How to Toggle for a Healthier Mindset
Many individuals, regardless of their political affiliations, find themselves adversely affected by the content they consume from social media, news articles, and other platforms. The news cycle never ends, thus when the app refreshes the timeline, or when the program returns from a commercial break, the consumer ends up receiving an overwhelming influx of information. This often leaves them feeling helpless, fearful, exhausted, and hopeless. It’s likely that many of our readers (and perhaps even you) have experienced similar intense emotions at times. Below are two strategies we recommend to help manage these feelings.
This SIFT strategy helps individuals center their thoughts and make intentional decisions about their next steps. This effective approach involves determining how much political information a person can handle before engaging with their phone or turning on the news. Here’s how it works:
S: Sensations - Individuals are encouraged to notice the physical sensations in their body.
I: Images - They can close their eyes (if comfortable) or focus on a single spot and observe any images that arise, which might be a color, a memory, or nothing at all.
F: Feeling - They should identify the emotions they’re experiencing in that moment.
T: Thoughts - Based on their sensations, images, and emotions, they can reflect on what actions they need to take to care for themselves.
Toggling is another helpful method which involves switching between “good” news and “bad” news. It’s crucial for people to recognize that positive events (daring rescues, cured diseases, feel-good reunions, etc.) are still happening in the world. Focusing solely on negative news can cause them to overlook uplifting developments and negatively impact their mental health.
Several online news platforms, such as Squirrel News and Nice News, provide exclusively positive stories. Both of these sites discuss things that are making a positive influence in the world such as reduction of diabetes deaths and groups re-visiting the Ice Bucket Challenge—this time to reduce mental health stigma. When consuming political news, individuals are advised to engage with something positive to maintain balance.
Finally, it’s perfectly acceptable for individuals to inform those around them that they’re not open to discussing political news at the moment. They can reassure others that they’re conducting their own research and prefer to limit their exposure to what they’ve chosen to take in. This can work wonders for mental health and peace of mind, not only for you, but also for those around you.
