Watching just three minutes of negative news in the morning have a 27 percent increases your likelihood — by 27% — that you’ll describe your day as unhappy or depressing. That’s according to a study reported in Harvard Business Review.
The study, performed by psychology researchers Shawn Achor and his wife Michelle Gielan, determined that workers who consume negative news — even as little as 3 minutes — potentially bring an unhappy and sluggish work ethic to the office, preventing both individual and company goals from being met.
The researchers stated that negative news affects our approach to work and the challenges we face. It presents a perspective of life in which our behavior seems irrelevant. Most news stories highlight problems in the world that we can do little or nothing about. This sense of helplessness, referred to as “learned helplessness,” is associated with low performance and a higher likelihood of depression.
Instead, Drs. Achor and Gielan say we should seek out solution-focused news — stories of resilience and accomplishment that reinforce the belief that our behavior matters; stories that inspire us to be take action and work toward resolving the challenges we face.
Solution-focused stores inspire optimism. Optimism, Dr. Achor asserts, is the greatest predictor of entrepreneurial (or any kind of) success. This is because optimism allows the brain to actually see possibilities where no one else does.
BETTER THAN BREAKING NEWS
A believers best habit is to begin each day not with any network, nor aimlessly scrolling the clickbait that clutters your newsfeed, but rather to immerse yourself in Scripture, listening to music and/or teaching that inspires you and empowers your to live your faith boldly.
The most urgent news will certainly find its way to you, without ever having to seek it out. The remainder of the noise can be ignored.
This is your best alternative to the Negative News Syndrome: Begin each day focused on the empowering truth of God’s Word.
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. (Colossians 3:2)
© 2016/2025. This article originally appeared at Preaching Library
