#Ask Jaquie

Sometimes, we just have to stop and focus on the positive, writes Jaquie Brown.

Iam stressed. I can’t deal with any more news updates. Every time I glance at my phone the screen is full of news notifications about aftershocks, Trump, tsunamis, poverty, job losses, general hopelessness and overall human sadness. It’s getting to me. Is the sky falling?

Nigel Latta tweeted a few weeks ago that he had removed all news apps from his phone. I am coming to appreciate just what a smart move that was.

I have believed for a long time that it’s important to be up to date with everything that’s happening in the world. Watch the news, read the news. Maybe I’m more sensitive now I’m a parent or perhaps news is just overwhelmingly sad and not balanced with anything positive.

Whatever it is, knowing it all is not helping my state of mind.

Even the untouchables are falling from the pressure of it all.

Spare a thought this week for Kanye West. Think what you will of him, he’s genuinely suffering from some serious mental health issues and he needs support.

Perhaps this has been brewing in him for some time and he’s kept it at bay, I’m sure many of us can relate to that.

Everything is fine, until it’s not. And then it’s really not. If only he had the luxury of taking a break from being Kanye West for a while.

We all need permission to take a break. To stop keeping up, to turn off, tune out and focus on anything but the daily barrage of bad news – externally or internally.

I’ve been watching The Island - with Bear Grylls and it’s the perfect TV show in my opinion. Eight men, eight women dropped off on a remote and unpopulated tropical Pacific island and tasked with their own survival.

There is enough food on the Island, they just need to find it and kill it. What happens is they have a lot of time to reflect on their own priorities and lives.

They all report the experience being life changing in that it sharpened their focus and made them appreciate what life is all about. What have we been doing? Wringing our hands over bad news we can’t change, chasing money and status. They all returned with a renewed gratefulness for their friends and family. Drawing these good things closer and blocking out the negative news, these are the things that make our lives worth living.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, check out thelowdown.co.nz

I have believed for a long time that it's important to be up to date with everything that's happening in the world.