Bad news is all around us. But that doesn't necessarily mean that it's an accurate reflection of the current state of our society and world, which is why in today's episode, I cover the importance of maintaining perspective and arming yourself with fact—not fear—based information.

This is Part 5 of a 5-part series about how to effectively cope when you're inundated with bad news stories and negativity.

And while the world may seem all doom and gloom, research and evidence show that we actually live in an increasingly peaceful time. That's not to say there isn't still tons of room for improvement, however. But we should also focus on the positives and factor in the progress we've made as well.

Notes from the show: 

- We actually live in a more peaceful time now than we ever have before

- Advancements in communication technology put information at our fingertips so we are just hearing about the bad news in the world more now

- Every generation seems to have a problem with the subsequent one; it's easy to let emotions take over and see things from a negative point of view without examining the facts

- Pretty much everyone thinks they are doing the right thing

- We are all one community, one big ecosystem

- Looking at situations from other people's perspectives help to bridge the hate

Links and Resources Mentioned:

Study from Tel Aviv University - "Peace is more profitable than war"

Article from Slate.com - Measurable progress has been made to lessen the amount of violence towards women

Another article from Slate.com - There's a downward trend for genocide

And one more - "The world is not falling apart"

Article from Salon.com - Education and empathy have played significant roles in decreasing the amount of violence in the world