Anxiety: the scoop on how to deal with what you hear in the news

Some days it seems like the constant stream of depressing news stories will never end. From recent events such as the Las Vegas shooting, to things in general like world news and politics, disheartening stories are everywhere, and getting into a slump because of stories like these is an easy thing to do. But what can a Westside student do to deal with anxiety caused by depressing news stories or stress in general?

To begin to understand how to stop, or at the very least control anxiety, you have to learn about the underlying reason for why people become stressed out: the fight or flight response. The fight or flight response according to HarvardHealth.edu is “[a trigger for hormones in the body] that evolved as a survival mechanism, enabling people and other mammals to react quickly to life-threatening situations.” So back in the day of cavemen, the fight or flight response helped increase adrenaline so that we could protect ourselves.  Essentially, hormones released by stress can be a good thing that can help you react to dangerous situations, but those hormones can also be harmful if continued over long periods of time.

Now, for most people in America in 2017, walking outside and immediately being mauled to death by a wild animal isn’t at the top of your worries. However, even though surviving in the wilderness is no longer an everyday concern, we still react in a similar way, and have the fight or flight response in our daily lives.  The only difference is that our bodies release these hormones for different reasons such as being scared about taking a test, or worrying about the health of a family member. Whatever the reason, the fight or flight response causes triggers in your endocrine system that make you feel stressed out.

When you first begin to feel stressed out about something, the best thing you can do is ask yourself two questions; “What can I do to solve this problem?” and “How realistic is it that something will actually going wrong?” With the first question, really think about what you could do to change anything that’s stressing you out. This question is a good way to get down to the root of a problem and understand if you can change what you’re doing to fix it. If something is out of your control and there’s nothing you can do to fix it, 9 times out of 10 stressing out about it is harming you more than helping you. For the second question, “How realistic is it that something will actually go wrong?,” ask yourself about if you truly think something bad is going to happen to you. You might have watched something that worried you on the news or read a political article online that scared you about the future. The best thing you can do in that kind of scenario is ask yourself if this is a real concern and if the answer is yes, think about how it will affect you. News stories are often focused in on very specific events that have made the news because of just how shocking or one-of-a-kind they are. By asking yourself if you think something will actually go wrong, you can weigh whether or not you’re overreacting to a situation, or if this is something worth really stressing about

Another important thing to do when you’re stressed out by the news is to do something that can distract you from what you’re stressing about. Try to do something you enjoy that will take your mind off of the anxiety. Reading books, exercising, going out with friends, and meditation are all good activities to do that can help you think of other things than what you’re worried about. Talking about your stress with others can also help bolster your spirits and make you feel less tense.

For more information on stress or anxiety, or if you’d like to seek professional help, you can access teen anxiety hotlines at 1-800-852-8336 or go to MentalHealth.net for information.