It feels like a pressing ethical requirement to stay informed, especially in an age where oppression and exploitation are quickly communicated to us through the internet. Many people who would not have known about the plight of less privileged groups are now aware of their struggles, as well as of threats communicated real-time via political discussions and reports of law changes. Marginalized communities are continuing to see and experience harm levied against them. It’s terrifying and enraging. Every day there are countless new reports of some atrocity and threat to human well-being, either happening now or potentially coming soon. And it’s all too much. The constant flow of terrifying news is overwhelming and deeply existentially depressing. You might even find it so heavy it’s become hard to function in your every day life.

You may have heard of being tuned into the news and social media all the time as trying to drink from a fire hose of information. I also recently heard an analogy of this experience as a psychological DDoS, which is a digital attack meant to flood a website server with way more traffic than it can handle so it will crash. Trying to keep track of so many things that feel both urgent and important overwhelms your system and, unfortunately, can keep you from taking care of yourself, much less contributing meaningfully to important causes.

It is ethical and responsible to limit how much news you take in.

There is a line between being informed and being overwhelmed. While there may be times you will need to push past your comfort zone and make some sacrifices for the greater good, this is not a state you can continue in for any extended period of time. I like this metaphor, stating not only can you not pour from an “empty jug,” meaning you cannot give resources you do not have for yourself already, but you also should not boil an empty kettle, which could create greater danger overall to yourself and others. If you are so overwhelmed because you feel pressured to be “completely informed,” whatever that means, you cannot be effectively helpful to any of the causes you care about.

Fine-tune your focus, practice radical acceptance for the rest.

The amount you can stay informed and still active is personal and individual. It depends on what your internal and external resources look like. Take some time to consider just a handful of ways you can contribute to the greater good on a regular basis, understanding that trying to take on everything is likely to overwhelm your ability to do anything. The rest of your focus then goes to prioritizing your needs, making them non-negotiables. This looks like every day routines supporting a healthy connection between you and what your body needs, as well as regular enjoyment in your hobbies, interests, and relationships.

“Radical acceptance” does not mean you have decided to like or be happy about anything that is otherwise upsetting. Radical acceptance is the space where we have perspective on the big picture, understand our abilities and limitations, and do our best in our potentially small parts. Awful things are going to be proposed. Awful things are going to happen. We are incorporating the bits and pieces we can do something about into our everyday lives, and part of what we can do is to allow ourselves space. Space to rest, space to play, space to center ourselves without the constant onslaught of chaos, hatred, and malevolence we hear and see in the media.

I cannot tell you how much information you should be taking in, what actions you should or shouldn’t be doing, whether you should or shouldn’t delete certain apps or remove relationships. If you’d like to work together, however, I can help you decide these things for yourself and find the balance that helps your contribution to the world be something wonderful and helpful. If you don’t feel able to let go of the pressure and mandate to be informed about everything but need a space to talk about it, I can give that too. It may still feel like drowning in anguish or being immobilized by fear, but you don’t have to be in those spaces alone. Overall, I’m here to support people in respect for the values they hold and the decisions they make for themselves. You can contact me here if you’d like to get started. Regardless, I wish you peace and wellness, whatever that looks like for you.

Dr. Stephanie Bloodworth, PsyD, LMFT-S