It’s probably safe to say that anxiety is the most “popular” mental illness of the day. We know this to be true from the myriad lectures in our local communities, the preponderance and popularity of books such as Jonathan Haidt’s “The Anxious Generation,” and the introduction of the new character “Anxiety” into Disney’s “Inside Out 2.” Our researchers and news programs proclaim an anxiety epidemic with studies suggesting an incidence of an anxiety disorder anywhere between 19% in adults to 31% in adolescents. My intent is not to be just another doomsayer but rather talk about anxiety in the context of current events and present a few suggestions on how to manage those anxieties.
Current events, be they the election, politics in general or the situation in Israel, have been an enormous source of anxiety for many people. I used the word “manage” in the previous paragraph intentionally because anxiety is a natural and often useful emotion that cannot and should not be exorcized from our bodies. Here is the quick APA definition of anxiety: “an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure.” Anxiety is differentiated from fear in that fear is a more specific and short-lived response to a clearly identified threat, while anxiety is a longer-lasting feeling about a broader and less-specific threat. It’s the difference between a fear of failing a chemistry exam and failing to succeed as a chemist.
Current events have increasingly been the source of anxiety as 24-hour news programming, click-bait journalism and social media raise the intensity and urgency of current events. News platforms are rewarded for our engagement and therefore employ greater and more sensational headlines and algorithms to grab our attention. Calamity is more attractive than calm in the world of media. With smartphones and social media we find these sensational headlines at our fingertips, pinging us with endless notifications. It is very difficult to shelter ourselves from the incessant barrage of news, especially when we value being up to date with current events surrounding the elections and most importantly with the situation in Israel. How do we balance and maintain calm while at the same time remaining informed, empathic, and in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Israel and the world over?
- Frequency and Duration: Prior to the advent of the 24-hour news channel by CNN in 1980, and its rise to prominence during the 1991 Gulf War, people received their news via the newspaper in the mornings and the evening news. Consider adopting a similar model. Only check the news in the morning and in the evening, and only consume that news for a specific amount of time. Keep it to a maximum of 20 minutes. This helps avoid being shackled to the headlines all day and reduces the chances of being sucked in the vortex or rumination, brooding and doomscrolling.
- Reign It In: News articles catch your eye with sensational and oftentimes over-hyperbolic statements. Every side of the political spectrum does this. Yes, even your side. Ask yourself if their claims sound realistic, rational or probable. Even if the events being published are verifiably true, do the catastrophic consequences that the journalist, or even you for that matter, predict seem likely? Or further ask yourself, if the dreaded outcome were to occur, how would you actually deal with it? Oftentimes we ask ourselves “what-if” questions and fail to answer them. When we actually answer them we often find that they are more manageable than we thought.
- Focus on What You Can Do: Very often we experience the news and current events as incapable bystanders. When we become overwhelmed with all of the horrible things in the world we feel hopeless and powerless to make and change. But if we focus our energies on things we can change, we can harness that anxiety and channel it into productive and positive pursuits. If you are anxious about politics, get involved in something that you can make a difference. Think about organizations like TeachNJ/NY, AIPAC, local government, letter-writing campaigns to your representatives in Congress, and of course, vote. We are all very anxious about the wars in Israel and the hostages still being held by Hamas. Write thank you letters to IDF soldiers and IDF families; condolence letters to grieving families; letters of hope and solidarity for families of the hostages; donate to reputable charities; daven, learn, and say Tehillim; and make a Kiddush Hashem to help improve that Jewish brand.
- Stay Healthy: This is pretty obvious but still bears mentioning. Make sure that you are eating well and at appropriate times; sleeping enough and at consistent times; exercising regularly; keeping your mind occupied with things other than news, current events and social media; connect with real people in the real world, not just online; tap into spirituality, be it through Judaism or other avenues such as nature, art or music; and be mindful of your thoughts feelings, and physical well being.
Understanding the causes and tools for managing the anxieties around current events will hopefully give us all a much better sense of control and some much needed respite from the chaos of our complicated world.
Jon Lamm, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist, and director of Eastside CBT, a psychology group practice located in Manhattan and Bergen County. He can be reached at [email protected] or Eastside-CBT.com
