bold thinking
My News Experiment & Why I'm Banning Most News from My Life
I experimented a bit over the past few days to see how immersing myself into news would affect my
mood and my ability make bold decisions. This comes after making the decision over the past couple of months to stop reading about the latest tragedies, world conflicts, monetary woes and politics. During that period, I was quite productive and happy -- I saw the world as a place of opportunity and beauty.
Getting off of my no-news diet and delving into the wild world of news for the past few days has really helped me reaffirm my position that it's not so good for my outlook. Here are some of the things I've noticed.
- Politics - I've read about everything from what's happening in congress - to the theories and Ideas presented by Presidential hopefuls - to conflicts in the middle east. The result = I find myself irritated and angered over many issues that I have no control over. I've wanted to get in arguments with those who don't see things the way I see them. It hasn't helped me one bit to be a more loving person. I was much happier - more accepting and hopeful when I decided to stop reading about the political games that are waged each day. I am going to continue my ban on reading about politics - and will not do it even when the election is in full swing.
- Tragedy - I decided to educate myself on what happened to Caylee Anthony. To be honest, I didn't follow the trial or even know about it, so I dug in. I read much of the testimony, went over the timeline, listened to some of the interviews that detectives held with Casey and more. This experience filled my mind with darkness. I was frustrated by Casey misleading police and freaked out by her ability tell a lie without flinching. I was saddened when watching news clips of Americans holding signs, spitting and yelling outside the courtroom.The whole thing is troubling to me - firstly the media pulled millions of people in and made many of them more concerned over Casey Anthony's life than their own daily lives. That is a lot of wasted time, energy and emotion. I didn't miss a thing by not knowing about it or focusing my attention on the case. Because of this experiment, I've made a vow to continue turning the channel when stories of tragedy pop up. I'm going to focus on my immediate world rather than obsess on other people's realities.
- Star news - In my search, I also caught up on the latest in Hollywood news. There are lots of divorces, disputes, stars battling the law, etc. My mind began to spin when I read about one star planning a $20 million wedding. It's nice and all - but I just kept thinking about the real world and everyday people who are struggling and couldn't help but feel a little frustrated. This experience also instilled in me that reading about stars diverts me from my own reality and causes me to wish I had more and sometimes makes my head spin. For these reasons, I'm continuing my ban on needing to know more about stars.
- Continue my ban on news and focus on the here and now.
- Delete my news apps from my iPad.
- Fill my mind with possibility -- good books, happy movies, inspiring shows...and things that make me laugh.
- Eliminate divisive political discussions from my daily life. For me & the poor people I argue with, these conversations are energy killers.
- Get out and get some exercise - enjoy the beauty of the day - celebrate the moment
What Makes People Happy? By Professor Ed Diener
To understand life satisfaction scores, it is helpful to understand some of the components
that go into most people's experience of happiness.
One of the most important influences on happiness is social relationships.
People who score high on life satisfaction tend to have close and supportive family and friends, whereas those who do not have close friends and family are more likely to be dissatisfied.
Of course the loss of a close friend or family member can cause dissatisfaction with life, and it may take quite a time to bounce back from the loss.
Another factor that influences the life satisfaction of most people is work or school, or performance in an important role such as homemaker or grandparent.
When the person enjoys his or her work, whether it is paid or unpaid work, and feels that it is meaningful and important, this contributes to life satisfaction.
When work is going poorly because of bad circumstances or a poor fit with the person's strengths, this can lower life satisfaction.
When a person has important goals, and is failing to make adequate progress toward them, this too can lead to life dissatisfaction.
A third factor that influences the life satisfaction of most people is personal - satisfaction with the self, religious or spiritual life, learning and growth, and leisure.
Other sources of happiness
For many people these are sources of satisfaction. However, when these sources of personal worth are frustrated, they can be powerful sources of dissatisfaction.
Of course there are additional sources of satisfaction and dissatisfaction - some that are common to most people such as health, and others that are unique to each individual.
Most people know the factors that lead to their satisfaction or dissatisfaction, although a person's temperament - a general tendency to be happy or unhappy - can colour their responses.
There is no one key to life satisfaction, but rather a recipe that includes a number of ingredients.
With time and persistent work, people's life satisfaction usually goes up.
People who have had a loss recover over time. People who have a dissatisfying relationship or work often make changes over time that will increase their satisfaction.
One key ingredient to happiness is social relationships, and another key ingredient is to have important goals that derive from one's values, and to make progress toward those goals.
For many people it is important to feel a connection to something larger than oneself.
When a person tends to be chronically dissatisfied, they should look within themselves and ask whether they need to develop more positive attitudes to life and the world.
Copyright by Professor Ed Diener, University of Illinois
Use is free of charge and granted by permission