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A clenched jaw, tense shoulders, headaches, poor sleep and a churning stomach can all signal that staying informed has crossed into a stress spiral.

The pattern can be easy to miss. You feel anxious or irritable, struggle to concentrate and repeatedly check the news to learn what has happened since your last visit. What begins as an effort to understand the world can leave you angrier, more frightened and more overwhelmed.

The goal is not to ignore current events. It is to become “informed enough” without surrendering your emotional well-being.

Decide What You Need From the News

Start by asking a practical question: Informed enough to do what?

You may want a basic overview of the day’s events, deeper context about a developing story or enough knowledge to evaluate an issue or political candidate. Perhaps you need information before voting, contacting a representative, talking with a friend or checking a claim before sharing it.

Those are defined purposes. Doomscrolling because you feel scared, frustrated, lonely or overwhelmed is different.

The feelings themselves are not wrong, nor is the desire for connection. The trouble begins when scrolling becomes an automatic response that prolongs distress instead of resolving it.

Being informed enough means finding a level of news consumption that does not routinely produce anxiety, fear, guilt, overwhelm or vicarious trauma. That threshold will vary by person and subject.

Once you know what you want from a source, pay attention to how you feel while using it and afterward.

When a Trusted Outlet Becomes a Stressor

A few months ago, I unsubscribed from the podcasts of an outlet I had relied on for national and international news and context.

Before leaving, I experimented. I moved my listening from the morning to the afternoon, but the change in timing did not help. I then watched for differences among episodes and hosts. Instead, I found that the outlet’s programming consistently increased my anger, fear, impatience, frustration and uncertainty.

That was enough reason to unsubscribe.

I reviewed my other information sources the same way. I considered what purpose each newsletter, YouTube channel and podcast was supposed to serve, whether it fulfilled that purpose and whether it left me feeling informed and capable—or despondent and angry.

The answers led me to remove more subscriptions. I had conducted a similar review of my social media accounts the previous year, including how and with whom I interacted.

Anyone can apply the same test to their own media habits.

Set Boundaries Without Feeding FOMO

After removing an outlet, you can replace it with a source that better meets your needs. You can also choose a restorative activity instead.

There is no required number of news sources. If you follow five outlets, eliminate three and still receive enough useful information from the remaining two, there is no need to fill the empty space.

Fear of missing out may make the unsubscribe or cancel button difficult to press. Treat the decision as an experiment rather than a permanent commitment. You can always return later.

A careful review may also reveal that a source was not keeping you meaningfully informed. It was simply holding your attention and weakening your sense of emotional control. Many media platforms make money by keeping audiences engaged, a dynamic documented by social psychologist and author Jonathan Haidt and behavioral-design writer Nir Eyal.

Learn to “Surf” the Urge to Check

Stepping back from an outlet will not eliminate emotional reactions to the news. Emotions are part of being human, and they often indicate that an issue matters to us.

Identifying what you feel and why can help turn that emotion toward productive decisions and healthier coping. Without that pause, distress can contribute to aggression, self-sabotage, drinking or other substance use.

You may still reach for a discontinued source for a “quick check,” or replace it with another outlet that triggers the same cycle. When that happens, ask what you actually need. Are you seeking an update, or are you bored? Do you want connection? Are you looking for confirmation of an existing belief?

The answers are not a reason for self-judgment. They help expose the triggers behind habitual media use.

Try waiting two or five minutes before checking. If the urge passes, move on. If it remains, wait another two or five minutes and reassess. This practice, sometimes called “surfing the urge,” creates space between the impulse and the action.

That pause can reveal whether a source is meeting a genuine need or merely satisfying the reflex to grab a phone, turn on the radio or switch on the television.

Revisit Your Choices Regularly

Your needs will change, and media outlets will change with them. A trusted source may eventually stop serving its original purpose.

Choose a regular interval—perhaps monthly or quarterly—to review your information habits. Ask whether each source still helps you understand what matters without pulling you into unnecessary distress.

Being informed does not require consuming everything. Sometimes, knowing when to stop is part of knowing enough.