, and offering space for calm – even small things like a quiet moment before a meeting or checking in with someone who seems off – can create a more grounded workplace.
When people feel supported, their resilience grows. And when we create an environment where it’s okay to pause and breathe, we help everyone show up a little more whole.
Constant doomscrolling doesn’t provide a sense of control — it deepens anxiety
Our brains were never meant to carry the weight of the world 24/7. We can be caring and aware without tearing ourselves apart. Let’s allow ourselves to be human — and sometimes, that means saying“no” to the news so we can say“yes” to ourselves.
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Anastassia is a psychologist specializing in counselling psychology, workplace well-being, and group facilitation. She develops mental health strategies and tools for organizations, designs and delivers trainings, and helps teams create healthier, more supportive work environments.
Anastassia Murašina
