Do not let news and headlines to control your life
I used to be one of those ‘junkie news’ addict. Fortunately, I managed to get rid of this dangerous in the long run addiction. Regardless of your occupation, we are overwhelmed with a high tech devices, social networks, media headlines. By the way, how often do you check the news per day? Whether we want to admit or not, all sorts of news have taken over much of our lives and time. From our smart phones, iPads, emails, text messages, TV, newspapers. It’s everywhere.
We are constantly bombarded with news bites, headlines, social media. Although it is quite challenging to escape news reports, it is possible of course, providing you some interests other than news. What’s the idea behind ”the news”? Well, in my view most news reports and shows are designed to create worry. In my view the news generally speaking do not offer any solutions, yet, we get hooked waiting for an answer or a good outcome such as that we tend to crave news because (we think) without the news, we feel empty and anxious. We have nothing to talk about.
What do we learn in news? Pretty much stuff that do not directly impact our lives, such are news related to an unfair or corrupted government actions, road traffic incident, weather forecasts, reality’s celebs related news, and other issues to worry about. The news reports today are not unbiased or fairly reported but rather meant to promote other shows on their network, to sell advertising, to elevate unimportant people into ‘stars’ and ‘influencers’ or to present equally unimportant and incompetent people as experts who give their opinion but are often wrong, and to entertain. These news are basically designed to ‘instruct’ you how to think rather than encourage you to form your own opinions.
How does the news addiction do manifest?
The first symptoms that may indicate you are turning into the news addict manifest in situations when the enquiry for news controls you, rather than you controlling it! If you find yourself looking forward to watching a news show, when you check your phone often to get the news or headlines, when you feel upset when you can’t find out what happened in the latest incident, and when you stop communication with others to watch the news are all signs of a news addiction. News addicts also feel an emptiness, feelings of depression and stress. Ironically, people who are in constant search for news and ‘news consumers’ tend to be convinced that they are more engaged in real life yet. The true is that most news they consume actually do not report what is really going on. As a matter of fact, most of the news is really irrelevant to our daily lives. Yet, what’s problematic to me is that the perspective on our lives is being changed by what the news tells us and we tend to think less critically.
Breaking the news addiction with the cognitive fitness
Do you ever think about your mental fitness, namely having a positive sense of how you feel, think, and act, which ultimately can help you to improve your ability to live and enjoy in your life?
I certainly do not diminish an importance of keeping in shape our healthy body to prevent various disbalances which can lead to diabetes, autoimmune diseases, heart disease, etc. However, your mental fitness is just as important as your physical fitness, therefore, should not be neglected ’cause it keeps healthy your brain and consequently your emotional health in top shape.
What does “mental fitness” mean to you? You may associate it with sudoku, numbers, sequences, word puzzle, etc. Yet, our lives is becoming always even more complicated than word games. There are so many things to swallow and digest, be it processing new information on daily basis, being calm with my environment and family, motivating myself, and interacting with people. To be successful in all these, I think we all need skills for dealing with daily complex life. In other words, we need to develop our mental toughness, self-awareness, optimism in challenging and difficult times, self-control, intrapersonall skills.
Master The Management Of Your Time
You’ve may heard about recommendations of your smart device ”day off” or an occasional digital detox. I am aware that it must be challenging for you due to many reasons. Yet, if this digital detox is not the best option for you you may switch to a print only ”news diet.”
The passage of time is the best filter for determining what does really matter. Which is why you too may consider applying a healthy way which will enable you both, stay calm as well as well informed. How? By consuming news just a day or two later than everyone else. Print outlets, be it weeklies, or even dailies and well written columns in your favorite daily, can be one way how to escape unnecessary drama and trivia.
Focus today on what matter to your life in the long run rather than wasting time on reading newspapers, while at the same time you can save online article of your interest to read later if you prefer reading online. It works!
Guard and manage your time well. From time to time it’s good to remind yourself that your time is not a renewable resource, but that it your most precious commodity.
All I am saying is to plan your days and manage your time creatively and work on your discipline to focus your precious commodity around your priorities. The first comes first and should never be sacrificed to things less important. Hence, time spent renewing your mind, body and spirit will allow you to design life you dream about.
I believe you would agree with me that the time mastery leads to life mastery!
We are told to live in the moment, yet, there’s much to be said for putting the moment off for a few days. Hence, do not waste your precious commodity -Time- and -Life- about endless trivia, bad news, and inaccurate information. Instead, get the information you need, and then get out there and live your life.
Ben Franklin said: ‘‘Believe none of what you hear, and half of what you see”
I believe Franklin. What about you?
