My definition of anxiety is the uneasiness and discomfort that follows the question, “What if?” Much of the “what if’s” are subconscious. We worry about “What if my husband leaves me?” or, “What if I lose my job?” or “What if I can’t pay all my bills?” or “What if my pet dies?”
These scenarios are real possibilities, but we cannot control whether these troubling events are going to happen, and we cannot prevent them, either. Thus, the anxiety – provoked at the thought of a loss of control in the midst of a threatening situation.
I have believed for some time that most evening news broadcasts induce and promote anxiety. They are sensational, designed to boost viewership and sell advertisements. I noticed that my anxiety level rises during these nightly news stories of child abductions, fatal traffic accidents and worldwide disasters. So I began to question if I needed to watch the nightly news.
As an experiment, I turned the TV to my favorite music, the smooth jazz channel on Directv. The cats love this channel, and I feel an immediate elevation of mood. I am ready to do my household chores, and the smooth jazz removes anxious thoughts.
Anxiety does not thrive in a positive musical atmosphere.
In psychology, we know that an individual can only cognitively manage 7 things at a time. If you are managing your home, pets, family, friends, jobs, exercise routine and social network, that’s your seven. You are cognitively full up, so to speak.
We are not designed to handle the problems of the world. It does not make us uncaring if we tune the news broadcasts out, which are designed to startle and grab your attention, pulling you in so that you will hang around for the story and also be exposed to the advertisements. I cannot correct the situation in Afghanistan
Here is a thought, and a suggestion for your own experiment: If you feel anxious, try removing one thing, such as the evening news, from your daily lineup and see if you feel less anxious. Try to recognize the things that triggering anxiety and address these things – remove them if you can. Then, replace them with something positive.
Consequences of anxiety can be increased risk of dying from a stroke, as well as the suffering of the anxiety itself.
I don’t agree with everything on this list by Barton Goldsmith, PhD, but he does mention that a strategy for anxiety reduction is limiting news to one hour a day and not watching anything that is upsetting before bed.
An anxiety reduction strategy could be as simple as replacing the evening news with a favorite music channel.
