7 Tips To Reduce Stress From Information Overload

Happy Monday!

As I promised yesterday, today I’m going to offer some examples of how you can redirect all the stress and worry the media information overload causes you.

Aside from truly accepting the power of The Serenity Prayer, which I hold in high regard as far as getting stress in check goes, and the worry-managing suggestions I offered in What You Do Matters: Manage Your Worries and Help the World, there are several other ways you can begin to combat both physical and mental stress media overload causes.

Keep in mind these are just examples based on how I’ve drastically cut media-related stress out of my life. Some may work for you, while you may want to expand on others or even completely redesign them and take your own approach.

So, without further ado I present:

7 Tips To Reduce Stress From Information Overload

1. Change the television channel or radio station. If you can’t handle the news, don’t watch or listen to it. If reality shows based on superficial plastic surgery sicken you, make you wonder about the state of the human race, or make you question your own appearance, turn the channel. If you’re vegan and don’t like listening to songs about rodeos, don’t listen to the country music station. You get the idea.
2. Take note of the websites/blogs you should and should not visit. You probably already have a list of sites you don’t like because they up your stress level. From this point on, vow to no longer visit them, or any others you come across that cause anxiety or tension. Bookmark those that bring happiness, pleasure, and truly enlighten you.
3. Start your own website or blog. What better way express your worries and stress than utilizing the Internet? Not only can you share your sadness, but you can find others who are saddened by the same things. No, this isn’t a case of “misery loves company;” this is a case of realizing you aren’t alone and sharing coping methods and ways to take action with others who feel the same way you feel.
4. Make contact. If the President, your Governor, one of your Senators, or even a journalist from your local newspaper really ticked you off, let them know about it. Maybe a bill was passed you strongly disagree with, or a news event was presented in a biased, uneducated way. Whatever happened, it made you angry or stress you out. Don’t hold your concerns inside – let these people know!



5. Realize that most media sources don’t report even half of the good going on in the world. This is the most difficult thing for some people to wrap their brains around. Why? Because most of what we see, hear, and read is about war, hunger, poverty, abuse, etc. and so forth. However, good things happen all the time, too. To get started, check out these online sources: Good News Network, Good News Broadcast, Good News Magazine, and Happy News.
6. Pick and choose. This goes right along with everything mentioned above. You may have a favorite news channel, paper, or website. You don’t have to boycott it; just know what to view and read and what stay away from. Like I said yesterday, there are several news-based websites I frequent, but I do so for mental health-related information only.
7. Pray. Or meditate. Or whatever. Just do it. Once you get into a routine and learn how to communicate with God and/or your soul, I promise you’ll find peace. You’ll learn to better deal with the overload of information and the unsettling thought processes it brings. Yes, I promise. I know from experience.

Don’t try to tackle each of these tips at once. If you do and succeed, great! But if you don’t succeed you may experience even more anxiety and give it up as hopeless.

You probably have many other tips to reduce stress from information overload. Be generous and share!