Am I getting anxious as I get older?

[topcat2014]

I'm finding life more stressful as I get older. I really hate confrontation and yet politics is more aggressive. We are all supposed to pick a side in loads of issues. All governments are hopeless. I can't do anything about anything from the environment to AI taking our jobs. I'm sure I gave less of a fk ten years ago. It doesn't help that I changed jobs to a 'lesser' job this year. I'm grateful to work, of course, but it's adding to feelings of being past it..(54, m)

Sounds normal to me, unfortunately.

I stop listening to the news when it gets me down, for weeks sometimes, makes me feel much better. Also, are you on hrt? Drop in oestrogen can cause anxiety.

I have cut way down on the amount of news I listen to, including local news, I also try and read it from a reputable considered source, something like the economist doesn’t sensationalise.

fiction, light stuff….and making real connections with people all help. (Also HRT).

Thanks. DW is, could do with a male equivalent perhaps..

I think op is male so HRT isn’t going to be that useful!

Life is just more stressful now, humans are not designed to take on the constant bombardment of mainly negative information.

Thanks, I should have made that clearer in the OP. But I was trying to avoid the "man here" announcement..

The SM algorithms don’t half play into our insecurities @topcat2014

I have to just step back from these every now and then. Maybe delete or hide the apps.

I struggle to find unbiased news reporting these days too.

We grew up in an era where news was (comparatively) impartial and the world was a more stable place… post Cold War.

I have to remind myself that everything is cyclical. However I wonder if things will balance out in our lifetimes. I look at the US and hope we don’t go the same way.

Can’t offer much hope, but you’re not alone. (F 59 and on HRT!)

I think most of us , men or women, feel that way now.
Things that help me: reducing news and social media, long solitary walks, beauty of any kind- art, theatre, music- meeting friends, great books. Anything that takes you out of yourself. I try to schedule all these every day or at least every week.

Thanks all. I think we (our house) over consume news. Radio 4 is our schedule, and 10 o'clock news the end of our day. Plus a times online subscription. I need to cut back, but it feels "not the done thing" to me to do that.

First sign of an addict is to recognise the problem, right?

At least storm Amy has gone and we only lost one fence panel..

We run an art gallery... I play shopkeeper at the weekend.

DH is a news junkie.
I can see it makes him constantly stressed and jumpy. I used to be but have cut back. You are probably thinking " well it's incredibly privileged to not be aware of world events". Yes, probably.

But you won't be of any use if you are constantly anxious.
Running an art gallery is in no way a lesser job. It's a useful and necessary profession that brings joy!

I stopped listening to/watching the news back when Russia first invaded Ukraine because it made me so anxious. Some might think me ignorant or uninformed but it’s made a big difference to my mental health. If people judge me for that, that’s on them. It’s only in recent years that news has become 24/7, with endless speculation now passing as ‘latest updates’. A colleague has the BBC news app and it makes me flinch every time it plays the alert for a new story.

I think it’s normal. Personally I wouldn’t watch the news at ten - so close to bedtime. But then I’m not sure what time of day I’d prefer to be spoiled by the relentless bad news.

I have a theory that we reach a certain age and realise all the hopes we had for a better world came to nothing and humans not only repeat the same shit over and over but also turn new things, like the internet, into shit too.

It seems the only way to counter the anxiety is think small and pay a lot more attention to the little things that are pleasant in our immediate “orbit”.

Me too, although I realised retrospectively it was a sign of the menopause.

Also, social media means it’s in your face all the time nowadays, whilst growing up, we only heard it in the 8am, 1pm etc Radio 4 news etc. So it appears there’s alot more, there isn’t, we just hear about it more.

Meditate -even if you think you can’t - 20 mins, half an hour a day.
And cut down news consumption. T v news is all about horrible visible stories. The World Service on BBC Radio can be interesting

@LurkingandlearningI remember the first time I saw an iPhone, and thought "what's the point of that"

I get it a bit, I’m 63 and female, long term progressive illnesses tend to make you rethink life.Parkinson’s midstage, had menopausal issues at 45, not great health since.
Yesi’m concerned about stuff, when my legs’ freeze’, feel lightheaded, and attempt to go out briefly,it varies a fair bit.
Therest tends to wash over me, def unfit for work

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/ I find reading this once a week (or positive news.com, or something) cleanses the pallet.

Tbh I avoid news, too. A quick scan of headlines across different papers - world's still burning? Tick.

I do what good things I can - recycle, help elderly people in my building, compliment people on their outfits, make a fuss over others' dogs when I'm out with mine, share memes with friends, make sure I meet up with friends as frequently as possible (having vermouth in a square with Roman ruins tomorrow), telling my teen 'i love you' regularly, and receiving bear hugs!!

Do nice things, for others and for yourself. I'm perimenopausal and doctors won't put me on her (I keep haranguing....) and I find i have long spells of low moods, and anxiety has kicked in, at random times. I have RTFT and know you're male, but it could also be an age thing. We get cynical as we get older - another war, another financial crisis, another shit PM/president, another scandal...

Solidarity, OP.

Thanks, I will take a look. I might try a bit of a digital detox - although the thought of that is actually a bit scary..

For your digital detox, get a kindle and escape into a book. Put some nice music on. Works for me.