News Avoidance - practical tips - 26 June 2026

Practical Techniques for "News Avoidance" (NA) leading to Healthy News Consumption!

Across the Western world, more and more people are avoiding the news, both those who struggle to process it, and those who think deeply and get exhausted by it.

So instead of just asking “why is this happening?” let’s ask, “What can we actually do about it?”

First.

Create a news routine.

Pick one short window in the day, anything from say 10 to 25 minutes, to check the news.

Refrain from scrolling outside that slot.

This should turn your doom scrolling into a contained habit.

Second.

Downgrade the dopamine.

Turn off breaking‑news alerts and push notifications.

Avoid recommendations on a daily basis.

Focus on preselected sources for your news.

If possible, remove news apps, or apps related to things that get you the news.

Make the news something you go to on purpose, maybe only on your TV and not your laptop, or maybe your laptop and not your mobile phone.

Avoid getting ambushed by a news story.

Third.

Select and review your inputs.

Choose a limited number of sources and ignore the rest.

Favour outlets that explain, that don't sensationaluze, avoid clickbaity titles.

Deliberately look for positive titles that appear to be about progress or solutions.

Fourth.

Have a “reality check” step.

When you spot propaganda, agenda, or omission, don’t collapse into helplessness!

Ask yourself, "does this affect my life directly, right now?"

Reflect, "is there anything small but real I can do, right now about it?"

If the answer is yes, then act!

If the answer is no, let it go.

Mantra ... My brain is not built to carry the whole world's problems.

Remember, staying informed should help you live a better life, not leave you mentally exhausted and emotionally numb!

Best wishes,

Iain

#drbae

#selfimprovement

#mentalhealth

#howto