Nearly No News: How To Ride Out The Perfect Storm Of World Events
My Past News Reading: Hear All About It!
If I look back to my young adult life keeping up with the news was a big deal. I subscribed to a print based newspaper… of the leftie variety of course. The Guardian and the Independent both reared their heads at different times. I watched the BBC’s Six o’ Clock news followed by Channel 4’s offering at 7pm. And then there was the constant background of Radio 4 at home and in the car. There’s some interesting stuff on that station but it’s interspersed with messages of doom and gloom on the hour and in more in depth news programmes throughout the day. I started to notice that all that negativity was playing on my mind.
So some years ago I made a conscious decision to cut down drastically on the amount of news media that I absorbed. I replaced newspapers with different reading and substituted the radio listening with music and uplifting podcasts that could be personalised to my tastes. Both my son Louis and I got very excited when YouTube Premium became available. We’ve had a family membership ever since so we can all watch and listen ad-free. In my book it’s £19,99 a month well spent.
Some awareness of what was going on in the big wide world seeped through. But the constant wallowing and frequent discussion that arose from it stopped. I know that I felt more mentally resilient as a consequence.
News Update
Then I retired and, with a bit of extra time on my hands my news consumption insidiously crept up again. One of the reasons was that I got a bit addicted to both the Guardian Quick Crossword and the puzzle section oft the New York Times. A bit of Wordle., and then finding out the comings and goings of various US politicians seemed to go hand in hand. It’s looking at bit mad out there and it’s all too easy to get caught up in the maelstrom.
I’m not denying that using the news as active propaganda to undermine a population doesn’t exist. However I don’t think that there’s always particularly sinister motives behind journalists bathing us with regular updates of the bad things going on in the world. The necessity of keeping informed about tragedy is just something that’s been ingrained in our culture. Yet perhaps it has to be questioned for it causes a drum to beat in the collective psyche. ‘The world is a bad place, the world is a bad place’. No wonder there is so much anxiety, anger and hopelessness if this is the constant message that we receive.
Taking Action
I decided to needed a handle on my news input yet again to preserve my sanity and give me more time in the day to do other more meaningful stuff.
What I haven’t done is given up my subscriptions to the online Guardian and New York Times. I love some of the feature articles and a few of the puzzles in the NYT still have a hold. There’s the teeny tiny Mini Crossword for example, that, on a good day, takes less than a minute. However the apps used to be on my home screen they’re now in a folder marked ‘News’ a few pages on. This simple step has stopped some of the mindless scrolling and has greatly cut down on my intake of hardcore news. I have to make an effort to locate and read it now.
Again it’s cut down on the constant negative chatter. While I do have an understanding of what’s going on in the world each day and act when I need to the endless repetition of stories has stopped. It seems much better to thinking about how I can make a personal difference rather than fretting about things that are outside my control.
It also means that with a calmer mental state I can be a port in the storm for others. Here’s a link to a wonderful gentle video from Alan Cohen, a Course in Miracles teacher who expounds on this point further.
Making My Own News
So what can I focus on that’s good instead? I’ve looked to my own life for ideas and here’s what I’ve come up with.
The days are getting longer. I always appreciate that at this time of the year. I’ve seen some beautiful sunrises during my morning contemplation time. Seedlings in my sunroom are sprouting. My doggie friend Rufus visited for cheese and cuddles. I’ve finished a mosaic for the first time in over a year. I’m making progress on a book about ordering your spiritual life, an idea that arose from a previous blog post. Yesterday Mum’s audiology appointment arrived promptly. That’s evidence that some things are working well in the NHS. I’m supported in the care of my parents by my family, friends and professionals…… The list goes on. Perhaps the world isn’t such a bad place after all!
Disclaimer
This post contains links to companies and organisations just because I’m happy with the products or services that they supply or I’m spreading the word about what they do. There may also be affiliate links to Amazon for books and other items that I am personally recommending. If you decide to make a purchase from them, I might get a little bit of commission at no cost to you.