The Psychological Impact of Coronavirus Media Coverage

                                              The media’s role in the chaos is clear, but what about the unseen effects?

I am talking about your emotions, your mental health, and your peace of mind. ????

One day, you’re watching standard TV; maybe it’s The Price is Right. Perhaps it’s playing in the background while you’re working from home, and suddenly there’s an announcement.

Are you watching the news regularly? Are you watching Coronavirus Media regularly? 

What amount of news do you find to be excessive?

Is Coronavirus Media Affecting You? Why is Excessive News Affecting you? 

Try to decide for yourself when there is too much news and when it is enough. Once you have done that, here are a few things you can do.

Reduce News watching.

If you sense that it’s causing you anxiety and agitation, take a break. Then TAKE A BREAK. It will be there whenever you decide to watch it again, but sometimes it’s beneficial to take a break. Take time to focus on other things. The news is an excellent source of information, but, at the same time, it can fuel anxiety, depression, PTSD, and emotional distress.

Being exposed to the stressors of the world is an excellent way to stay connected and stay up-to-date, but it starts to affect your peace of mind. SO, make sure you take weekly or even daily self-checks. Always watching the news can cause stress and anxiety. It can lead to fatigue or sleep loss, which can, in turn, affect your day-to-day life. It may not be suitable for your mental and even physical health.

So feel free to ask yourself those important questions: How am I feeling today? Am I more anxious than usual? Am I more afraid? Stressed? Worried? Based on your responses, do what is best for YOU.????

Maybe you were just watching too much news. You can limit the exposure; maybe just check in 2x a day, or perhaps not at all. It is okay to want to stay informed, so watch enough to be told, but not enough to cause distress. Find that balance.

Discuss it with the Wiser.

Talking to older generations who have successfully lived through tougher times, such as wars, economic depressions, and global tragedies, can also help you cope. Why? They serve as evidence of our resilience. Often, we take our wiser generations for granted.

We see them as grandpa and grandma and nothing more. But they are so much more. They are living, breathing history books. So ask them questions. Request their stories of survival.

I guarantee that their stories will be far worse than our current situation. I am a firm believer that adverse conditions are relative. Our young generations have not lived long enough to go through something like this, so it makes sense that they feel it is devastating. And I won’t deny that it is.

BUT, as with everything in life, It is relative to the worst thing you have ever experienced. So, talking to those who have been through worse will give you peace of mind, because although you have not been through harder times (maybe), they have. So they know we will all get through this.

Focus on other activities.

Life is a carousel that won’t stop moving. Yes, I know, I got that from Grey’s Anatomy, but it is so true. The carousel that is life never stops moving. So we don’t either.

We have all become robots, going through the motions. We can’t stop and focus on what we need instead of what we must do. For once, the entire world is in a state of stagnation.

The only moving pieces are those required for survival, such as hospitals, grocery stores, gas stations, etc. This has affected many people. However, this situation is also beyond your control. What you CAN control is what you do with that time. Do you waste it worrying? Do you spend excessive time watching television? Or will you decide to engage in activities that fuel your mind and teach you something? Perhaps it will even enable you to live in the moment without worrying about other tasks you should be completing. Learn flu symptoms, treatment, and prevention tips for better health.

What you do with this time is entirely IN YOUR CONTROL. And there are so many options! You can read a book or watch oldies, maybe play puzzles or other board games with family or friends. You can also meditate, practice yoga, or build a weight room in your garage since your gym is closed. Or you can pick up a new hobby. Reconnect with old acquaintances. Make peace with your past.

Listen to your inner thoughts. The choices are endless. It just so happens that life moves so quickly, we have all lost our creativity. Please take this opportunity to regain it.

Allow this life Experience to prepare you for the Future.

You ask yourself What is happening in the world? We may even see it as rapid dissension into disaster and chaos. But remember this, it’s all out of our control, and it is okay if nothing makes sense.

I have felt like I’m living in a horror movie.

I asked myself, am I dreaming?

OR will you dig deep and turn this challenging time into a lifetime of strength and survival?

I hope reading this has somehow helped some of you deal with what is going on. Any feeling you have is normal. If you have lost someone to this virus, or someone you know and love is in the hospital because of it, my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. For those of you whose only exposure to this virus is the news and the stories of those around you, I hope the experience gives you some reassurance that your feelings matter too, and I hope you find the strength within each of you to know your limits and make the necessary changes that will give you peace of mind. “The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for a newer and richer experience.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt