My fiance is an avid news reader and likes to share articles and updates on the latest inflation rates. Digesting that type of information sends my cortisol levels spiking and to what end?
šš½Cortisol is the brainās stress hormone that is released as a part of the fear response.
Whatās frustrating is I news, like the inflation numbers, could pass in and out of my brain without sometimes taking over my thoughts. But I've found letting randomised news come in and out of your consciousness is not an effective approach. You never know what story will lodge in your mind for days, or be the one extra piece that makes an otherwise productive day ahead become a day better spent in bed. This feels especially true with the volumes of information I have to do at āworkā with Safe & the Cityās i3 Intelligence AI processing hundreds of potential risks to actual harmful incidents.
Can you relate to this back and forth with news overload stressing you out?
[š šæāāļøP.S. If you havenāt yet heard the UKās predictions for this January, donāt. Thereās nothing any of us can do to control it or know whether that prediction will become real. P.P.S That is not a dare or challenge, seriously no good will come!]
The Low Information Diet aka What Iām Reading
Iām re-reading Tim Ferrissā The 4-Hour Workweek. One particular focus is to eliminate more of the things that arenāt serving you, including our intake of news. Rather than plugging into the subconscious natterings of society due to habit or FOMO. Building the habit of questioning what you need this information for immediately and how it will tangibly help you. Itās something Iām [re]introducing more strictly and setting the expectations of the people around me on how is best to share and what type of news thatās valuable (i.e. in meaningful conversation rather than news links). Have you tried shedding the pounds of information youāre taking in?
This parallels my discovery detailed in my book, Wired Influence: Make Tech Work For You Again. Narrowing in on the influences of technologies overuse for often the wrong reasons or subconscious habits. As a recovering ātechnoholicā - adding one app, device or another to solve, automate or āsimplifyā problems. I was skipping steps by jumping to automation and streamlining activities without knowing what might get stuck or what I needed to know.
Extending the same principles across both information and technology, or āITā makes sense. To think like a craftsperson, become focused and selective about the tools and resources needed to do their finest work.
Quote Iām reflecting on
āWe create stress or ourselves because you feel like you have to do it. You have to. I donāt feel that way anymore.ā - Oprah Winfrey
The song I canāt get enough of
Paspatou was my most played song of 2021. I used it while writing Wired Influence to get into my writing flow.
š§ Try listening to it in the background while youāre working and let me know if this helps your flow state. Can you guess where the name of the song comes from?
Whatās coming up?
š Some changes are coming up to the ResponsAbility newsletter. I will be packaging it up in a new format and offering more value to members who want to continue to follow my journey. More to come on that soon and what exciting things are in store.š„³
Thatās it from me for now.
Bye bye šš»šš»
Jillianā¤ļø
Check out more insights, books, courses and upcoming talks herešš½ www.jilliankowalchuk.com