Why do we feel so anxious when we watch the news?

As the news is everywhere, it can be hard to disconnect from it. “Because we have constant access to rolling TV news, websites and other media, we’re potentially watching every difficulty affecting billions of people across the world in real-time,” explains John-Paul Davies, psychotherapist and spokesperson for the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). “There’s often little we can do to make any difference to the trauma we’re seeing. Emotionally, this can leave us in an overly-aroused state, so stressed, anxious, chronically angry or annoyed, and then, at other times, in a switched-off or under-aroused state, so feeling hopeless, despairing, numb or empty. Many of us will go between these two states at different times.”

This is due to what our brains experience when we attempt to process the information we see. “Witnessing traumatic events on the news can activate our brain’s limbic system, particularly the amygdala, which is responsible for processing emotions and detecting threats,” explains psychologist and author Dr Lalitaa Suglani. “This triggers the body’s stress response, releasing cortisol and adrenaline, which can lead to feelings of anxiety, fear and distress.” Suglani also points to how reactions may be felt more strongly by “individuals who are already vulnerable or have experienced trauma in the past”.

Feeling distressed by the current news cycle? Here’s how to cope with it, according to mental health experts