Good News: Feeding Your Brain Something Kinder
Dear reader,
When was the last time you came across a piece of good news on your feed? Really think about it. You just had to rack the depths of your brain for a smidget of positivity, didn’t you? In this fast-paced, media-centric world, we are subjected to information overload. Much of it leaves us experiencing those familiar feelings of despair and fear. Modern life gives us access to a massive breadth of information that previously didn’t exist. On any given day, there are an infinite amount of spirals to drown in sitting readily at our fingertips.
You might agree that it takes an immense effort to engage in optimistic content. Or that it’s impossible to get away from the bad news. However, if we pause to think about why our world feeds so frenziedly on bad news, it is clear that we are wired for it. Evolution is partly responsible. When we consume harrowing content, the amygdala (the part of our brains that processes threat detection) sends signals to the rest of our bodies that provide a rush of intoxication. The more this occurs, the more we fortify fear-based circuits in our brains. So those damn survival instincts are making us feel exhausted on a day-to-day basis.
Now here’s the catch: media organizations fully understand – and take advantage of – the way our brains function. Whether you are obtaining your news from television, newspapers, or social media, content creators understand the grip that bad news has on our attention. When we understand this, it is clear that the news with the most shock appeal is often the news that makes the most money. As a news consumer, it’s hard to go through life feeling like the world is full of nothing but bad news. It is also hard to take time out of our days to intentionally find good news. But I offer you this: choose your hard. Choose to find that good news. I am not advocating for ignorance, but for restoring the balance that media outlets have destroyed. It is important to stay informed about present threats, so do your research. With that being said, we deserve to feed our brains some good. Below are a few suggestions to help you balance your consumption. I am certainly no expert, but these few simple things have helped reframe the content of my day-to-day life.
Number one: Be active in your utilization of media. You have more influence over yourself than you think. Follow accounts that make you feel warm and fuzzy. Try to intentionally say no to the media that you know will make you start to spiral. Heck, if you’re feeling brave, click those three little dots and press “not interested.” Let your algorithm know who’s in charge. I have linked some good news sources at the bottom that make me smile on a daily basis. Maybe check them out in addition to your usual news sources.
Number two: Share the good news you find with your loved ones. Spread the wealth! Keep your friends in the loop and I bet they will want to hang out with you more, too. Be the friend that is excited about good things. Excitement is infectious.
Number three: Not to be that annoying person, but just get off your phone. Go take a walk and talk to a real-life human being who has a positive story they can share with you. We are all begging to share that piece of epic news we just found out. Or if you are bogged down with stress about the state of our world, go immerse yourself in something that will energize you. Play a sport, grab a sweet treat, or giggle with your best friend.
Number four: Make your own good news. Get up and go do something cool. Give yourself a reason to say you had a good day. Do something kind for someone else. Write an encouraging note to leave your roommate in the morning. Be the person who offsets someone else’s bad feelings with their generosity.
Number five: Remember that positivity isn’t constant. You are human and it’s okay to spiral once in a while. You can’t avoid all the bad news, but you can find beautiful things if you know how to look for them.
Here are some pieces of good news I have collected over the past few months:
Portland’s Heretic Coffee shop has raised over $300,000 to support SNAP recipients who are being affected by the government shutdown. They are serving free breakfast to anyone who needs it, no questions asked. In a beautiful display of humanity, some people are donating amounts as low as $1.17 to support their neighbors—people who only have a dollar to give.
Huntington’s disease, a devastating inheritive neurodegenerative disorder, has been successfully treated for the first time. This is an incredible breakthrough in the advancements of medical research.
Green sea turtles are no longer classified as endangered. Green sea turtle populations have been steadily increasing and conservationists are continuing to work hard to keep these important marine animals safe. We are seeing in real time how consistent dedication is awarded in the field of conservation.
Humpback whale populations have substantially increased. Due to reduced commercial whaling, conservation has shown considerable progress in protecting our ocean’s whales.
While accepting Wall Street Journal Magazine’s Music Innovator Award, Billie Eilish used her minute at the podium to announce she will be donating $11.5 million of proceeds from her most recent tour to supporting food equity and climate justice initiatives. She also boldly urged billionaires in the crowd to give their money away to those who need it when she remarked, “No hate, but give your money away, shorties.”
In October, Natalie Grabow, an 80 year-old grandmother from New Jersey, crossed the Ironman finish line in Kailua-Kona Hawaii. This makes her the oldest woman to ever finish the grueling race. Despite not learning how to swim until the age of sixty, she swam the 2.4 miles, immediately biked the 112 miles, and then completed the 26.2 mile marathon. She is looking for her next athletic challenge to test her grit.
A Swiss pilot broke an altitude record during a five hour flight on a solar-powered airplane. This technological achievement is a huge step towards developing more sustainable methods of flight travel.
From just these seven examples, it is obvious that good news is not confined to personal warm and fuzzy success stories. There are real and consistent advancements in science, society, and the environment happening as we speak. In a world where sometimes it can feel like good news is subjective and rare, I hope that you all remind yourselves to reach toward news that is kind to your mind.
Love,
Hannah
Looking for more good news? Check out https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/, https://www.positive.news/, https://www.optimistdaily.com/, https://reasonstobecheerful.world/, and https://www.goodgoodgood.co/.
Looking for good news to break up your feed on social media? Start by checking out @goodnews_movement, @sambently, @goodgoodgoodco, @consciouslyelle, and @jacobsimonsays on Instagram.
Sources:
https://apnews.com/article/billie-eilish-billionaires-donations-57964bb1b1f98576a8863333fc281ca3
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pilot-altitude-record-solar-powered-plane-raphael-domjan-solarstratos/
https://www.newsweek.com/coffee-shop-free-snap-breakfast-response-breaks-hearts-10971586
https://today.ucsd.edu/story/doomscrolling-again-expert-explains-why-were-wired-for-worry
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cevz13xkxpro
About the author: Hannah Dean is a sophomore majoring in English and minoring in Dance at the University of Oregon. She is from the Big Island of Hawaii. She enjoys long conversations with her best friends, reading poetry she doesn’t understand, making bad photo art, camping, drinking ginger lemon honey tea, and laughing way too much while doing all those things.
You can find Hannah on Instagram at @hannahh.deannn if you want to see her bad photo art or reach out and be best friends!