Positive News

Why we need positive news

When you hear some positive news or other, it can certainly lighten your mood. If a friend were to say to you that they had just been promoted or that they had been successful in some other area of life, then the chances are that you will be pleased, too. This is because sharing information that is up to date, or newsworthy to put it another way, is an important aspect of human beings' social culture.

 When it is positive news we are talking about, it is like you are being involved in that success and that it will rub off on you in some way. In other words, being included with good news means feeling valued by the person telling it to you. All too often, however, our view of what is newsworthy is dominated by the mainstream media. Since only 'bad news' stories seem to make it onto the front pages, we necessarily feel part of a cycle of negativity. Reading positive news outlets and the sharing of personal good news helps to break this cycle.

Positive news could be anything that makes you think – and, more crucially perhaps, feel – about the world in a more affirmative way. In the example given above, we were looking at the prospect of some piece of personal good news being told to us. However, there are plenty of positive news stories in the media that often pass us by because they don't always get the attention they deserve.

Nearly every day, there are scientific breakthroughs that will help people to overcome adversity or eradicate certain medical conditions. Then, there are numerous good news stories that relate to the environment and the inventive ways people are trying to safeguard the planet. Many positive items of news are really uplifting stories of compassion, bravery and human endeavour. There is more around than you might think, too. However, you do have to go in search of positive news if you don't want a digest of negativity only in your news feed.

Bad news has a physiological effect on people. Although the degree to which this happens varies from person to person, the basic rule is that the more negative news you are exposed to, the more cortisol your body will make and release. Essentially, this is a type of stress hormone. If you suffer from enough stress, then you may find that all sorts of ailments occur. In fact, anything from headaches and memory problems to depression and heart disease is associated with excess levels of these sorts of hormones. Given that negative news is known to have this effect and that it is somewhat inescapable unless you live like a hermit, the way to combat it and to maintain good psychological and physical health is to expose yourself to more positive news.