October 1, 2020
Going on news-cation for the month of October
We recently went away for a weekend to a region that, according to health authorities, has not had a single case of COVID-19.
There were a lot of things that helped make the time away relaxing, but I’m pretty sure one of them was getting away from the news.
I’ve been a news junkie pretty much from the time I was able to read the daily newspaper that was delivered to our door. I worked a few decades as a journalist, and now, thanks to the news fire hose of the Internet, I can sate myself with current events 24-seven.
But with the ever-escalating shit show south of the border (a.k.a. election campaign), I’ve decided it’s time for a more long-term break. Half the headlines in my news feeds are about the latest idiotic thing done by the American head of state. I’m starting to think that news organizations are deliberately trolling us with trump-bait.
I’m tired of feeling alternately outraged and helpless. I can’t even vote! So I’m doing the next best thing: a news-cation.
During the month of October, I’m taking a break from the news to see what effect this has on me. Here’s what I predict.
1. Less time scrolling through news apps, and more time on hobbies, some of which I will have to develop to fill the extra time.
2. Less stress and more relaxation, which could lead to better sleep and better overall mental and physical health.
I don’t have a hard way of measuring these things, so any change I notice will have to be subjective. Still, I’m optimistic.