Key points
- Distressing news can affect your mental health, especially when a story feels personal.
- Healthy media boundaries can help you stay informed without becoming overwhelmed.
- Seek support if news-related distress begins to disrupt your daily life.
Breaking news can hit especially hard when it connects to something personal. A headline or social media post may stir difficult emotions or painful memories, and that response is not a failure to cope. It can be a natural reaction to something that matters deeply to you.
Recent news regarding sexual violence at Cornell University is one example of a story that may resurface trauma or leave people feeling overwhelmed. When difficult coverage dominates the news, finding a balance between staying informed and protecting your mental health can be challenging.
Thoughtful boundaries, support, and self-care can help you stay connected to what is happening without letting it consume your day.
Start by trusting your response
Briana Heller, LPC, a clinician with WellPower’s Emerson St. for Teens & Young Adults, often begins supporting the people she serves with a reminder from philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti: “It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.”
“I do this to first ground me and the person I’m working with in a shared understanding that they are having a coherent response to injustice,” Heller said. “To feel anger, sadness, fear, etc. in response to harm is a sign of attunement and emotional wisdom.”
Instead of judging your emotions or rushing to make them disappear, pause and name what is present. Notice what is happening in your body. Consider whether the story is bringing up a personal memory or a sense of powerlessness. This kind of emotional mindfulness can help restore self-trust and self-compassion.
Create boundaries that keep you connected, not overwhelmed
Staying informed does not require continuous exposure. Choose one or two reliable news sources and check them at set times. Turn off nonessential alerts. Avoid difficult coverage before bed, and give yourself permission to skip content that makes your distress worse.
Heller recommends returning to your basic needs when the world feels unsteady, as well as incorporating self-care activities as ways to support mental health. These can look like:
- Regular exercise
- Consistent sleep
- Good nutrition
- Relaxing activities
- Journaling
- Connecting with a mental health professional
WellPower’s mental health resources also offer practical tools for anxiety, stress, and big emotions.
Make room for acceptance and change
Heller often explores the balance of “acceptance vs. change,” when supporting people she serves who are struggling with distressing news.
The concept is drawn from dialectical behavior therapy, a form of therapy that focuses on balancing emotional acceptance with practical, actionable changes.
Regarding the news, Heller encourages people served to remember that acceptance does not mean approval. It means acknowledging what is real, including the injustice itself and your response to it.
“Acceptance often means moving through grief, and grief is the process of feeling through loss,” Heller said. “With what happens in the news, that loss can be ambiguous: the loss of a previously held notion of justice or safety, the loss of trust in systems. We name that together to give things context.”
Then, consider what remains within your control. You might take a media break or return to a steady routine. If you have the capacity, you might volunteer or support a community effort that reflects your values. Heller cautions that capacity is personal, and barriers to action deserve an honest, compassionate assessment.
What bystanders can do
When someone around you is affected by distressing news, begin with supportive and nonjudgemental presence. Listen without pressing for details or trying to solve the person’s feelings. You might say, “I’m here with you,” or ask, “What would feel supportive right now?” Respect their choice to talk or take space.
You can also help reduce the burden of repeated exposure. Avoid forwarding upsetting footage without warning. Offer simple, practical support, such as a shared meal or help finding care. If someone appears overwhelmed or unable to feel safe, encourage professional help. WellPower’s guide to helping someone in a mental health crisis offers compassionate ways to check in and connect a person with care.
To learn more about how you can help, WellPower also offers Mental Health First Aid classes. The course expands on these concepts and offers a concrete action plan for what to do, say, and where to go for resources.
Choose a response rooted in meaning
When events are difficult to understand, meaning-making can offer a steadier direction. Heller draws on the work of psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl, whose work focused on choosing how to respond amid suffering.
“Exploring meaning-making is an existential tool for when things are difficult to make sense of rationally,” Heller said. “It refocuses from trying to understand that which we may not be able to understand, because it is so unjust, to instead identify our choices in how we respond.”
That response does not need to be dramatic. It may mean caring for yourself, checking on a friend, or supporting a cause. The goal is not to become comfortable with injustice. As Heller noted, “What happens in the news isn’t just a thing on a screen; it brings up the personal, the collective, the systemic, and the existential.”
Know when to reach for more support
Consider reaching out to a mental health professional if distress lingers or disrupts your daily life. Recurring painful memories and difficulty functioning may also signal that additional support could help. Support is not reserved for a crisis. A therapist can help you understand what the news is stirring up and identify tools that fit your experience.
If you or someone you know needs immediate support, call, text, or chat online with 988. In Denver, WellPower offers voluntary, 24/7 help through its Walk-In Crisis Center and crisis services. If there is an immediate danger or medical emergency, call 911.
For ongoing care with WellPower, give us a call at (303) 504-7700 or visit wellpower.org/appointment to get started.
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