Stop Letting the News Run Your Brain

Overthink Less. Live More. Get my FREE 7-lesson guide → https://www.braverwithanxiety.com/start/ Livestream Community Guidelines: 1. Not therapy. This is education and entertainment. A cozy hangout, not a support group. 2. Kindness first. Speak like you would to a friend on a hard day. 3. Awkward is welcome. It’s okay to not know what to say (or say it weird). Embrace the mess. 4. Keep it light. Share your truth, but skip the graphic stuff. 5. Stick with the vibe. Stay on topic. Stay curious. Have fun. 00:00 - “Can’t escape the news” 00:58 - “Me too” roll call + 3-minute idea sprint 02:11 - Why brainstorm first (CBT problem-solving) 03:12 - Name preferences & chat anxiety 04:19 - Timer on: rapid-fire ideas 04:46 - First solutions hit the board 07:09 - Add “Acceptance” to the list 08:01 - “Reality instead of media” (chat idea) 09:08 - Nuke notifications 10:25 - “No social media” as an option 10:47 - Focus on what you can control 11:18 - Hobbies & cozy games as buffers 12:01 - Audit your inputs 12:16 - Lavender joy + Yellow Submarine show-and-tell 14:06 - Interstellar + the Murph watch story 15:40 - What Support Stack is; “escape” vs “escape” 16:48 - Define the problem precisely (asking Vest) 21:11 - Ali’s own definition of “can’t escape news” 22:00 - Ves’s case: news via friends/family & work 24:08 - Permission to step back (why that’s OK) 26:00 - How news changed: algorithms, always-on, loss of local control 29:35 - Coffee break story: Finsta that wouldn’t stay social 32:09 - We’ll triage solutions: greens vs cross-outs 33:24 - “Throw away the phone” vs realistic phone breaks 37:01 - Block news sites & alerts 39:24 - Check only at set times (the uncertainty loop) 42:41 - Boundary script: “Please don’t send me news” 48:49 - Try audio-only news 50:44 - Weekly digests instead of daily 52:01 - Re-localize attention: follow local news 56:03 - IRL boundaries: earplugs & noise-cancel as nervous-system care 1:00:08 - Opting out of certain convos/situations 1:03:01 - Make “Subscriptions” your YouTube home 1:04:06 - “Power-ups” media: curate what lifts you 1:07:00 - Channel recs: Struthless, Tested, Anna Akana, Cleo Abram… 1:14:05 - Recap so far 1:15:06 - What acceptance really means (pain vs suffering) 1:17:20 - Era perspective: this vs the Cold War 1:18:50 - Acceptance at family gatherings 1:20:09 - Think local, act local (crosswalk story) 1:21:13 - “Reality instead of media”: go bland (AP) to cut spin 1:24:47 - More time with friends (types of support) 1:29:55 - Reading as refuge (what Ali’s reading) 1:33:23 - Taming notifications: who gets to interrupt you? 1:35:56 - Fanfic & low-stakes reading 1:36:58 - Change your environment & complete the stress loop 1:41:10 - Cold jolts, sensory resets, practical tricks 1:44:26 - Social media today: what still works (YouTube, Reddit, Discords) 1:49:15 - North star: “Be the best part of someone’s day” 1:53:11 - Compliment choices, not traits (How to Win Friends) 1:57:05 - Don’t say “Let me know if I can help” 2:03:41 - Find your gifts, or send food/gift cards 2:07:01 - Say something, even if awkward (showing up matters) 2:10:29 - The cookie drop-off playbook (specific offers) 2:11:45 - Scones → carrot cake: small acts become traditions 2:13:39 - Shared grief & who shows up For information purposes only. Does not constitute clinical advice. Consult your local medical authority for advice. Mental health resources: https://www.braverwithanxiety.com/resources/