During times of crisis and uncertainty, it is important to be well-informed. We want to be prepared, and when we feel helpless, we look for answers and solutions to our problems. The internet brings us the news, but over the last few months, most of it has been bad. Yet we keep scrolling, reading one article after another, unable to turn away from the information that frightens and depresses us.
While staying informed is essential, doomscrolling is not good for our mental health. Dr. Luana Marques, Director of the Community Psychiatry Program for Research in Implementation and Dissemination of Evidence-Based Treatments (PRIDE) at MGH, notes that Google trends show us that coronavirus-fueled searches tend to peak around 11 PM to 4 AM. So we’re anxious and we’re not sleeping.
According to Dr. Marques, one way of managing our anxiety is to limit our dose of the daily news. She recommends checking the news only one per day and sticking to reliable sources for our information. And maybe the nightstand isn’t the best place for your smartphone to spend the night.
Read More:
How To Manage Your Emotions And Build Resilience Amidst A Pandemic (Forbes)
Luana Marques, PhD is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School (HMS), the Director of Community Psychiatry PRIDE at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), and the President of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA). Dr. Marques’ research has focused on innovative implementation models with the goal of improving access to mental health services.
