Reducing Outside Stress

   The world can be a depressing place at times. Headlines this week include the far-reaching migrant crisis in Europe; the decline in the world-wide economic markets; the heated debate over the Iranian nuclear deal; the continued, unsettling violence in the Mid-East; and the vitriol of the American presidential race. I'm a news junkie, and frankly, it can get you down.
   Running and exercise certainly helps to release endorphins, think things through, and put it all in perspective. Running outside, in particular, with no television in front of you, or electronic devise in your ear, can be mentally refreshing.
  In my files, I found an article from Drs. Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen dealing with this subject, syndicated in the Star-Ledger back on June 18th.
   They cited a national survey of 2,500 Americans. Some 25% of respondents said they felt a great deal of stress over the last month, with the news a major contributor for 40% of them. Another interesting survey of 4,500 individuals, conducted by the University of California, Irvine, was held around the time of the Boston marathon bombings. It found that people, unrelated to that horrible day, who watched, read, or listened to more than six hours of news coverage a day had more stress symptoms than people who actually witnessed the bombing. Yes, the news can get you down!
  Their recommendations:
 *Watch it once, then turn it off. Avoid replays of horrible events. I remember my son was four at the time of the 9/11 attacks. Each time they showed that clip of the plane crashing into the second tower, he yelled, "Look! It's happening again!"
*Read the newspaper. Unlike television, you have the choice of what you want to read or skip in a newspaper. Because it's published once a day and more in-depth, it tends to be less sensational than TV news. I personally have sworn off getting my news from Facebook, too. I'm innately drawn to the most dubious articles that are shared by "friends," read the hate-filled comments beneath them, and end up angry or depressed. Now, I'll only read Facebook "news" if I've gone through both the Star-Ledger and New York Times in one day. I never have that much time!
*Listen to the radio. This enables you to do other activities while your tuned in, rather than sitting idly on the couch in front of a television or computer screen. Yes, there's a lot of anger and ignorance on talk radio, but there are also in-depth choices along the dial to hear intelligent voices discussing important issues, in a sane manner. Or simply turn on sports talk for light entertainment!
*Skip TV news before bed, and don't leave it on to fall asleep.
 *Look for the good. Focus on people like the first responders at the Boston marathon bombing, ordinary people doing heroic things, just because it's the right thing to do.
 *Do something good for yourself. Help the community and create good inner feelings by donating blood, participating in a charity walk or bike ride, or otherwise volunteering your time. Don't worry, Fox News, CNN or MSNBC will still be on when you get home. Be a participant in life, not an observer. The heart and soul will feel good!