Breaking news

In late March actor John Karasinski Jim from The Office launched a YouTube series titled Some Good News SGN from his home wearing a suit jacket tie dress shirt and shorts Since then the show has amassed a following of 25 million subscribers hosted a virtual prom and officiated a wedding on Zoom In the midst of staring at bell curves infection rates and possibilities of a vaccine SGN doesnt come across like a breath of fresh air but more like a reassuring supply of oxygen when youre running out of itAccording to recent data from Google Trends the search for the term good news reached an alltime high with searches nearing over half a million per month Bad news is everywhere extended lockdowns rising positive cases deaths unemployment mdash the list is a long long one Sometimes it makes its way as a flash on your TV screen and sometimes a phone call or text Weve been compelled to do so much in so little time that theres also a tendency to equate all news withbad newsSwati Deepak a psychotherapist based in Kandivali likens an information overload mdash good or bad mdash to overeating When you overeat the healthiest of food wont be good for your digestive system The mental system functions the same way Thats why I recommend watching no more than two hours of news she says Yet digesting facts is crucial during a pandemic So theres no escaping bad news but you can certainly deal with it better irrespective of if you have to deliver it or receive itLosing controlWhen bad news hits you the impact on selfcontrol is immediate explains Shweta Srinivasan mental health practitioner and founder of TheMindClancom In todays destabilising situation people are already doing little and big things to regain feelings of control safety and familiarity The worry is that when such news arrives these feelings they were trying to successfully cope with may return and increase substantially she says Vikram Kirtikar psychologist and outreach associate at MpowerndashThe Foundation states that because the situation is new and sudden the brain is more alert than usual and thus reactions to bad news fall on two ends of a spectrum mdash from denial to panic It is important to be in the middle Dont ignore it but dont be perturbed either he saysShweta SrinivasanSharing and caringLast week Uber fired over 3500 employees via a threeminute Zoom call raising questions about their communication strategy as a company While Airbnb too resorted to downsizing 25 per cent of its workforce CEO Brian Chesky ensured that he thanked his employees and assured them that the company has looked across severance equity healthcare and job support for those who are leaving When breaking bad news tone and language matters the most experts sayTwo kinds of bad Deepak suggests bifurcating bad news mdash layoffs and breakups fall in one category and health and governmentrelated decisions like lockdowns fall in another When doctors and policemen are conveying such news the intention is to convey information There is no emotional aspect Thus it needs to be delivered in a steady but humane tone she explains In case of a death avoid telling people that they need to be mature and get over it during a pandemicVikram KirtikarWord it right Rather than looking at the problem through a lens of sympathy Kirtikar advises being empathetic First communicate the facts and then back that up with support information Dont say Im sorry to say this Tell them I understand what youre going through or I dont have the capacity to understand what you might be going through but if you need someone to listen then I am here he elaboratesBe transparent Srinivasan reckons that a sense of being in the dark can be scarier than knowing what is actually happening employees need to know what has been happening from Day 1 Give the news without beating around the bush or sugarcoating it It implies that you are treating people with dignity she states adding that employees could also be invited to share their concerns and feelings It helps to not communicate bad news via an email A video message could humanisethe processSwati DeepakReceive with resilienceThe first step Kirtikar and Srinivasan say is to acknowledge what you are feeling and that the feelings are valid Give yourself time to process it and this time is not specific Speak to friends and family or seek professional help its perfectly legitimate to do soKirtikar advisesMake peace with anxiety Deepak informs that people should permit themselves an anxiety period of seven to 10 days Dont start a job search or get down to hurling abuses immediately If you wish to communicate in writing rewrite it four to five times and check your choice of words she mentionsReflect on emotions Srinivasan states that different emotions communicate something unique anger could communicate injustice sadness could mean loss and calmness could convey optimism Express and vent this safely through writing art or talking to a therapistBe kind to yourself Selfblame is a common response and Srinivasan advises to remind yourself of the circumstances that led to this scenario and the things you did to respond to it to know that youre not at fault for what happenedCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news