While it’s important that we all stay informed with what’s happening in the world, there comes a point where consuming more news stops being helpful and just becomes a point of stress and distraction.
We've all reached a point after the endless drip feed of news where the weight seems so heavy and it feels like there's nothing good happening in the world. Here are some ways that I’ve balanced staying informed in a way that feels healthy to me.
1. Set a limit on how much time you spend on news sites (or block them all together).
Try using a browser extension like Stay Focusd for Chrome or LeechBlock for Firefox.
2. Choose one national and one local news source.
a. I love this advice from Cal Newport, “First, check one national and one local new source each morning. Then — and this is the important part — don’t check any other news for the rest of the day. Presumably, time sensitive updates that affect you directly will arrive by email, or phone, or text.”
b. I’m not as strict as Cal – I check the news once in the morning and once in the late afternoon (after Governor Mike DeWine’s daily update).
3. Delete any news apps from your phone and disable the news widget that comes up when you swipe right on the iPhone.
4. Instead, sign up for a daily email newsletter from the New York Times or NPR.
That way, you get all of the day’s headlines delivered to you without getting sucked into non-essential, click-bait-y articles.
5. I love Brene Brown's tips for dealing with breaking news:
Prayer and civic action are not mutually exclusive.
6. More wise words from Seth Godin:
- The media benefits from turning you into their product, once you give them your attention.
- Feel free, but do it because you’ve chosen to.
- Here’s something to consider: the world doesn’t get better when you spend more time engaging with mass media. That’s pretty clear.
- But it does get better when you spend more time doing things that matter. Actions matter.
7. Remember that whatever bad news you're reading about, there are people helping.
There are also dancers dancing, teachers teaching, writers writing, and musicians playing. Beauty and tragedy coexist every day.
How are you managing your intake of news these days? Let us know on Instagram – we'd love to hear from you.
