Turning Off the News

I have a unique self-care New Years resolution to share with you… I’m turning off the news.
Over the last few months I’ve been precariously perched on the edge of depression, my moods swinging on a daily basis. After a particularly low point in December my hubby pointed out that my mood in the early morning (I get up about 5:45) was usually good. But by mid morning and afternoon there were days I could hardly pick myself off the floor. What was happening between the time I jumped out of bed ready to tackle the day and my mid morning slump?

The news.
After breakfast, and after some time working on my book or other creative endeavors, I would make a cup of coffee and sit and read the news. Intellectually I knew that the news was depressing, but what didn’t occur to me was that it was depressing me! And consuming it over a long period of time seemed to pull me down more quickly and completely each day.

So I stopped reading it. As of today, I haven’t turned on or tuned in to the news for over 3 weeks! Am I missing out? Perhaps. Will the world stop revolving if I’m not up to speed on everything? Nope. Do I feel better? Absolutely! Is my business better off? Significantly- I now have the emotional energy to tackle it!

Lesson learned – some people can shake off negativity more easily than others and not absorb it Into their bodies. But for those of us with a heightened sense of empathy, and sensitivity, tuning out negative people and negative events is critical to self care!