The news

We live in a dramatic world. A fast-paced world. A world where opinion and fact are blurred more than we can remember in our lifetimes, and where binary views have replaced nuance.

The recent US presidential election has only made this situation even more stark.

One of the consequences of this is that the news can feel overwhelming. Sometimes, it feels easier to tune out than taking the time to tune in.

I really felt this on Friday evening, when I started getting messages about Volodymyr Zelensky’s dramatic visit to the Oval Office.

I turned on the BBC News to hear a summary of the meeting and immediately felt both my anger and anxiety levels increase.

Trying to put aside my personal political beliefs, I was shocked by the aggressive, bullying nature of the conversation and the questions from the US representatives in the room.

I have always considered my political beliefs to be fairly moderate. I do believe the cliché that there is more in the world that unites us than divides us.

I prefer Great British Bake Off to the Apprentice.

I am more of a PM man than a Today listener.

I seek to collaborate, will compromise, and aim for a solution to help everyone to move forward.

But that doesn’t feel like the world we’re in now. The world of the deal. Where every discussion is a negotiation and where every issue has a sole wrong and right answer.

And it’s not just from those occupying the White House right now. Many more people are moving to a position where nuance doesn’t exist.

Think of some of the issues we’ve heard of in the recent past, and then think about how many people have tried to tell us that side A are right and side B are the enemy. Or vice versa. There’s the Ukraine and Russia, for a start; Israel and Palestine; the migrant crisis; government spending decision (winter fuel payments, defence vs aid spending, inheritance tax on farms, and so on).

I don’t think this situation is going to change any time soon. In fact, it’s likely to get worse as people’s extreme views make other people even more entrenched in their opposition. We might ourselves have taken a more polarised view to oppose those who we feel are increasingly extreme.

I don’t think that’s the way to go. I remain convinced that the best way to progress, to address an issue, to move forward, is to work together.

I am also convinced that moving to more extreme, less nuanced views, has a negative impact on my mental health.

So I’m not going to do it. That’s not to say I won’t call out things that are wrong, offensive or are an attempt at sanewashing.

Instead, I’m going to do the following:

• Take a pause before responding to an issue, an event or an opinion.
• Seek to understand the situation being discussed, and the different views of those involved.
• Continue to be polite and reasoned in my responses to those with a different view.

In addition to those three, I might also take a break from the news, when I recognise I need a bit of clear headspace.

All the things I’ve recommended before to improve my mental health apply just as much here as they have before. They include:

• Getting outdoors and doing more exercise
• Taking part in activities that bring me joy
• Turning off the phone notifications or taking a break from my device

If you’re feeling in any way similar to me, I urge you to do the same. And talk about this, so others realise it’s a common, reasonable view.