It's OK to opt out of political conversations if you need a break—and more tips for managing news burnout

While it's important to stay up-to-date with the news, it can be draining , especially during presidential election years.

Seventy percent of American adults reported feeling anxious about current events, according to an April poll of more than 2,200 people by the American Psychiatric Association. One of the leading causes for their anxiety was the 2024 U.S. election.

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Thriving Center of Psychology conducted a similar survey this summer, with 72% of the 1,031 participants reporting that they are stressed about the upcoming election.

The social media landscape may only be amplifying that political anxiety. "There are concerns about a lot of different things that people may not even be willing to talk about with others anymore because of the social media funnel that they've been in," Tirrell De Gannes , a licensed clinical psychologist with Thriving Center of Psychology, tells CNBC Make It.

We spoke to De Gannes and Elisabeth Morray , a licensed psychologist, about how to identify signs of anxiety and burnout from news consumption, and how to address it. Here's their best advice.

Spot the signs and learn to cope with news burnout

Signs of burnout are consistent regardless of the cause, but if you're experiencing the following after thinking about politics and current events, you may be experiencing political anxiety and burnout:

Lower productivity levels

Feelings of sadness and depression

Feelings of hopelessness

Being distracted from other important things in your life

Morray says that while avoiding the news is "probably nearly an impossible task, unless you want to go live in a cave," there are steps you can take to help regulate your news consumption and get a handle on how your body responds to it.

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One important one? Set boundaries.

Boundaries "keep us from becoming overwhelmed by this constant barrage of information," Morray says, adding that you can be intentional about reducing your news intake, while still staying informed.

Here are five practical ways to help you stay level-headed during this election cycle:

1. Schedule your news consumption: Consider limiting your access to the news to specific times of day or days of the week. For instance, maybe Tuesdays between 5 and 7 p.m. is when you'll catch up on election news, De Gannes says.
2. Politely decline discussing the election when you need to: Try to ease the conversation in a different direction by saying "I'm really going to ask that we talk about something else, because I need to be giving my attention to things other than what is going on in the election cycle," Morray suggests.
3. Learn how to respectfully disagree with people who have different political views: Be thoughtful and empathetic when you respond. Try to remain open and curious about where someone might be coming from, Morray says. This is especially important when discussing politics with friends and family.
4. Try to change your algorithms on social media: Engage with more content that brings you joy to create a balance on your social media timelines, De Gannes says.
5. Maintain healthy routines in your day-to-day life: Remember that you "don't need to expose [yourself to political news] on a daily basis," De Gannes says. Keep a consistent routine of cooking your meals, spending time with family and cleaning your space at your usual times of day.

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