I used to love the news. Not too long ago I was one of those old school freaks who read an actual newspaper made out of paper. I enjoyed every aspect of it…
- The walk to the front yard to pick it up.
- Snapping the rubber band off or tearing the plastic bag if it was a wet morning.
- Unrolling it and tossing out the ads.
- Glancing over each and every page.
- The black ink on my hands that I would forget about and then wipe all over my bald head by accident.
I also loved watching the news on television. I would go through a steady diet of CNN or Fox every morning when I got to my office. I enjoyed being the guy who knew what was going on in the world…a expert on current events.
I also got meaner. Way too late I realized that the news was affecting me in a bad way. It wasn’t until I quit the news cold turkey that I realized how much better things were without it. A steady diet of murders, abused kids, celebrity goings on, and politics was ruining my life.
It’s not just me either. There are a lot of articles and studies that reveal the detrimental effects of consuming the news. One of the best ones I came across was in The Guardian. You can find it right HERE.
If I can do one thing for you to help your psychological well-being, it would be to say, stop watching or reading the news. Go on a news diet immediately. I did this awhile back and haven’t missed a thing. I’m happier. Oddly enough, I still find ways to know about important things that are going on around me.
If you absolutely must consume the news for some reason, here’s what I recommend-
- Set online alerts for certain topics you NEED to know about for work or some other reason or items you’re really interested in. Check out Google Alerts, and you can have items delivered to your e-mail.
- IGNORE the news every other chance you get, like at the gym. I find that I have a better workout if I ignore it on the huge TVs there.
- Listen to podcasts of people you trust to give you RELEVANT news about topics you want.
- Politely beg away from conversations that DEPEND on the news and incite stress.
- UNFRIEND/UNFOLLOW social media folks who insist on telling you about everything that’s going on.
This is me at the new Panda Express near my house. Yeah, it’s not really on my diet, but I indulge occasionally. However, I do sit with my back to the news. Makes my meal taste better, and it’s easier to people watch that way.
Dr. Dave
This message was written by a team of geeks, nerds, gamers, and Dr. David Powers. You can always find us at www.callsignredbeard.com. Thanks for reading!
In the words of Starship Troopers, “Would you like to know more?”