Self-Care During the 24-Hour News Cycle

Whether we like it or not, we are living in the age of the 24-hour news cycle. With this comes what seems like an overload of information and constant conflict being thrown at you from all directions. Sometimes it seems like there’s no escape, and it can really do damage to your overall well-being. It is more important now than ever that you remember to take the time to take care of yourself.

So what are the ways in which you should take care of yourself? Well, everyone is a little different and needs their own custom mix of stress relievers to get the job done. You need to identify what makes you happy/what relaxes you and make it a priority to commit the time to it. In order to help you identify the things that will lead you to a healthier life, here are a few strategies for self-care during this age of over-information:

Unplug and get outside.

This one is harder than it sounds. If your job involves being connected all of the time, it can be incredibly difficult to get away. How are you supposed to avoid social media if you do it for a living? You need to make offline time a priority for your own health, and it’s going to take some serious self-discipline to do so. Make those who you work with aware that you’re taking the time to unplug and be present. You’re going to have to risk the temptation to check your photos every five minutes like you’re accustomed to. Try to get outside in nature to really disconnect from technology and get that fresh air.

Quiet your mind.

Every day our brains are taking in over 50,000 bits of information, and yet only about 70 (0.1%) of that information is consciously processed by your brain.  This means that we are inundated with information every second, and it can be a lot to sift through what is really important.  Therefore it is important to clear your mind of clutter so that you can focus on what matters.  The process of quieting your mind helps us to actually think “deeper”, rather than fall victim to “swinging monkey” thoughts.  Try this quick exercise: sit with your feet planted on the floor, hands comfortably in your lap, and just listen.  Listen for the ambient noise--the ticking of the clock, the honking of a horn, laughter in the distance.  As you process what is happening in your present, it can help to clear the mind of other random thoughts--which in turn will allow the important things to bubble up.  The thoughts you care about the most will always make themselves known.

Surround yourself in positivity.

This one is very important. Negativity tends to rub off on people, so if you are surrounded by it, you’re probably going to start radiating it yourself. This is why it is so important to surround yourself with positive people who are going to believe in you and push you forward. It’s time to get rid of any toxic people in your life and focus on YOU and how YOU feel. It might not be an easy thing to do, but can you really give others your best if you’re not even giving it to yourself?

These are just a few of the ways you can take care of your well-being during these crazy times. You definitely want to avoid the dreaded burnout, and self-care is how you can do so. While stress may be a normal part of our lives, how we learn to deal with it is going to make or break us. What things do you do to relax and get rid of stress?

- A the word changes contributor