As students, I find we are often exposed to news and world events through our peers, professors, and the local student-run newspaper. As the year progresses, and more historical events keep happening, it can be easy to be overwhelmed by all the headlines and data points flying around out there.
Not only is there political instability, worse, it goes hand in hand with social instability. The Trump regime continues to roll back hard won progress, just last week Kansas revoked the driver’s licenses of every transgender person who did not have their gender assigned at birth on their ID.
My main concern is how to maintain my mental health while still staying informed. I like to be on top of the news as often as I can, but the consistent stream of information that I consume has recently begun to affect my sleep, my grades, and my overall health.
The amount of disinformation and misinformation on the internet is vast and it can be overwhelming to find even one piece of information that is accurate. If you’re anything like me, your news consumption comes from an unhealthy mix of TikTok, Substack, and news outlets like Al Jazeera and Reuters. Make sure that the source of the information you’re consuming, especially on TikTok, is verifiable. Mis- and disinformation often exaggerate, make up, or skew news, and this can compound with authentic disturbing news, making the anxiety even worse. Another tip is to avoid comment sections — most are filled with bots and only add to the stress.
An article released by Purdue University Northwest, gives students some tips that they can utilize to manage political uncertainty. They recommend limiting the amount of media you consume while still staying informed by giving yourself 15 minutes, either at morning or night, to get caught up. While this is important, staying away from the news, connecting with friends, and practicing self care in the meantime are necessary as well. The Mental Health Commission of Canada also recommends setting up time in your day for reading the news, it encourages staying informed but managing the “information overload” that can often overwhelm and depress. Peachey Counselling explains that political anxiety comes from increasing political and social instability, and can cause depression, panic attacks, and can disproportionately affect minority groups, such as 2SLGBTQIA+ and BIPOC people who have already seen their rights attacked and subverted, especially those living south of the border.
Another strategy I find helpful is to focus on what you can control. The world feels insane right now, and the main takeaway is that it is not your fault. But in my case this often leads to a feeling of helplessness which can further increase any anxiety I’m already feeling. The main issue is that if we become so caught up in the news, we miss the actual point of being informed. Because, what are you going to do with that information? What we can control is our interaction with others and our community, while the grand scale of the events can make the things happening in our local places feel insignificant — they are not. If we want to see change happen, we need to start with ourselves and our communities.
In wake of the recent conflicts, I found that being with friends and family helped me the most. Try to take time out of your day to hang out with people, even if politics are brought up, it helps me compartmentalize and ground myself without giving into the panic. I also suggest talking to your professors. Whether you are struggling with assignments due to political anxiety or want to be better informed, I recommend speaking with UFV’s professors, even if you’re not in their class. Trust me, it’s worth it.
I hope that these tips help. For me it’s hard to get into the habit of limiting how much news I consume — it’s become a sort of obsession. If you are dealing with a significant amount of anxiety or if you are personally connected to a conflict in some way, Foundry Abbotsford can provide free counselling and other mental health services to people ages 12-24.
