I don’t really care about politics, so I don’t watch/read mainstream news. For local news, I usually come across it it via local subs/chat groups/people, but I don’t go actively looking for it. For everything else, I use various news reader apps, all tuned to deliver my main interests (none of which contain any anxiety inducing stuff).

As for dealing with anxiety in general, over the years I’ve found a combination of things work for me. I used to have bouts of anxiety in the past and used to blame it on external factors, but really, I was the one to blame for not taking care of my body.

You’ll probably ignore this advice like most people do (I guess people hate to admit they don’t have a healthy lifestyle, or they’re are after a quick fix, or want to blame everyone/everything else but themselves)… But I’ll post this regardless, just in case someone finds it useful:

- Breathe: Anything from taking conscious, steady and calm breaths when you’re feeling anxious, to having a daily morning breathing yoga exercise routine, helps immensely. Check out some articles or YouTube videos on pranayama to start off with.

- Meditate: Meditating anywhere from 10-40 mins daily can reduce stress, boost your mood, improve emotional and mental health.

- Exercise: Pretty self-explanatory, get at least 30 mins per day. Exercise is a massive stress-buster.

- Foods to consume: Make sure you’re eating a balanced diet, in particular, ensure you’re getting enough Magnesium, Zinc, Folafe, Vitamin C and D, to combat anxiety. Bananas in particular are excellent at reducing anxiety because they’re natural beta-blockers - they prevent adrenaline from binding to beta receptors. This slows nerve impulses to the heart and counteracts the effects of adrenaline to keep a lower heart rate and calmer state of mind. Other good foods to have include Asparagus (for Folafe), Berries (for Antioxidants and Vitamin C), and Chamomile tea for extra calming effect. As for Vitamin D, most people in the world are deficient in it, so you may need to take supplements. Check with your doctor or a nutritionist to see how much you need. In fact there’s a ton more nutrients/foods you can (and should consume), all of which have an effect on reducing anxiety, but I won’t list them all here. Eating right is one of the most effective ways to combat anxiety and everyone should spend some time into paying closer attention to what they’re eating.

- Foods to avoid: Avoid, or limit consumption of alcohol and caffeine. If you must consume caffeine, drink in moderation and do not consume any after lunchtime, as that affects your circadian rhythm. Also avoid junk food, sugary drinks, processed foods and excess consumption of salt in general.

- Sleep: If you’re following all of the above strictly, then you shouldn’t have any issues getting quality sleep for 8 hours a day (unless you’ve got other medical issues like sleep apnea, or external disturbances like blue light or noise). Lack of sleep is a big contributor to anxiety (and other health issues), so use a sleep tracker on a fitness band/smartwatch, or an app such as Sleep As Android, to keep an eye on your quality of sleep.

This may all seem like obvious stuff so most folks will ignore this, but if you’re succeptible to anxiety, I sincerely urge you to read the above and take a deep look at your lifestyle. You don’t need pills, you don’t need to block off all social media etc to combat anxiety, nature has given us all all the tools, it’s up to you to use it, and learn to respect and pay attention to your body and mind.