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Messages must be dosed, processed wisely and analyzed. Otherwise, we are at risk of information stress, i.e. the body’s reaction to an excess of information. We ask Natalia Fuchs-Dzierżyc, a psychologist from the Harmonia Mental Health Clinic, LUX MED Group, about information stress and how to deal with it.
- Each of us is exposed to information stress and its negative effects on the body and psyche
- The expert explains the signs that we are tired of information stress
- It also tells you what to do to help yourself
- You can find more such stories on the TvoiLokony home page
What is information stress?
Natalia Fuchs-Dzierżyc: From a psychological point of view, it is a reaction to an excess of information: a problem with processing and interpretation. Most often it is associated with too much and too much pace of assimilation of information. We do not have time for analysis, reflection, and sometimes we also lack the ability to interpret them.
Is this a new phenomenon?
It can be said that information stress is a form of cognitive stress, a phenomenon that was studied in the second half of the XNUMXth century. It is of course related to the development of information sources, including the intense spread of social media in the last two decades. Recently, in connection with the war in Ukraine, information stress has hit many people who are looking for information about the current situation excessively or are flooded with such information.
What are the symptoms of information stress? What reactions take place in our body?
Stress in general is usually associated with negative emotions and the same is the case with information noise, because that’s what we call it. Somatic symptoms are similar to those that accompany us, for example, when we have too many responsibilities at work, i.e. to the classic stress response. These are i.a. tension, body stiffness, difficulty concentrating, uneven heart beat, breathing problems, incl. “Clogging” and inability to breathe, pressure in the stomach, or the so-called lump in the throat.
Another area in which information stress can manifest itself is the behavioral context, i.e. related to our behavior. This is where inadequate or excessive reactions often appear, e.g. shouting, running away, shutting oneself in a room. The third area is the cognitive element, i.e. the interpretation of what I understand, how this information affects me, how I understand it.
Is any group of people particularly exposed to information stress?
Susceptibility to stress is an individual feature. It is difficult to define unequivocally here that, for example, such a group are young women living in large cities. No, everyone is at risk. There is a lot of talk about how we, as a society, have moved from one extremely stressful situation to another. I mean, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic and the current situation in Ukraine. It is therefore worth recalling your reactions to the pandemic – how it was in the beginning, what happened later, how our emotions worked. A certain analogy may also be expected this time. If someone gives themselves more information from the world, positive and negative, they may be more prone to information stress. If we find any authority in the context of receiving information, this information may have a much greater impact on us.
What are the psychological consequences of information stress?
Remember that it is not just the stress of war that we are now struggling with. We still care about the work, health and safety of our relatives, we have our own concerns. This information stress is a superstructure of everyday life and such accumulation may lead to adaptation disorders, i.e. a strong stress reaction to negative, traumatic events. It can manifest itself in tension, low mood, difficulty in carrying out daily duties, or unusual reactions – for example, a teenager who likes to go out to meet his peers suddenly does not leave the room. Long-term exposure to stress may burden us towards anxiety disorders, problems with concentration and attention (e.g. in children). It can also lead to eating disorders – both through a lack of appetite and through compulsive overeating.
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When we think about our psyche and the perception of information, the FOMO syndrome also comes to mind. Is he also related to information stress?
FOMO, Fear Of Missing Out is fear of lack of information, the feeling that something important is missing from us and is associated with the constant need to provide ourselves with information. It can appear in various situations, e.g. during a long journey when we do not have access to the Internet. I would like to emphasize that this is a phenomenon, not a disease entity.
Of course, there are similarities between FOMO and information stress: our brain may react in a similar way, negative thoughts are generated, and our fears may increase. There is also a common tendency to search for information excessively. Here is a very important aspect – when we want to know too much, it is easier for us to come across fake news. And since we accept too much information in general, we cannot tell what is truth from fake news. We stop seeing the source, e.g. that this information does not come from a reliable medium, but from a strange-sounding portal.
In the case of children and adolescents, a big threat nowadays is also the fact that such a young recipient of content can now easily reach very drastic war images, for which his psyche is not ready. This applies to all media, but especially social media, including TikTok, where there is no shortage of reports from the war front in Ukraine. It is worth bearing this in mind when giving the phone to a few-year-old.
So how can you protect yourself against information stress?
First of all, let’s limit access – if we see that excess information is harmful to us, let’s ration the media. For example, let’s set a specific time in the morning and evening to see what’s going on. Let us select sources of information, let us look for news only in professional media. Let us rationalize what is happening and also focus on the here and now. Let us not create negative scenarios for the future, let us not distort reality. I deal with cognitive-behavioral therapy and this is what I focus on when working with patients – rationalizing and making people aware that these black scenarios have no justification and usually do not work.
We already know how to deal with, and how to recognize information stress in relatives?
Through observation: pay attention to sudden changes in behavior, to unusual reactions. Presence and support are also very important, but not based on “good advice” like “Get a grip”. Sometimes it is enough to say: «I am here. Always and close ». Psychoeducation, explaining reactions and emotions are also important. I have the impression that in our country it is still a taboo subject. If this is not enough, it is worth considering consulting a specialist. There is also no reason to procrastinate. A week-long depression of mood is a reason to visit the therapist’s office.