For as long as I can remember, I was addicted to broadcast news. It was a habit that began long before I became a journalist. My father, a doctor, was a devoted consumer of current affairs, often asking, “What’s happening in the world?” at breakfast. To him, the world’s events were just as important as the day’s personal plans, and this perspective shaped my own news consumption.
I would wake up to the sound of the radio, listening to a constant stream of reports on global conflicts, political upheavals, and local dramas. The barrage of information, particularly in the form of breaking news and sensational headlines, became a constant companion throughout my day. It felt like a routine, and I thought nothing of it. However, a few months ago, something shifted. I found myself overwhelmed and even tearful while watching a broadcast.
I had long been aware that this sensory overload was affecting me. Some time ago, I completed a mindfulness-based stress reduction course, which involved experimenting with 20-minute meditations at different times of day. To my surprise, I found that even hours after consuming news, my mind was filled with anxiety about distant events. It was a wake-up call, though I initially dismissed it. I reasoned that we should all care about the suffering of others. But the weight of it all eventually became too much.
I decided to try an experiment: a complete ban on all current affairs for one week. The first few days were difficult, especially in the mornings when I habitually reached for the BBC Sounds app. But soon, I began to notice a difference. I felt a sense of relief, as though I had stopped banging my head against a brick wall. The world didn’t seem quite so chaotic, and I was no longer constantly reacting to a never-ending stream of bad news.
The adjustment wasn’t immediate. I felt a sense of emptiness, wondering what was happening in the world. But I realized that I didn’t need to be constantly informed to function. I decided to allow myself an hour each day to read print media, focusing on facts without the added drama. This approach gave me a sense of control and clarity. I also realized how often I had been multitasking, consuming news while doing other things. By forcing myself to focus on just one activity at a time, I found that I could absorb information more effectively and remember it better.
After the week was over, I made the change permanent, with a few adjustments. I reinstated my daily routine of listening to a specific radio program, which I found soothing. This new approach made me rethink the usefulness of trying to care about everything. As Oliver Burkeman writes in his book Meditations for Mortals, the relationship we have with current affairs has changed. The news, especially since events like Brexit and the election of Donald Trump, has become the psychological center of gravity in many people’s lives, overshadowing other important aspects like home, friends, and work.
The real problem with my news habit was that it gave me the illusion of action. I thought that by staying informed, I was doing something meaningful. But as I cut back on news consumption, I found that I had more mental space to focus on concrete actions. I began brainstorming ways to contribute to causes I care about, such as volunteering, running charity events, or donating to causes I believe in. With the constant barrage of news no longer consuming my thoughts, I now feel I can make a small but tangible difference in the world. And I no longer burst into tears while watching TV.
