Many behaviors are touted as promoting self-care: Bubble baths. Chocolate. Massages. I have recently discovered an additional one: Curating media consumption.
I love to read and am often drawn to books about societal problems - rape culture, the death penalty, discrimination, sexual assault, homelessness, poverty, immigration. I learn a great deal by immersing myself in these works. But I often feel fatigued, weary, and burned out when I am finished.
Similarly, I love following current events. I subscribe to a local and national newspaper and browse the websites of other news sources. But reading the daily barrage of news often leaves me fatigued, weary, and burned out.
I have found I am happier, saner, and more functional when I am more selective about what media I am viewing. I have quit following news organizations on Facebook so my feed can be more peaceful. I have become more selective about what books I read. I have tried to carefully weigh the value of information versus my mental health.
Many would argue that to make this choice is an act of privilege. They are correct. I am insanely lucky my daily life is relatively isolated from much of the intensity of the world.
So I may not be as informed going forward. But I may be a little more mentally stable.
I love to read and am often drawn to books about societal problems - rape culture, the death penalty, discrimination, sexual assault, homelessness, poverty, immigration. I learn a great deal by immersing myself in these works. But I often feel fatigued, weary, and burned out when I am finished.
Similarly, I love following current events. I subscribe to a local and national newspaper and browse the websites of other news sources. But reading the daily barrage of news often leaves me fatigued, weary, and burned out.
I have found I am happier, saner, and more functional when I am more selective about what media I am viewing. I have quit following news organizations on Facebook so my feed can be more peaceful. I have become more selective about what books I read. I have tried to carefully weigh the value of information versus my mental health.
Many would argue that to make this choice is an act of privilege. They are correct. I am insanely lucky my daily life is relatively isolated from much of the intensity of the world.
So I may not be as informed going forward. But I may be a little more mentally stable.
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