Experts: Negative news can impact mental health
(FOX 5 NY) - Terrorism, violence, the economy; sometimes the news can make the world look like a very scary place. James and Leslie Marchese say the negative headlines are often on their minds and they're not the only ones.
Research has shown negative news can have a real impact on people's mental states. One study by the Harvest Business Review and Huffington Post found that people who started their day watching three minutes of negative news stories were almost 30 percent more likely to later report their day as unhappy than people who watched more uplifting news stories.
Clinical and forensic psychologist Dr. Dawn Hughes says constant or frequent exposure to negative headlines can impact everything from our stress level to our productivity. Dr. Hughes says the 24-hour news cycle in which the same headlines are often repeated over and over can make risks seem higher than they actually are. Her suggestion: focus on what you can control as opposed to what's totally out of your hands.
And if negative news really has you stressed out another thing the experts suggest you do is turn off breaking news updates, alerts, or texts you get on your phone. They say those can really interrupt you, distract you from your day, and even fuel more anxiety.