One of the first things I do every morning when I wake up is check the latest news on my smartphone. In the last few weeks alone, that means — like so many other people — I’ve started the day with some of the most horrific news imaginable: a mass shooting, devastating storms, terrible wildfires. It’s taken a toll on my overall well-being — and very likely yours, too.

“We’re seeing more ‘disaster fatigue,’” says Dr. Mary McNaughton-Cassill, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas at San Antonio who has studied the connection between media consumption and stress. “In the digital age where studies show some three out of four people check their smartphone before going to bed and shortly after waking up in the morning, it’s getting harder not to feel overwhelmed.”

I’ve been calling it “the bad news blues,” which is just a general feeling of “how much more of this can we all take” whenever I see a stream of tragic news alerts hit my smartphone or social media feeds. Sure, it makes me want to help, but it also makes me sad. And overwhelmed. Dr. McNaughton-Cassill says that’s a normal reaction when bad things are happening away from our own community, where we can do little to aid those in need. She said people might also experience an increase in stress, depression, exhaustion, sleep problems, anger and growing cynicism.

For some people already prone to anxiety or clinical depression the toll can be even worse. “There are clear increases in anxiety disorders, including cutting and self-harm, and suicide rates,” says Dr. Stephen Hinshaw, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. “The barrage of ever-present ‘bad news’ — and, for young people, the barrage of social-media-related permanent records of negative social interchanges — is a factor.”

Experts say there are steps you can take to help fight the sadness and anxiety that all this bad news may be causing.

Unplug

The first step in combating bad news burnout might seem obvious: Limit alerts and just stop checking your phone and social media feeds for news so often. But that could be harder than you think. The average person checks their phone some 150 times a day. And that constant connection wires us to want more.

“It’s the repeated exposure that is the problem,” Dr. Christina Mangurian, associate professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, wrote in an email. Going without your smartphone can trigger a burst of the stress hormone cortisol and induce a fight-or-flight response that only settles down by checking it again. Still, you have to start somewhere. “I suggest limiting the alerts and turning off phones a couple of hours before bed,” Dr. Mangurian advises.

Experts say recharging your smartphone in another part of the house overnight can help, as well as setting time limits around news and social media check-ins. Dr. McNaughton-Cassill recommends logging a day or two of online activity, in the same way people who are trying to lose weight might write down everything they eat. Apps like RescueTime can help you get a clear picture of your online life, including how much time you check your newsfeeds. It can also temporarily block websites that may be contributing to the problem.