I’ve mentioned in prior posts that I’m a news junkie — I like to be on top of what’s going on in the world and get my news from lots of different sources. But by being so tuned it, I noticed that I was always “on” and feeling the effects of overstimulation, too much bad news (let’s face it, a good chunk of it is) and feeling like I was tethered to far too many different sources. Simply put, the news was stressing me out and I needed to slow some things down in my life.

What really put me over the edge was my weekend subscription to the New York Times. There’s nothing I like better than curling up with the Sunday paper and really having time to read articles at length, not just scanning the headlines. However, I was feeling increasingly ovewhelmed by reading the paper given all my other demands and responsibilities. It started to feeling like a burden, and truth be told, most weekends I was lucky if I thumbed through the main section. So not only was I not reading it, but I was wasting paper too! And the more it piled up, the worse I felt – I actually worried about the fact that I wasn’t reading it. So I made a very conscious decision to suspend my subscription.

To me, it just felt like the right thing to do. At first, I felt lost without the Sunday paper, it’s such a part of me that I really missed it. But truth be told, I’m getting used to it and it’s totally freeing.  I love giving myself a break, taking away some of the pressure, and actually feeling healthier as a result.  Instead of it being one more thing to do and something I feel obligated to, I can spend that time doing things that I really want to do that are truly relaxing and health promoting. For example, if it’s between taking my favorite Sunday morning yoga class and reading the paper, yoga is where I want to me, truly slowing down and tuning in.

What about you, do you sometimes feel overwhelmed by the news? Do you pressure yourself to stay on tops of things? And how does it affect your stress levels and health?

Filed under: Balance, Health Issues, Healthy lifestyle, Information overload, Optimal Health, Slowing Down, Stress Management, Tuning in, Worry