Last week I decided to have a “news blackout” and detach myself from all kinds of news – via the newspaper, TV and radio. This was extremely hard for me — I constantly like to be tuned into what’s going on in the world and I hate feeling like I’m missing anything.

At the same time, it was totally liberating! I often expend a huge amount of energy and mental space trying to stay on top of what’s going on in the world. My mind tends to be cluttered with facts and information and to be honest, it takes me away from putting my energy into what’s most important to me. Plus if my mind is constantly going a mile a minute, it’s hard to slow down and tune into listening to my body, getting creative and just being.

So giving myself a break from too much information and over-stimulation really did help to quiet things. And also to remember that this is all about choice. I can choose to be overwhelmed with too much information or I can choose to slow down, get quiet and strike a better balance. I can choose to lead a hectic, over-committed life, or I can be really selective about what I choose to do, only doing things I want to do, not just what I feel I should do. There’s a whole lot of freedom in slowing down and tuning in. I feel much more relaxed, present and happy. And I definitely choose a slower, more quiet life, even in the midst of chaos.

Filed under: Balance, Relaxation, Slowing Down, Stress Management