Filtering Information

I talked a little bit yesterday about the problem of information overload. Today’s let’s look at some solutions.

Specifically with your health, buzzwords and headlines are everywhere.

Because they are everywhere, they contribute to the problem, whether or not they are helpful. The overall overload of information that makes it very difficult to proceed.

How do you know what to trust?

I find it relatively easy to filter out unwanted information. Here are some of the things that I do. I hope this will help you:

I don’t watch, read, or listen to the news. Ever.

When I do watch TV, which isn’t often, I avoid commercials at all costs, either by flipping the channel, using DVR, or muting.

When I do listen to the radio, I choose my own content, such as podcasts or streaming music. If I am on FM, I tune out commercials and new breaks immediately.

I don’t want to be told what should be important to me. I want to find out what is important to me on my own.

I don’t trust anything that’s delivered in abbreviated or sensationalized format.

I do not scroll social media feeds.

Unless you take specific steps to block out or ignore unwanted information, by default, you are consuming it.

There may be nothing wrong with that for you, and that’s OK.

But if you feel like there is, you’re not stuck.

I read a lot of books and I talk to (like, actually have conversations with) a lot of people. I’m not missing any important information that I’m aware of.