The anxiety-busting INFORMATION DIET has nothing to do with food. It has everything to do with the daily flow of information that’s flooding your senses and putting you into overwhelm.
The information diet is a STRATEGY that alleviates stress, enhances productivity, and gets you focused on things you actually control.
FACT: The quality of information you allow into your life directly affects your happiness and well being.
STRATEGY: Eliminate negative and/or garbage content from your environment.
- STOP watching TV (News, reality shows, political debates, etc.).
- STOP reading newspapers.
- STOP reading political blogs.
- STOP getting roped into discussions on social media.
You don’t need MORE information. You need LESS information from curated sources relevant to your needs. LIMIT your information sources to the bare minimum necessary to do your work.
Try the information diet for two weeks, and you’ll be blown away by how much CALMER, FOCUSED, and PRODUCTIVE you’ve become.
If you’ve fallen into the habit of watching the news in order to stay “informed,” you’ve been bamboozled, my friend.
The Media is NOT an Accurate Representation of the Real World
- It’s NOT reflective of the “truth.”
- It’s NOT “fair and balanced.”
- It’s NOT even accurate reporting.
What do you think gets the most viewers? The most readers? The most shares?
- Titillating Celebrity Gossip. (Who got divorced THIS week?)
- Catastrophes. (From foreign lands if there’s nothing local).
- Economic breakdown. (The end of days. Zombie apocalypse scenarios.)
- Corruption. (More reasons to be ANGRY and outraged!)
- Crime. (Wait, am I even safe?!)
- Political discussions and debates. (Us vs. Them!)
FACT: Over 80% of “news” is highly negative, sensationalized, or terrifying.
That’s NOT the REALITY of the world around you.
- That’s what sells advertising.
- That’s what goes viral.
- That’s what gets “likes” on Facebook.
Look out your window. What do you see? Any calamities? I’m currently enjoying peace and quiet here in sunny Florida. Not an alligator in sight! Maybe a few lizards on the windows.
You WON’T find peace and quiet in the news. Technology has created the means for us to remain efficiently exposed to the worst of the worst news from AROUND THE WORLD.
Will THAT feed into your anxiety and stress? Of course it does!
“News” might be your BIGGEST source of anxiety. If it’s not the biggest, it certainly is the most consistent. It’s never ending stream of content based on envy, anger, fear, and trauma.
MYTH: You Need the Media to “Stay Informed”
Informed about WHAT, exactly? What actions are you taking? What decisions are you making?
You’re being overwhelmed with information that’s irrelevant to the actions and decisions you need to make. OVER-engaging with the media is about as productive as surfing internet porn.
It’s “mental masturbation.” You may get a fleeting sense of gratification, but you don’t improve yourself as a person. You’ve lost time that could have advanced your personal goals.
You DON’T need to know about everything going on in the entire world. Plus, your sources of information have been embellished and not necessarily actionable or relevant to the decisions you need to make personally.
If there’s anything important that you NEED to know, trust me, you’ll find out about it! It will come up in conversation when you interact with real, live people.
Turn off the TV, and go enjoy some time out with your friends.
MYTH: People Need to Be Aware. Global Poverty is Getting Worse!
Actually, extreme global poverty has been cut in half over the last 20 years. (Source: The Best News You Don’t Know).
The media’s focus on human misery gives people the perception that everything is generally getting worse.
Things MAY be getting better. MUCH better. Read Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think
Fact: The majority of Americans have never been outside of their own country.
Yet, people have heated discussions about politics and catastrophes in places they’ll never see, much less experience.
How about taking stock of things that are within your own sphere of influence, right here at home? Start with something in your own neighborhood.
Even better, start with yourself. You can’t change other people, but you can always change yourself. Be the best person you can possibly be, and the entire world benefits.
Information Diet Benefits
Going on an information diet saves you TIME. You’ll be HAPPIER and more PRODUCTIVE. This creates new OPPORTUNITIES for growth and targeted exploration:
- Read books! Successful CEO’s read over 50 books a year. Reading habits of successful people.
- Learn a new language! Duolingo is a free app for your smartphone or iPad. It turns learning languages into a game. Estoy aprendiendo español.
- Exercise! Enjoy a walk around your neighborhood. Take some group classes. Perhaps find out if yoga is right for you?
- Take a course! Learn about cooking. Invite your friends over for a dinner party and show them what you’ve learned.
- Deepen relationships. Dinner with friends can make you happy.
Still interested in worldly affairs? Have you traveled? Why not plan a trip to Paris? How about Barcelona? You’ll find coffeehouses loaded with people having lively conversations. Old school!
The world will continue to function without your constant scrutiny. Focus on the things within your personal jurisdiction. Wear the world like a loose garment. Be the best person YOU can be, and that’s enough.
Next Post: Anxiety Habits
I agree that we are all bombarded with mindless information and in many cases misinformation. There are so many sad and terrifying news articles that pop up on our phones, tablets, social media, etc. We all would benefit from putting down our devices and turning the tv off, me included. I do read a lot online. I guess I need to get my nook back out.
Or read a good old fashioned paper book!
Reason: Many people report substantially better sleep when they completely avoid electronic devices for at least an hour before bed. This includes iPads, phones, and TV!
So true !!! Thanks for sharing it
Excellent Erick, this is the need of the hour. I’ve been used to reading everything which was not necessary and getting stressed. Thanks for the nice Article.
Thanks for the feedback, Rajesh!
Thank you very much for this message. It is very helpful. Take care.
Erick, like always you have great inputs. Many thanks!
My pleasure…more to come!