To reduce news consumption, take some time to consider why you consume so much news. Once you understand why, you can devise strategies to reduce your news consumption and replace it with more helpful alternatives. These tools can help you understand your news consumption:

• Record when and how long you spend consuming news. Are there any patterns in your consumption?
• Consider your experience when you consume news.
  • When do you do it?
  • Where do you do it?
  • Are there any common triggers?
  • What kinds of news do you consume?
  • How do you feel before, during and after consuming news?
  • Are there trends that can give you an insight into your news consumption?
• Test out how the news affects you. Use the news as usual and set your alarm for five minutes. When the alarm goes off, write down the answer to these questions:
  • What were the subjects of the new articles you viewed?
  • How do you feel?
  • Do you feel better or worse than when you started?
  • Will the news impact an important decision you will make today?
  • Would that time have been better spent doing something else?
• Consider why you consume the news. Is it providing you with any of these benefits?
  •  Education.
  •  Entertainment.
  •  Excitement.
  • A release for feelings of anger or injustice.
  • A sense of righteousness.
  •  Comport.
  • Escape from troubling thoughts.
  • Escape from stress.
  • Escape from unpleasant feelings.
  • Avoidance of an unpleasant task.
• Write down why you want to consume less news.
  • Write down the negative effects it has on you.
  • Write down the positives that you will get from the change.

News Break

Consider taking a break from news for a set period. Taking breaks can help greatly for the following reasons:

• Starting a break is easier if you know it’s not permanent.
• Knowing the period will end can help boost willpower.
• It can show you that stopping is possible and easy.
• It can help show you the benefits of stopping.
• It can boost your confidence in stopping.
• It can show you that the news is not as vital as it may feel.
• It can break the habit of news consumption.

Reduce News

Another strategy is to reduce the amount of news you consume rather than cut it out altogether. You could, for example, choose one or more of the following restrictions:

• Don’t consume news for one day a week.
• Don’t consume news for the first hour of your day.
• Don’t consume news in the mornings.
• Don’t consume news in the evenings.
• Aim to reduce the time you spend on news each day.

Make Reducing News Consumption Easier

• Disable news notifications on your phone and computer.
• Require passwords to log in to news apps rather than a fingerprint or face ID.
• Delete news apps on your phone. You can always download them again if you need them.
• Put your phone and computer away in a drawer out of sight.

• Remove all news sites from browser homepages.
  • Set up time limits or web blockers on your phone and computer to prevent you from using news websites or apps.

Replace

To reduce news consumption in the long term, it helps to replace news with a more helpful activity that provides similar benefits. If you don’t, then you may fill the free time you have saved with another addictive and unhelpful habit. Aim to find an activity that brings you the benefits that you get from news but that is less addictive. A helpful strategy is to replace news consumption with an activity that helps you achieve one of your long-term goals.

If you tend to consume news in the evening, schedule something else for that time. It’s easy to forget about the news when doing something you enjoy.

Example replacements for consuming news could include:

•  Exercise.
• Spending time with friends or family.
• Reading a book.
• Taking an online class.
• Picking up a hobby.
•  Journaling.
• Learning an instrument.
• Playing sport.
•  Walking.
•  Writing.
• Learning a language or skill.

People often use the news as a way to escape from stress and rest their brains. News can provide these things, but because the news today is so addictive, we can end up using it far longer and more often than is helpful. If you find a less addictive way to reduce stress or rest, you can significantly reduce your news consumption. Breaks, proper rest and meditation can all help with this.

Habits

For most of us, news consumption is a habit and can be overcome with the same tools that help break other unwanted habits.