Coping with Media Overload

 

A whole lot of bad things are happening right now. I feel the need to know what my president is doing and its impact on the world, and I also feel buried in an onslaught of bad news. Here’ what has been helping me stay afloat:

  1. I’ve built 15 minutes into every day for contacting my elected officials and engaging in advocacy actions called for by progressive organizations that I trust.
  2. I have identified what I will do in a specific and personal way to combat the harm being done by this presidency, and I work on that for a set time every day, too.
  3. I avoid news rabbit holes – I read a few trusted news sites and a few liberal an a few conservative blogs. I don’t read news on facebook or let myself start clicking on the next thing and the next thing and the next thing.
  4. I am very careful about social media. Instagram is a source of joy and reassurance for me. Facebook can go either way. Twitter mostly makes me feel bad. It’s okay for me to feel bad – probably an appropriate response, but I need to be aware of my own responses,
  5. I keep a record; at the end of each work day I make a list of the bad news from today. It makes things feel more manageable. I don’t know that this tactic would work for everyone, but it works for me.
  6. On the weekend, I unplug. I don’t read the news or answer any non-urgent email. I just slow down and savor my family.
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