Maybe we shouldn’t wait until January 1st for a fresh start.
My body was trying to clean itself out this week (I won’t go into details) and after the misery subsided, it felt like a great time to commence with some new behaviors — the kind we usually reserve for grand pronouncements on New Year’s Eve.
I’m not making any promises. Just trying some things.
To start, I’d like to save drinking alcohol for special occasions. It’s become a pretty regular habit to ease my stress at the end of the day. But the effects are, at most, temporary and I heard Dan Harris (former anchorman and author of 10% Happier) say “Action absorbs anxiety.”
My friend Logan swears by his practice of walking miles every day and author Laura Lippman does the same. And my trusty exercise bike perches patiently by my TV, just waiting for me to start spinning again.
And cable TV news has got to go. It fills hours of my day and during the countdown to the election, I kept it playing in the background most hours. It’s no healthier than scrolling along with an algorithm on the socials. My brain needs calm, so I’m opting for naps, books, and writing.
Sounds like heaven.
My personal trainer in this endeavor will be Cal Newport. I’ve mentioned him before. His podcast reaches millions each week, but unlike Joe Rogan, his findings and research are based in science and are truly helpful for work, play, and life.
Cal says our brains need to heal after something like an election. We are mentally exhausted because of the constant shifting between news sources and our real life, intensified by the digital algorithms grasping for our attention. Our nervous system is “strung out,” too.
Here’s what Cal says we can do:
Step away from the exhausting digital chatter: take a break and stop posting (cold turkey). Remove apps, log out, don’t post.
Stop listening to “news” podcasts for awhile: you don’t need to be immersed in analysis or news round-ups for awhile.
Unsubscribe (at least for now) from the political newsletters in your mailbox. Get away from the subject matter that is associated with the burnout.
Slow down your media consumption: try reading a newspaper (!) at Starbucks or the library for slower absorption of information.
Turn your newly liberated attention to:
Real people and real groups conducting real activities. It will re-wire your understanding of the world. (See Tribal by Michael Morris).
Reading books again. Study and examine your world through the thoughtful act of reading print. Maybe stretch your beliefs by examining how “the other side” thinks. Reading is calming and enriches your life.
Spend more time in nature: it is the analog contrast to our digital existence and resets the nervous system.
Cal suggests we do this until the end of the year. We must let the body and mind reset: “The republic will still stand without our constant digital vigilance, but it’s unclear whether our mental health can survive the status quo.”
I ordered Newport’s book “Slow Productivity” to start my return to quiet reading.
My friend Dominick Bonny also posted a suggested reading list of great titles in his Facebook header. Take a look.
What do you think? What’s your plan until the end of the year? Any changes? Any suggestions?
Share your ideas in the comments.
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