Hi Lovely People! I’ve been a bit quiet, taking a step back to infuse my life and business with all I’ve been learning about life and business around intuition, flow and accepting what is. That continues, but I wanted to pop my head out to get your position, and hopefully help you take a step back to breathe, a bit, with all that’s happening in our world.
If You Must Read Your Unfiltered Newsfeed
I love the advice given by Ann Douglas (thank you, Ann), in her blog post “How to Avoid Being Psychologically Destroyed by Your Newsfeed”. I believe these words are for those of us who still hold that more information is always better. Read this article yourself, of course, but a quick overview:
- Informed does not mean immersed – your newsfeed needn’t be on 24/7.
- Routine helps – “healthy food, regular physical activity, time for fun, and adequate sleep…” (absolutely agree re: sleep being the glue, here Ann – more from Jason Fried on sleep!)
- Taking action diffuses anxiety and sadness a bit – “writing a letter, making a donation, attending a face-to-face get-together in your town”.
- Feel what you feel. Suppressing feelings suppresses the positive feelings as well – “remind yourself that feelings come and go”.
- Maintain optimism – Ann mentioned it’s crucial to believe in a future, or you won’t move.
- Reach out – don’t crumble inward – Ann talks about connecting with community, here.
- Talk to your children – Ann talks about acknowledging their fears (they’re living this too), sparking compassion and encouraging them to dream of a better future.
Some of us are already hooked – we can’t just put it away. If this is you, I truly believe Ann’s guide is a very sound one. Of course, I’m also a firm believer in being lead from within, so this is good advice only if it resonates with you, within. As always, take what works and leave what doesn’t.
If You’re Staying Informed To Seem Informed, Keep Up With The Jones’, Not Seem Heartless…
…then may I invite you to let that all go? I invite you to take it one step further, from time to time, if not permanently – consider cutting it out altogether. Instead of using your energy and brain space sussing out fact from fiction, why not put that energy into seeing and creating what’s beautiful – the love and good we need more of in the world – instead of fretting and fighting over the bad?
If you agree that “whatever you focus on expands”, that Mother Teresa was right when she said ‘pro-peace rally, yes. anti-war rally, no’, then living in constant fear and anxiety hasn’t been working. Much like our battles with perfectionism, I believe that ‘intelligent people remain informed’ is also a myth of what’s valuable. What do you think? Can we leave the media and ‘opinion-based facts’ behind and start building the good we want to see in our world?
Here are a few options I’ve found, myself, to stay optimistic and let go of the Paranoid Press Phenomenon. Don’t worry, you don’t have to drop social media altogether ?:
- Facebook & LinkedIn. Hide posts that upset you. After a while, you’ll see who’s always sharing those. You don’t have to unfriend them. You can Unfollow them, instead. Look for the next happy post. If that person often shares positives, click on their profile for your ‘happy’ fix.
- Twitter. Unfollow = unfriend, here. If you don’t want to, simply create a Twitter List for “Informative” people before you Unfollow them, so you can still connect with them there. As with Facebook, find a more positive profile and go through their posts for a quick ‘happy’ fix.
- Instagram & Pinterest. I believe you’d have to unfollow the account (or on Pinterest, the Boards) that shares the content. It is worth it for your sanity. “Bell Let’s Talk” didn’t get a lot of traction this year because ‘mental wellness’ is a theoretical issue. It’s real – take care of yours.
- In the real world, whether in person or on the phone, kindly say “Look, I’m taking a sabbatical from that subject, and any other downers. Can we focus on <something you like> instead?” If you come under attack for ‘avoiding’, walk away. Decide if that’s permanent or not.
- In your own head, I don’t know why we avoid this, have a different conversation. There are a lot of pieces recently on the power of journaling or positive self talk. If you find you’re spiraling about all that’s wrong, where the world’s headed, your own beautiful flaws, stop and breathe. Do whatever works to bring you into a more positive headspace – focus on the positive aspects of any of those things, write, shout, find your favourite happy Pinterest Board, spa day, go for high tea, a walk – whatever you need. You can’t escape your mind, so reframe it.
If this made your chest stop squeezing, your shoulders relax and your breath go deeper, send me a smile or a thanks. It’s not an easy path – it requires remaining conscious of what you’re reading. Be gentle with yourself, if you can. It’ll take time, and you’ll fall back into it from time to time. When you do, just catch yourself, laugh it off, and move on.
What works for You?
This journey of mine has reaffirmed that diversity truly is beautiful. Part of that beauty is that different things work for each of us. I’d love to hear what works for you, to stay positive.
Yours in Love, Light and Joy.
—
Crystal-Marie
Originally published at protectyourdreams.blogspot.ca