How Mindfully Managing News and Media Can Support Anxiety Therapy in Maryland
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If you live with anxiety, you may already know how quickly the news can shift your body into a state of tension. A single headline can tighten your chest, speed up your thoughts, or leave you feeling on edge long after you put your phone down. Many people I work with in anxiety therapy here in Maryland describe feeling caught between wanting to stay informed and needing relief from the constant sense of alarm.
This struggle makes sense. News and social media are designed to capture attention, and often they do so by highlighting danger, conflict, or uncertainty. When you already have an anxious nervous system, this steady stream of information can make it harder to feel grounded, safe, or present.
Mindfully managing how you engage with news and media is not about ignoring the world or pretending hard things are not happening. It’s about learning how to protect your nervous system so anxiety does not run your day. For many people, this becomes an important and practical part of anxiety therapy in Maryland.
What News Media Does To an Anxious Nervous System
Mindfulness offers a different way of relating to news and media. Rather than reacting automatically, mindfulness invites you to notice what is happening inside you as you engage with information.
You might begin by paying attention to subtle changes in your body. Does your jaw clench when you scroll? Does your breath become shallow when you read certain topics? Do your shoulders creep upward without you realizing it?
This kind of awareness can create a pause. With that pause, you have more choice. You can decide whether to keep reading, to take a breath, or to step away. In anxiety therapy, this pause is often where real change begins. Building this muscle of noticing and pausing takes practice. Just like any skill, the more you practice, the better you get at it and are able to access it more easily when needed. Check out this post on building more awareness in the body through mindfulness tools.
creating healthier boundaries with news and media
Mindful media use does not require strict rules or total avoidance. Instead, it involves experimenting with boundaries that support your mental health. You may need to try a few things to see what works for you, or switch it up as circumstances change.
For many people with anxiety, helpful boundaries might include choosing specific times of day to check the news, limiting exposure before bed, or being intentional about which sources they follow. The goal is not to control yourself, but to support your nervous system.
When boundaries are approached with curiosity rather than self-criticism, they often feel more sustainable. A little self-compassion goes a long way to feeling like you are on your own side in life. This is something I frequently explore with clients, especially when media use has become a source of daily stress. If you live with other people, you may have to talk about how to negotiate audio news exposure in the home. You can find help with talking with others about anxiety here.
Mindful Practices to Use During and After Media Use
Mindfulness can also be practiced in very small, practical ways before, during, or after engaging with news. One simple approach is to check in with your breath and body after reading a headline or watching a segment.
Here are a few gentle practices many clients find helpful:
• Take three slow breaths, letting the exhale be slightly longer than the inhale
• Notice where your body feels tense and allow those areas to soften
• Place your feet on the floor and name a few things you can see or hear around you
These practices help signal safety to the nervous system. Over time, they can reduce the intensity of anxious reactions. If you want to try a specific breathing technique that supports calming the body and the mind, you might explore the Cylinder Breath described here. That post includes a recording of this technique so you can just follow along to try it out for yourself.
How Hypnotherapy and MIndfulness-Based Therapy can help
For some people, anxiety related to news and media feels deeply ingrained. Even when they limit exposure, their mind continues to replay stories or imagine worst-case scenarios. This is where hypnotherapy and mindfulness-based therapy can be especially helpful.
Hypnotherapy can support anxiety treatment by working with the subconscious patterns that fuel rumination and fear. Rather than trying to force thoughts away, hypnotherapy helps create new associations of calm and safety. Hypnotherapy is all about accessing your inner resources and using them in helpful ways.
Mindfulness-based therapy also builds skills for staying present with difficult sensations without becoming overwhelmed. As a Maryland anxiety therapist, I often use both of them to help clients feel more regulated and resilient.
When Anxiety feels Bigger than MEdia Habits alone
Get help with anxiety by reaching out for professional support.
While mindful media use can make a real difference, there are times when anxiety remains intense even with good boundaries in place. If you notice ongoing sleep problems, persistent worry, panic symptoms, or difficulty enjoying daily life, it may be time to seek additional support. There are even free screening tools you can access online to help you see if anxiety might be an issue.
Anxiety therapy is not about fixing you or taking away your sensitivity. It is about helping your nervous system learn new ways to respond so you can feel more at ease in your life. Here are some tips for finding a Maryland therapist that can provide you with the support you need.
Finding Balance in an uncertain world
Staying informed and caring about the world are not flaws. They reflect compassion and awareness. The challenge is learning how to stay connected without letting anxiety take over.
Mindfully managing news and media is one small but meaningful way to support your mental health. When combined with anxiety therapy, mindfulness-based therapy, or hypnotherapy, it can help you feel more grounded, present, and capable of meeting life as it unfolds.
look beyond the algorithms
Many of us are allowing our media consumption habits to be set by the algorithms used by tech and media companies. They serve us a never-ending, but curated by them, buffet of stories that link one to another. We don’t actually have to consume our media this way.
If there is something really important to you, you can choose to seek out information specifically about that topic, from places that you trust, when you are ready to sit down and learn about it. This puts you more in the driver’s seat of your media habits.
Find other interests
Boredom busters can come in many forms!
With access to news media pretty much at our fingertips, all the time, it can become reflexive just to keep checking on it whenever we are bored and have a spare minute. This creates a habit loop that can get away from us, even when we recognize that it’s not helping us. So, figure out what function this automatic consumption is filling and solve for that problem. A lot of the time, it’s boredom or just not know what to do with down time.
Think creatively about ANYTHING that you could do with that time instead. Try to remember the lyrics of your favorite song from childhood. Doodle or learn Zentangle. Make a grocery list for dinners for next week. Text a friend and ask how they are doing. Watch cat videos. Stare into space. Anything!!!
Get Support from A Maryland anxiety counselor
Looking for more support in not letting anxiety run the show in your life? I offer specialized anxiety therapy appointments in-person, located in College Park, MD. Online anxiety therapy appointments are available anywhere in Maryland. Contact me to schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation and take the first step toward taming your anxiety.
Other services I offer include hypnotherapy, mindfulness-based therapy, life coaching, and support for LGBTQIA+ clients. Additional information is available on my counseling practice home page.
About the author, an anxiety counselor:
Beth Charbonneau, LCSW-C, is a Maryland therapist, specializing in anxiety therapy and treatment. With over 20 years of experience, she brings a holistic approach to calming both the mind and the body, and helping her clients feel empowered to find more joy in their lives. Learn more about her College Park-based counseling practice here.
