If the coronavirus outbreak confirmed one thing for me, it is that I need to limit how often I check the news. Following every update can become a cycle of quick rewards and rising stress.
https://twitter.com/gijsheerkens/status/1237026875802877953
I'm not saying you should stay ignorant. Of course, you want to know the official guidance and restrictions in a situation like this.
But it's enough to check your country’s official guidance once a day to stay informed. Furthermore, people around you will probably share major developments too.
There is little value in checking news sites and social media every few minutes. It's your dopamine addiction that can pull you back repeatedly. Your mind is wired to love new information.
News websites' business models are based on this principle. They benefit when you return for each new update. More visits mean more advertising revenue.
The stories that reach us often focus on what is going wrong. Negative things that were always happening in the world, and now we carry devices in our pockets that inform us in real-time of all the bad things that are happening.
Much of it may have little bearing on your day, yet still affect your mood. You'd better focus on things you can control.
During the coronavirus outbreak, the volume and variety of new information became overwhelming. Experts sometimes offered conflicting advice and countries are using different strategies. Numbers are updated every hour of the day from all over the world.
That uncertainty can be stressful. How you cope with that depends on your personality, and your temperament.
I'm pretty resilient myself, somewhere in the middle of the neuroticism spectrum. Still, I noticed that constant news checking made me tense.
And stress deteriorates sleep, which is bad for your immune system. That is one more reason I prefer to protect my sleep instead of reading updates late into the night. Another vicious circle.
I know this is very personal, everyone copes differently with extreme situations. You can discover how to best deal with this whole Corona issue, in a way that fits your personality. We at CaPPr's decided to offer our rapid personality test for free for everyone, providing you with personalised suggestions to stay healthy and engaged within the confining prevention conditions. Try it now.