Sunday, November 13, 2016

17 Ideas for Dealing With Negative News



If times seem tough, it's because we're exposed to much more information than all our combined predecessors saw in their lifetime. Poet Thomas Gray once wrote, 'ignorance is bliss' and while that doesn't sound responsible in today's world, doesn't it sound tempting to act like an ostrich with his head in the sand?

How about these suggestions? Do you think they might work?
17 ideas for blocking out the negative noise 

Could you cancel your cable?
 
Hide your Smartphone? (Once you've picked the kids up from school)

Stop your wireless?

Toss the newspaper subscription? 

Move off the grid? 

Hike a giant mountain without cell reception? 

Start a photo journal using a real camera?

Fly to a remote part of the world? (Enticing, huh?)

Visit a senior center where Twitter refers to the sound of a pacemaker. 

Leave phone at home while feeding/cleaning up after the homeless?

Volunteer for the Thanksgiving Parade?

Join, or at least visit a monastery? 

Teach someone to sail and avoid busy ports?
 
Host a craft class--allowing only emergency interruptions?

Teach scuba or take lessons. It's so quiet down there. 

Hammer your own noise for Habitat for Humanity. 

Plant vegetables and watch them grow in a community garden?


The point I'm making is that by helping others we help ourselves and in the process we clear our minds. Of course, you could also go for one of my favorites, which is to just barricade yourself in a room full of wonderful books! 




14 comments:

  1. Well some of those we already do. No newspaper and although hubby watches TV I rarely do. No Twitter, don't spend my life texting, but I would be lost without internet I'm afraid. And books, of course, always books.

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    1. We are all "lost" without the internet and that dependency is scary! Thanks for visiting Jo!

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  2. Not volunteering for any Thanksgiving parade. With my luck, it would be Macy's.

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    1. I held onto the Smurf balloon in the Thanksgiving parade for two years and it's quite a memory!

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  3. Some great ideas here.
    How are the Ladies ? Has it started to get cooler where you are ?

    cheers, parsnip

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    1. No, still warm and the girls are fine. They send licks to Hamish.

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  4. I suspect if I joined a monastery, holy water would boil.

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    1. I visited a family friend at a monastery once and believe it or not, they let me come visit a second time! :)

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    2. I wish I could post an hysterically laughing emoji here!

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  5. I could actually do some of these things....

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  6. All great ideas! I will turn off TV, but cannot put down my phone...

    Oh well, that's going to be next. I want positive news these days!

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  7. Barricading myself in a room full of wonderful books is my preferred method, although I think many of your other ideas would work equally well. Hiking a mountain appeals as does starting a photo journal – or I could do both!

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  8. What a great post! I have been trying to stay off FB more because there is so much negativity going around and a lot of incorrect news being spread. I don't have cable and I don't have a smart phone- so those two things also help. I agree that we need to go out and spread positive vibes to help combat the negativity.

    ~Jess

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