Consider Embracing a News & Internet Fast

Suffering from information overload? Take a break. By designating a block of time in which you actively “dis-engage” from news-oriented media and mindless Internet surfing, you’ll be giving yourself an opportunity to recharge your batteries – a must for all mothers, regardless of where they are on the post-baby continuum.

Although it’s the subject of several recent books (including Jaron Lanier’s buzzy You Are Not a Gadget: A Manifesto and the well-regarded Distracted: The Erosion of Attention And the Coming Dark Age by Maggie Jackson) info-excess isn’t an entirely new phenomenon. In fact, Dr. Andrew Weil has been talking about it for years.

In 8 Weeks to Optimum Health: A Proven Program for Taking Full Advantage of Your Body’s Natural Healing Power, his 1997 bestseller, Weil writes at length about the drawbacks of being too dialed-in to what’s happening beyond your doorstep. “I do not want you to become uninformed about the state of the world,” Weil says, “but I note that paying attention to news commonly results in anxiety, rage and other emotional states that probably impede the healing system. I have given you many suggestions about diet, about nourishing your body. I think it is useful to broaden the concept of nutrition to include what we put into our consciousness as well.”

Beyond all the bad news (earthquakes, famine, the dismal economy, terrorism and the like) is the proliferation of celebrity gossip. It’s now possible, at any hour of the day or night, to read the most excruciatingly intimate – and usually wildly unflattering – details of virtually anyone in the public eye. And with the rise of Twitter, much of that unfiltered chatter and over-sharing is coming directly from the “stars” themselves.

In the interest of working toward a more Zen state of mind, it’s advisable to sit-out some of that negativity and consciously replace it with reading or viewing material that is uplifting, educational or takes you “out of yourself,” the way a good chick flick, novel or thriller can utterly transport you. Modern life is stressful enough, especially with a tot underfoot. Why not use your precious few minutes of down-time to really unwind? Start with a half-day news and Internet fast, and if you find yourself feeling calmer and more centered, up the ante. You’ve got nothing to lose but a lot of bad news. — Dana Wood

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