Now wait a minute. Was that gasp really called for? You can’t be that addicted to the news, can you?
If you are, then you are just the person that needs this stress-buster the most. Especially you, my friend, who vehemently insisted that I could not write such an article. You said that the news is too integral to our lives and that such a suggestion would offend people. I guess you see what I decided.. Why turn off the news, you ask? You think I want you to walk around completely uninformed? You think I want you to look like a fool at work when your friends are standing around the coffee machine discussing the latest press conference? You think I’m a sick puppy, with a sick sense of humor? Well, this may be true, but I do not want you to appear like a dork. You can stay informed. It just takes a little restraint and a little creativity… Okay, here’s the deal. The news is like a concentrated 30-minute (or more depending on how long you watch ) dose of pure negativity. And even though we may not be aware of it, it does take a toll on us after a while. Yeah, I know – it’s only reporting reality. But do you really need to hear every grisly detail of every negative thing going on in this world over and over and over again? Doubt it. So turn it off and give your brain a break from the drama. Just for a week. Or just for a day if that’s all you can manage – but just do it. Just so you don’t dork-out while you’re on your news break, ask a friend to keep you up to speed on any important developments.
Molly Luffy, MBA, owner of Work Ethic Wizard, dedicated to helping managers regain their sanity and employees survive and thrive in todays corporation. Author of Super-Charge Your Promotion Quotient: 225 Success Strategies for the New Professional. http://www.workethicwizard.com/default.cfm
