Monday, July 11, 2016

Surviving a 24/7 news cycle



This has been quite a summer.

Politics heating up. Racial tensions heightened by killings. Brexit.

Those of us who visit social media sites with any kind of frequency have been lambasted with the news and opined to death.

Rather than give yet another take on all of these happenings, I'm simply going to offer my own survival guide.

Limit your news/social media intake.

The thing about the news business is it's a business.

And it's on 24/7.

You are under no obligation to keep up with the news cycle. I'm not advocating total withdrawal. But set up your own safe zone and know your limits.

And realize that not all news sources are created equal. For instance, there's a vast difference between radio talk shows and news. The main purpose of many talk shows is to stir up your emotions about a topic, regardless of facts. Be smart, turn them off.

Do yourself a favor and don't rely only on televised news. Many network news programs actually fall into the entertainment category. Seldom getting beyond reciting headlines.

Consider limiting your social media (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc.) as well. When the social discourse turns ugly, resist the urge to hit below the belt. Instead take the time to gather facts that will help guide you towards positive solutions.




Give your soul time to breath.

Life goes by quickly.

Often the beautiful gets drowned out by the sensational.

Take the time to be purposeful. S-l-o-w down. Reflect. Regenerate.

Your soul and spirit aren't like your brain. Although they are connected to it.

We need time to absorb things in order for them to make sense.

If we don't allow for that process to happen then a disconnect can occur among our brain, soul and spirit, leading to all sorts of consequences. Ideally, what we're striving for is internal unity not cognitive dissonance.


Nurture your sense of humor.

A sense of humor is essential to survival.

It's also the canary-in-the-coalmine of your emotions.

That is, if you find that's it been a while since you've laughed out loud, then there's a good chance that current events are sucking the oxygen out of your life.

According to www.helpguide.org, "Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease. Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body's natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain."

A cautionary sidenote: Being cynical and sarcastic as a way of life isn't the same as laughing.


Do something spiritual.

I'm not trying to convert anyone.

But I am suggesting that we, as human beings, have a spirit. And that spirit needs to be nurtured just as much as our soul.

Prayer helps.

According to Psychology Today praying improves self-control, makes you nicer, makes you more forgiving, increases trust and offsets negative effects of stress.

So the next time you read or hear about some bad news, try praying about it.




Practice being thankful.

This is sort of related to doing something spiritual.

Ann Voskamp wrote an outstanding book on this subject called One Thousand Gifts.

She takes a biblical perspective (i.e. Book of Psalms) on why being thankful is good and expands upon it, using her own experience.

Simply put, being thankful lifts your spirit and soul and renews your mind.  It gets us in the habit of seeing life from a deeper, fuller, richer perspective. Voskamp suggests keeping a thanks journal, listing the things you are thankful for each day.

She would be the first to point out that being thankful doesn't deny that terrible things happen. But it does help to temper the shock.

Finally, if you're so inclined to watch, here's a clip of Amy Grant singing, "We Believe in God" which, in my opinion, is one of the most honest worship songs I've ever heard.




Now it's your turn: Feel free to leave a comment regarding how you deal with the 24/7 news cycle.

Photo Credits:
www.buzzmachine.com
www.tumblr.com
www.boundless.org


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