Using AI to Stay Informed Without Spiraling | Navesink Psychological Services

Anxiety Coping Strategies May 2026 · 5 min read

Using AI to Stay Informed Without Spiraling

When world events feel overwhelming, the answer isn't avoidance — or a research rabbit hole. There's a better way.

Matthew Strobel, Psy.D.

Navesink Psychological Services

When something scary is happening in the world — a disease outbreak, a natural disaster, a geopolitical crisis — many of us feel the pull to do one of two things: shut it all out, or consume every piece of information we can find. Both of these instincts make complete sense. And both of them tend to make anxiety worse.

Why Avoidance Backfires

When we avoid something that makes us anxious, we get a small dose of short-term relief. The problem is that we never fully relax — we're just waiting for the anxiety to come back. And it always does. This is the anxiety cycle: feel anxious → try to ignore → feel temporary relief → encounter a reminder → feel anxious again.

World events are particularly difficult to avoid, because they show up everywhere. Imagine trying to tune out a news story by watching a sporting event. Then the announcer mentions it. A player is wearing a warmup shirt. A fan holds up a sign. Suddenly you're right back where you started — and now your avoidance strategy has failed, which can feel even more distressing.

Avoidance provides temporary relief but keeps anxiety cycling. Processing accurate information allows anxiety to naturally resolve.

The Other Extreme: The Research Rabbit Hole

The opposite instinct — consuming every piece of information available — isn't the answer either. Most online content about scary world events is opinion-heavy, sensationalized, or simply incomplete. The more we read, the more questions we find, and the more uncertain we feel. It becomes an endless quest to find the piece of information that will finally make us feel safe. That piece doesn't exist.

Finding the Middle Ground — With AI

What we want is a happy middle ground: enough accurate information to feel grounded, without diving so deep that we destabilize. This is where tools like AI can be genuinely helpful — and they have a real advantage over a traditional internet search.

A Google search returns dozens of links: headlines designed to provoke clicks, opinion pieces, conflicting reports, comment sections. AI, when prompted thoughtfully, returns a synthesized, calm summary. You control exactly what you get.

The Strategy

Tell the AI you're anxious before you ask your question. Ask for a few facts to stay informed. Ask it to end on a positive note. Then stop — don't open links, don't search for more.

Try This Exact Prompt

Here's a real example. Copy and paste this into any AI tool:

Example Prompt

"I have significant anxiety and I am worried about the cruise ship hantavirus. Provide me a few facts about the situation so I can be informed without getting overly anxious. End on a positive note."

The response you'll get should be limited, fact-based, and give you just enough to feel oriented — without opening a door to spiraling. That's the goal.

A Word of Caution

Monitor your use of this strategy. If you find yourself asking AI for information repeatedly throughout the day — checking and re-checking — that pattern is itself a form of the anxiety cycle. Like any coping tool, this works best when used intentionally and sparingly. If it's becoming compulsive, that's worth talking through with a therapist.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if the AI gives me information that makes me more anxious?

That can happen, especially if the topic is genuinely serious. The key is to prompt carefully — specify that you want calm, factual information and a positive close. If you read the response and feel significantly worse, that's a signal to pause AI use for this topic and speak with a mental health professional instead.

Is this the same as exposure therapy?

It borrows from the same principles. Exposure therapy works by gradually confronting feared stimuli so the anxiety response naturally reduces over time. Getting accurate, contained information about a scary event is a mild, manageable form of that — you're engaging with the thing rather than avoiding it, but in a controlled way.

What if I have anxiety about things beyond just world events?

This strategy is specifically suited to informational anxiety — the kind driven by uncertainty about external events. For anxiety rooted in personal, social, or health-related concerns, or for anxiety that significantly impacts daily functioning, working with a therapist is the most effective path. Our team at Navesink Psychological Services specializes in anxiety treatment — reach out anytime.

How many times should I use this strategy in a day?

Once per topic, ideally. The goal is to get enough information to feel oriented and then redirect your attention. If you feel the urge to check again an hour later, try to notice that urge without acting on it — that pause is itself a therapeutic skill.

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Struggling with anxiety about world events?

Our team at Navesink Psychological Services works with individuals navigating anxiety in all its forms — from everyday worry to more persistent patterns. We'd love to help.

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