The news cycle these days is hardly an interesting thing. Most of the time, it seems, that the primary focus is what President Donald Trump did. Or who is suing him on this day? Or what laws he’s thinking of over-turning. Or what lies he’s tweeting out via his infamous Twitter account. I have literally taken to checking in on the news once a week, because of the overly repetitive nature it has become – particularly with the national news here in the United States. A few years back, I could never be without hearing some form of news update at least four times per day. Nowadays? Well, not so much.

I get accused of being an ostrich when it comes to the news because I chose to lessen its impact on my daily life. My retort is that the news is essentially the same thing over a five to seven day period with all the infotainers on tv bloviating their opinions what this means or what significance that has. I can find better things to do. And on that single point, I consistently get challenged. What is that I choose to do that is more important than being constantly in-tune with the news?

Book-Reading

Yes, I spend a lot of time reading – even when I go to the beach

My bookshelves are overflowing with books I have not read. I am a compulsive book buyer, but over the past few years, I spent more time in front of the tv zoning out to news coverage than I did reading. Thanks to the shrillness of the Hannitys, O’Reillys, Maddows, and Lemons of the infotainer news cycle, I have taken time to get back to the written word again. Currently, I am reading through three books, each in turn. Star.ships by Gordon White, Creating a Data-Informed Culture in Community Colleges by Brad Phillips and Jordan Horowitz, and Australian Druidry: Connecting With the Sacred Landscape by Julie Brett are all currently in the reading rotation and at various stages of completion/beginning. And I wrote notes as I read too. So my speed at completing books is a lot slower than it used to be. Unless the book is a fiction book. I rarely take notes with these types of books because I read them for the escapism of that particular moment. I truly had forgotten how much more relaxing life was curled up on the couch with the cats and reading a book and some soft jazz music playing in the background.

Doing Something

Not long ago, I bought an acoustic-electric guitar. Now, I am not much of a musician, to begin with. I enjoy strumming the guitar and picking out little pieces of songs that I can catch the notes of. I don’t read music. I could not tell you the difference between a C-sharp, and an E-flat. But I enjoy doodling on the guitar, playing just random combinations of strings and fingering on the fretboard. I imagine the same type of relaxing mood comes over those that enjoy drawing when they get a chance to tune out the world and just lay pen or pencil or crayon or chalk to paper or tile or whiteboard or sidewalk. Just a singular moment, where one can stretch their imagination and reach out to the world around them through their own Awen.

Take A Walk

This is a two-pronged item. Not long ago, I went in for a cardio-checkup at the insistence of my new Primary Care Physician. Given my paternal family history of males, heart issues are something I do have to worry about. The checkup found some small issues, nothing overly concerning, but I was told to get out and walk more than I have been. So, getting off the couch, and away from the tv is a good thing. But this also means leaving my iPhone behind, so the ties to the news cycle are not available at all. But I have also found that carrying some ear-buds with the iPhone, and some good somewhat quick-paced music on my iPhone does wonders as well. Besides, I d not really read news on my iPhone. My typical news consumption comes either in front of the computer or the tv. And getting out and walking gets me out of either of those chairs, which is the point.

Secondly, I am a fscking Druid. I should be outdoors! My job has me in front of a computer screen all day, in an office with no windows. By the end of the workday, I am craving the idea of being outside. And walking would definitely set me there. And to be brutally honest, being outside is a lot more entertaining and interesting than listening to the news.

Moderation in Everything

The old saying is that you should do everything that you want but in moderation. News consumption, in my opinion, is one of those things that should be placed in a degree of moderation. Yes, I do listen to the national news in moderation. I catch the news cycle on the BBC for 90 minutes on Saturday or Sunday. In that 90 minute period, I get everything that I really need to know from all around the world. After that…I’ll peek at news headlines from time to time during the week, but rarely click on the links. And in moderating my intake of the news, and choosing where I will get my share of the news, and when – I have also managed to find a way to hold my stress levels over things to a moderate level that is not wrecking my health, and killing my outlook on the world around me.

Now, all of that works for me. Maybe it will not work for you. I am not asking you to do any of this stuff that I do. You handle you. I’ll handle me. All I am doing is sharing how I deal with all of this…take it or leave it. But it is what I do to take care of me. And this does answer a few questions of how I handle all the depressing news stories. Yes, I read the stories. Yes, I get a bit demoralized when I read or hear the stories, just like anybody else does. I am not oblivious to what is going on. I pitch in where I can, to help out. But I’m just not going to let this stuff eat me up either. For me, I have discovered my limits, and choose to hold fast to those. That’s my measure of self-care.

–T /|\