Taking a break from constant media consumption
I love learning. One of my favorite feelings is getting super passionate about a new topic and learning everything about it! I become obsessed with a new topic and begin devouring podcasts, books, and documentaries to quench my intrigue. The good thing about the internet is that there are so many free resources to tap into. The bad thing about the internet is that there are so many free resources to tap into. Overwhelm, can happen to me so quickly. With access to so many resources, your entire life can seem like a project to tackle. There seems to be a more perfect way to do everything. Does anyone else get overwhelmed by the sheer number of self-help shit out there promising that it will change your life? Why is everyone now trying to sell their philosophies in life?
Nowadays, if you get on the internet there are so many voices telling you that you are not doing enough. There is a better way. A better way to do your workout routine, a better way to chunk your time during the day to be the most productive, a better way to cook your food, a product for managing your passwords, billions of skincare routines, and don’t get me started on all the tutorials for taming frizzy hair. What if we cut out the noise and just lived our lives? What if having frizzy hair is fine? What if taking your walk and eating food is enough? What if your skin was accepted and you didn’t have to fuss over all your passwords?
I have had enough. I have removed Instagram and most news media from my life and let me tell you it’s like a breath of fresh air. Yet, it’s not enough. The media we consume directly affects our thoughts, feelings, and actions. Even though it might be difficult, I can make the decision to consume media responsibly. As I work to cut out media that leads me to overwhelm, I know I must replace it with something that fills me up. I’m currently in a program for generalized anxiety and want to focus on implementing the practices I am learning into my life. So yeah, I’m dropping YouTube and getting into meditation and breathwork. I’m canceling podcasts and journaling and reframing my anxious thoughts.
What media can you cancel from your life? And then what can you replace it with?