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As a work-from-home employee, my constant companion is the sound of my radio murmuring low in the background. I know people who listen to podcasts and or have TV on while they work. That’s much too engrossing for me. But the soothing voices of public radio hosts provide just the right amount of calming white noise. Unless they’re discussing something outrageous or alarming—which is all too often. News reports about current events can be a major source of stress.
But my station–and apparently others–have begun using the airwaves to offer mindful moments and mini meditations as an antidote to distressing news.
The other day as I wandered to the kitchen to refresh my cup of tea, the announcer ended a news break by suggesting that I stop for a moment and take a breath. I was surprised but I my cup down and allowed myself to be guided in a moment of deep breathing. The tension in my shoulders melted and I felt myself doing a kind of mental reset. I went back to my desk feeling pleasantly refreshed.
On-Air Meditation Breaks
That mindful moment is part of WFDD’s Be Still Campaign, according to Molly Davis, Assistant General Manager at the station and a former yoga instructor.
“Through our reporting and being out in the community, we see that people are stressed,” she says. In brainstorming ways to provide some relief, someone had the idea to play soothing sound bites—a summer rain, a mountain stream, birds in the trees—during station breaks.
“We have been working to keep those sounds fresh and trying to find some new sounds,” she says. “One of my colleagues had the idea of doing something more directly meditative.” That’s when the station introduced the 30-second mindfulness meditation breaks. They are sprinkled into the program rotation at random times throughout the day.
WFDD isn’t the only radio station to use their broadcast platform to spread some peace. At WNYC in New York, Lorraine Mattox, offered a daily 60-second meditation series called “I Need a Minute.”
When Headlines Are A Headache
Health experts have long suggested that limiting news consumption can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms. While it’s helpful to stay informed about events that are affecting you and your community, consuming too much news–especially if it evokes strong emotion–can lead to what psychologist Steven Stosny, PhD calls “headline stress disorder.”
“For many people, continual alerts from news sources, blogs, social media, and alternative facts feel like missile explosions in a siege without end,” he writes. (It can even be stressful for news reporters themselves.) In addition to offering a bit of a break from the 24-hour news cycle, a mindfulness practice can help offset the negative effects of negative news.
An Antidote To Your Regular Programming
“It’s beneficial to have these moments reminding us all that it’s okay to take a break,” says Davis. “Sometimes everything is just a little bit too much and just 30 seconds of quieting your mind can make a huge difference.”
While 30 seconds of stillness may not feel like much of a meditation, even a few moments of mindfulness may be a gateway for beginners to build up to longer periods of sitting, which can have benefits over time. A study by researchers at NYU found that 15 minutes of meditation over eight weeks decreased anxiety and negative mood, and increased attention and memory. For people who have an established meditation practice, a short mindfulness snack can help reset your day.
Of course there are many on-demand options for audio meditations—including apps, YouTube videos, and websites (including YJ). Wherever it’s available, meditation can offer a benefits.
Davis says her listeners appreciate the radio breaks. “Almost immediately, we heard from so many listeners how much they appreciated it,” she says. “People who said, ‘Please, please keep this going. …It’s really important and we need it.’”
Tamara Y. Jeffries is a Senior Editor for Yoga Journal.
