The Hidden Cost of Information Overload
People today are in danger of drowning in information; but… they are more willing to drown than they need be. — Idries Shah
As the quote above states, it seems I was one of those people willing to drown in information. If I hadn’t gotten the message loud and clear while sitting in meditation that I had too much listening to others and not enough listening to myself, I am sure I wouldn’t have stopped. But I took that internal wisdom, my own voice, as correct, because on some level, I knew it was true.
So, I’ve committed to:
- Limited scrolling (30min limit am and pm). News and social media. This started as a hard to keep commitment and now I don’t need all that time. In the beginning I had to set a timer to make sure I didn’t go over. Now, I don’t need it and some days I don’t look at all. I’m less interested and more in tune with what it does to my body and mood.
- Less audiobooks and podcasts. None at all during the work week. My house shows it. Cleaning while listening to something interesting is a deeply ingrained habit. I miss it. And I don’t. I feel the impulse to play something and I let it pass. Or I play music. And I stay in the room and in my body. The time doesn’t go as fast and I’m learning to like that.
What has opened up in the space?
- Less agitation, anger, anxiety, and fear. Less news means I’m in a better mood. If I’m snappy or down it’s because of my real life not because of something I read.
- Less tolerance for feelings that aren’t my norm. When I scroll social media (and my feeds are well curated to things I like) I experience – FOMO, jealousy, insecurity, which are emotions that I wouldn’t normally feel otherwise.
- Learning to not fill spaces. I like to be productive. If I can learn something new while standing in line or driving in my car I’d do it. Not doing that is hard, but there is something else I didn’t notice I was giving up. Calm. Patience. Quiet.
This is a work in progress. I’m crafty and want to find workarounds. Do Wordle and Pips count for scrolling – no way?! If I can’t listen while folding laundry, how about watching a show? I’m a magnet for better bads.
The cost is Presence
The hidden cost of information overload is not being present and in your body. It’s sort of like Ready Player One when your head is in the game and your body is somewhere else. It feels separate but it’s really not. Consuming less hits of dopamine has reminded me that my body has very real reactions to news, to scrolling, to listening to a book or a podcast while doing five other things. Having your head in one place and your body in another has consequences namely stress, anxiety, and loss of connection to yourself and others.
This loss of presence is a loss of agency. If we are always caught up in responding to the conditions of another time, we are not able to respond as thoughtfully to the conditions of this one. – Prentis Hill, What It Takes To Heal
Presence can be uncomfortable too. Discomfort, boredom, anxiety, and stress also happen in the present. Yes, it’s boring to do dishes without listening to an audiobook but I do like that when my kids sit down at the counter I don’t have to silence my airpods, I’m just there ready to talk. Or that I’m not looking at what the markets are doing during my lunch break. I’m just eating lunch. If I feel anxious about something going on at work, I can deal with it. If I’m anxious about what’s going on in the world, there isn’t much I can do about it. I prefer to deal with the stuff I can have an impact on.
It’s worthwhile to look at what you are consuming and ask yourself, do I need a break? Is it too much? How does it make me feel? How does it make my body feel?