If you’re like me, logging into Facebook or reading the news can be emotionally upsetting. Depending on what the news is, it can even become an anxiety trigger. In is worse; it can disrupt my energy and change the course of my day because of how it affects me.
I am happy to be a sensitive person who feels things deeply. I think this is a good life experience and I would never change it. However, for those of you who are open and sensitive like me, you know how sometimes the truth of something can strike such a deep chord, that there is no other appropriate response than grievance and tears.
Keeping abreast of current events is important. There is value in knowing what is going on in the world and getting involved and letting your voice be heard on issues that are important to you. However, it is also imperative to keep your own well-being and health at the forefront of your care.
Here are 3 things I do to help keep me grounded and vibrating at a high level (even while keeping abreast of what’s going on in our world).
set a timer
It’s easy with social media and cell phones in our pockets to be constantly bombarded with news. We must decide how much intake is optimal for our health and well-being on a daily basis. Checking our phones every 30 minutes isn’t going to change the world or what’s going on in it, but it will change you.
For me, during the week, my maximum news/social media saturation is about 45 min. I usually check in with the world in the morning for about 30 minutes, and then on some days I check out again in the late afternoon for 10-15 minutes.
I am also a firm believer in fasting. News and social media fast, that is. It’s important to go a whole day, or even a whole weekend, without logging on to social media or reading the news on your computer. We all have people and experiences in our lives that are more important than our screens (news and social media). I recommend looking at how you spend your time and making sure that the time you spend with each experience is aligned with how important that experience or person is to you in your life. For example, if I’m acting unconsciously, I can easily spend more time on Facebook than with my husband. Because my husband is so much more important to me than Facebook, I find the most joy, love, and connection when I live mindfully and prioritize properly.
Each of us has a natural wisdom, and when we are constantly putting things in, we don’t allow time for that wisdom to come out. Also, when we read things that cause us stress, our bodies are filled with the stress hormone cortisol.
Christopher Bergland says: “Scientists have known for years that elevated cortisol levels: interfere with learning and memory, decrease immune function and bone density, increase weight gain, blood pressure, cholesterol, disease heart… The list goes on and on. Chronic stress and elevated cortisol levels also increase the risk of depression, mental illness and a shorter life expectancy.”
I witness daily how difficult it is for my clients to use their phones and computers with intention. I understand that for some (many) people self-control over how often they ‘log in’ is a challenge. However, when most people allow how it is affecting their health to really sink in, it becomes obvious that it has to be monitored for self-control.
Choose the time of day in which you participate
Choosing the time of day that you read the news and social media is really important. It’s not wise to get stressed right before you go to work, have dinner with your family, climb into bed, or engage in a creative process. Knowing that you may see or read something that will create an emotional response in you, you must choose the best time to expose yourself to that information.
I like to engage with the news and social media in the morning before working out. Nothing helps me manage my stress better than exercise and nature. If the news in my feed triggers me emotionally and then I go for a run outside, I can come back and start my work day with a positive, grounded energy. If I read the news up until the time I start my workday, I’ll find it difficult to maintain space, think clearly, or be creative.
If I ‘plug in’ in the afternoon, I’ll try to buffer that by sitting on my porch appreciating nature for 5 minutes, or throwing a one person dance party. This way I make sure that when I enter the last part of my day, which for me is dinner and time with my family, I can be fully present with them and experience the depth and breadth of my capacity for joy.
End we have a positive note
I enjoy having a list of websites, songs, videos, stories, and poems that raise my vibration and make me feel optimistic, positive, and hopeful about our world. It’s easy to get saturated with the negative, but there’s just as much (if not more) of the positive. People help each other, are kind to each other, give of themselves, and take care of animals and nature. Allow yourself to witness it and feel encouraged by it. Be careful to gain perspective and see the big picture so that your focus (thoughts and feelings) is not on the negative in our world. Taking a few minutes to end on a positive note is like having a mint after dinner. Leave your brain with a sweet and refreshing palate.
