The last few months of election news will be remembered as some of the most engaging, frustrating, and unusual – ever. Even people who normally do not pay attention to the news have been entranced. Mesmerized.
If you’re anything like me you could not look away.
The news is not my thing! I normally avoid it! But I got sucked in and it was bothering me. It was making me anxious and irritable.
Are you filling your brain with unwanted, unnecessary, useless information?
I was. It was completely accidental…
Over time, I was looking at more and more news stories about the election and one day I knew it had to stop. I decided to cut the news out of my life entirely.
I’m not saying it was easy. The news is everywhere these days! I even had to stop people from filling me in on the latest tidbits. But it was hard for another reason…
I was in the news habit!
Looking at the political news had become a distraction. It was my go-to when I needed a work break or had a bit of time to play on the Internet. The news became SO compelling that I had to be creative and think of some better distraction.
I needed to replace it with something that was just as compelling but hopefully beneficial to me in some way.
Fill your brain with beauty, mastery, and excellence.
From the moment I made that decision, every time I thought about clicking on the news, I stopped. I found something beautiful to look at instead.
I looked at videos of beautiful things that renewed my joie de vivre. I looked at athletes at the top of their game. I re-watched Susan Boyle’s audition tape, listened to beautiful music (a lot of opera for some reason…), I started a Pinterest collection of Drool-worthy jewelry. I sought out beauty and harmony.
After just two days I relaxed and started sleeping better.
Other things changed…
I was able to quiet my mind faster and more easily. Without the stressful and inflammatory information coming in all the time, it was easy to clear my mind and settle down when I wanted to.
I slept better! More than that, my dreams became lighter and more fun. And I remembered them much more clearly in the morning.
My memory improved. All the extra information (news) takes up space in your working memory that you need to be creative and productive. Once I cut out the news, I felt mentally sharper and more clever.
I didn’t spend as much time lookingat things online – even if I was looking at million-dollar jewelry, even if I was looking at beautiful apartments in Vienna or a stunning dressage horse at the top of her game. I spent much less time wasting time on the internet.
I started to notice more beauty around me. It became easier to recognize and appreciate the craftsmanship that I encounter every day. There’s a magic to watching people at the top of their game and looking at things that were crafted by masters who love what they do. Once you tune into it, you notice how much you have around you. It inspires you to improve yourself.
My mood improved. The news was making me cranky and irritable. Cutting it out was like getting rid of the bad apple.
All it took was a simple switch.
I cut all media and replaced the news cycle with images and videos and audios of beauty, mastery, and excellence.
But I bet there’s something that really does interest you that encompasses the ideals of mastery, excellence, and beauty.
The first day may be a little bit tricky. You will have to keep reminding yourself to navigate to a better place. It is brain training! It is well worth it!
If you have trouble finding something delightful and fulfilling to enjoy, how about jewelry, national parks, or flowers? Or maybe you would prefer to tour a museum? Many museums have collections available online. You can even live vicariously through extreme sports enthusiasts!
Find something you enjoy that makes your heart sing. Let me know what distracts you!
Having trouble unplugging? I can help! Contact me and we’ll work together to get you back into a good and beneficial groove.
