1. Overwhelm and News Overload

Available for 26 days

Psychologist and presenter of BBC Radio 4's All in the Mind Claudia Hammond reads from her new book on the 21st-century phenomenon of overwhelm. All of us know the unsettling sensation of acceleration - the feeling that there's too much to do, not enough time to do it, and the pressure is relentless. There is always something new, something more, something better. Even switching off seems impossible. This is overwhelm: that persistent feeling that you can't cope, that the demands on you are excessive, that you can't see a way out. From perfectionism, to overconfidence, fear of regret to coping with the stress, Hammond offers fascinating personal stories, calm and convincing analysis, as well as the tools to take on everything life throws at us. Today: how to cope with the stresses of a 24-hour news cycle, in a world that feels more precarious than ever, while remaining engaged and informed. Written and read by: Claudia Hammond is an award-winning writer and broadcaster. She is Visiting Professor of the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Sussex and presenter of BBC Radio 4's All in the Mind. She has been awarded the President's Medal from the British Academy, the British Psychological Society's Public Engagement and Media Award, Mind's Making a Difference Award and the British Neuroscience Association's Public Understanding of Neuroscience Award. She is the author of Emotional Rollercoaster, Mind over Money, Time Warped, which won the Aeon Transmission Award and the BPS' Best Popular Science Book Award, and The Art of Rest. Her latest book, The Keys to Kindness, won the People's Book Prize Best Achievement Award. Abridger: Julian Wilkinson Producer: Justine Willett