This is NPR's Life Kit and I'm TKJTess.

The news can be a lot.

Russia has sent troops into eastern Ukraine.

Is this an act of war or the continuation of the same conflict that's been happening there for the past eight years?

Well, that's what the U.S. has in fact increased its troops by as many as 7,000 within the last several days.

Russia says the U.S. is just whipping up hysteria and spreading lies.

Well, the U.S. says it's all free.

That's what it sounded like in Kiev this morning as Ukrainians face down the reality of a Russian invasion.

It seems like there are two options when faced with all this information.

Either you're oversaturated, totally plugged in,

can't stop thinking about it and stressed out by it all.

Or you're checked out and completely ignoring it because it's all too much.

Me, I'm a little bit of both.

Yeah, I think we should just find a nice hole and dig ourselves and bury ourselves in the dirt for a while.

That's Dr. Judson Brewer.

He's the director of research and innovation at the Mindfulness Center at Brown University

and the Executive Medical Director of Behavioral Science at ShereCare.

If you can't bury yourself in a hole, don't worry.

He has some mindfulness tips to help you cope with the stress and anxiety of the never ending news cycle.

This comes down to understanding our minds work.

This episode of LifeKit, what's actually happening in your brain when you feel overwhelmed?

How to combat the feeling of restriction and some practical breathing techniques that can bring you back to the moment?

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