When the news is too intense, these radio stations broadcast calmly

“], “filter”: { “nextExceptions”: “img, blockquote, div”, “nextContainsExceptions”: “img, blockquote, a.btn, ao-button”} }”>
Going out the door? Read this article about the new Outside+ app, now available on member iOS devices! >”,”name”:”in-content-cta”,”type”:”link”}}”>Download the app.
Since I work from home, my constant companion is the sound of my radio humming softly in the background. I know people who listen to podcasts or turn on the TV while they work. It’s too exciting for me. But the soothing voices of public radio hosts provide just the right amount of soothing white noise. Unless they’re discussing something outrageous or disturbing—which is all too often. News about current events can be a major source of stress.
But my station– and apparently others – have taken to the airwaves to offer moments of awareness and mini-meditations as an antidote to disturbing news.
The other day, when I went to the kitchen to freshen up a cup of tea, the announcer ended the news break by telling me to stop for a moment and catch my breath. I was surprised, but I put my cup down and let myself be guided by a moment of deep breathing. The tension in my shoulders melted away and I felt like I was doing a kind of mental reset. I returned to my desk feeling pleasantly refreshed.
Meditation breaks on the air
The mindful moment is part of WFDD’s Be Still campaign, according to Molly Davis, the station’s assistant general manager and former yoga instructor.
“Through our reporting and our presence in the community, we see that people are under stress,” she says. While brainstorming ways to provide relief, someone came up with the idea of playing soothing pieces—summer rain, a mountain stream, birds in the trees—during breaks at the station.
“We worked to keep those sounds fresh and try to find new sounds,” she says. “One of my colleagues had an idea to do something more directly meditative.” That’s when the station introduced 30-second mindfulness meditation breaks. They are added to the program rotation at random times throughout the day.
WFDD is not the only radio station using its broadcast platform to spread peace. At WNYC in New York, Lorraine Mattox suggested a daily 60-sec meditation series called “I need a minute”.
When headlines give you a headache
Experts in the field of health care it has long been assumed news restrictions consumption can help reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression. While it’s good to stay abreast of events that affect you and your community, consuming too much news, especially when it’s highly emotional, can lead to what psychologist Steven Stosny, Ph.D., calls “major stress disorder.”
“For many people, constant notifications from news sources, blogs, social networks, etc alternative facts to feel like rocket explosions in an endless siege,” he said writes. (It can even be stressful for news reporters In addition to giving you a break from the 24-hour news cycle, practicing mindfulness can help offset the negative effects negative news.
The antidote to your regular programming
“It’s helpful when these moments remind us all that it’s okay to take a break,” Davis says. “Sometimes it’s all too much, and just 30 seconds of quieting your mind can make a huge difference.”
Although 30 seconds of stillness may not seem like much meditation, even a few moments of mindfulness can be a gateway for beginners to longer sitting, which may have benefits over time. AND study Researchers from New York University found that 15 minutes of meditation over eight weeks reduction of anxiety and negative mood, improvement of attention and memory. For people who have an established meditation practice, short snack of attentiveness can help reset your day.
Of course, there are many on-demand audio meditation options, including apps, YouTube videos, and websites (including YJ). Wherever it is available, meditation can be beneficial.
Davis says her listeners appreciate the radio breaks. “Almost immediately, we heard from so many listeners how much they appreciated it,” she says. “People who said, ‘Please keep it up. … It’s really important and we need it.”
Tamara J. Jeffries is a senior editor Yoga magazine.