Managing Your “Mental Newsroom”

Life will always bring news. You get to choose your headlines.

It’s not uncommon for each day to come with its own lineup of small troubles—an ache in your back, a careless comment from someone, a mistake you wish you could undo, a bit of unsettling news. These moments are real, and they sting. But they can also take on a life far bigger than they deserve. Before long, it can feel as though one of these minor setbacks has seized the headline spot in your personal daily newspaper.

The trick to bringing things back into perspective is learning to become the editor of that newspaper.

Instead of letting every irritation run in bold, front-page print, you can pause and ask yourself a simple question: “Headline or footnote?” Most of the time, what feels urgent in the moment is really just a short column on page 7 - something worth acknowledging, but not worth handing the whole day over to. The more you learn to determine what truly deserves attention, the more balanced your internal news cycle becomes.

Think of how any newspaper works: Editors make constant decisions about what gets featured, what gets brief mention, and what doesn’t make it to print at all. They consider impact, relevance, truth, and the needs of their readers. You can apply that same editorial process to your inner world. When someone cuts you off in traffic, is it genuinely a world-changing event worthy of sensational coverage? When a coworker is short with you, does it truly belong above the fold? Most of the time, the answer is no.

One helpful practice is this: when something upsetting happens, imagine yourself literally holding the front page of your personal daily news. Now ask, “Does this moment deserve the headline?” Not in terms of emotion - which may be strong - but in terms of long-term significance. Will this matter tomorrow? In a week? In a year? If the answer is no, bump it to the inside pages. Even better, shrink it to a single paragraph somewhere near the classifieds.

And then there are the moments that do deserve the front page. A meaningful achievement. A moment of kindness. A breakthrough, large or small. These rarely force themselves into the spotlight the way negative events do, so you often need to promote them intentionally. When something good happens—even if it’s small—give it a banner headline. Celebrate it. Linger on it. Let it set the tone for the rest of the edition.

Here’s an example. Imagine you’ve just received a compliment from someone you respect - a sincere, thoughtful one. That’s a front-page story. But at nearly the same time, you accidentally send a text to the wrong person. Without paying attention, your mind may treat the mistake as the major event of the day and the compliment as a tiny blurb. But you’re the editor. You get to decide. You can choose to amplify the positive and shrink the negative.

Another useful practice is what might be called “the evening editorial meeting.” Before bed, take one minute - literally one minute - and reflect on the biggest stories of your day. Ask yourself:

• Did I give something too much power?

• Did something small dominate my attention unnecessarily?

• What actually deserved more focus, gratitude, or celebration?

This small daily review helps you become more aware of your patterns. Over time, it strengthens your ability to manage your emotional headlines in real time.

Of course, all of this is a practice, not a switch. Some days you’ll get it right. Some days you’ll forget all about it. That’s okay. Editors don’t get every headline perfect either. But the act of stepping back, questioning your mental coverage, and choosing more wisely - little by little - helps you maintain your equilibrium even when life hands you difficult stories.

Life will always bring news. Some of it will be challenging. But the power to shape the narrative, to determine what defines your day, belongs to you. You, and you alone, get to choose the headlines.

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Dr. David Kantra is a Clinical Psychologist and co-founder of the Center for Living Mindfully. He and his wife, Augusta – also a therapist – own and operate the center together, where they lead workshops and retreats integrating psychology, mindfulness, & yoga on topics important to living a happy, mindful life.