Who knew the path to mental fitness was just a few clicks away from our screens? Bon appétit to a healthier, less anxious brain! Thank you for this post, Arman!
Couldn't agree more! As someone who stopped watching TV over 40 years ago, I can vouch for the mental health benefits of being disconnected. My husband flew fighters in the first Gulf war and I coped better than any other wife I knew because I never watched the news. (The newswatchers stayed in a peptual state of terror.) I also managed to navigate 9-11 and the pandemic without watching the news. As you rightly pointed out: "The only news worth knowing will find a way to reach you without you seeking it out." Thanks for a much needed post, Arman!
I'm glad you enjoyed it Jeanie. Wow I'm so impressed with your amazing accomplishment! You haven't watched TV for longer than I've been alive. You are so right. The goal of the news is to make the world's problems seem like your problems.
Interestingly put out article that is the need of the hour! Another way to escape from gadgets is to escape into nature outside, as soon as we wake up. Especially without gadgets 🙂 it magically rejuvenates me every time!
Elegantly put. I stopped news consumption a few years back for these exact reasons. Constant anxiety about stuff I can't control and not even sure how true half of it is! Thanks for writing this, I just subscribed.
Thank you my friend. The news companies want to make the world's problems our problems all so they can make a buck. And you're right, the same news story could have wildly different "facts" depending on how they want to portray it.
I can relate to this so much. I have taken myself off of social media (but do have to use it for some work) and my fomo has gotten so much less. I’m beyond glad I don’t know what everyone is doing constantly. When it comes to the news I used to listen to it all because I thought it made me uncaring not too but then I read about Margaret Wheatley on civilisation collapse which sounds horrendous but actually was weirdly not 😂 and the idea of us all working at a local level and that’s how we’ll make the most difference. Sharing a meal with a neighbour and cleaning up your rivers etc. I mean, I’ve not been brave enough to do that with my neighbours yet but I do pull people’s recycling bins in and that’s a start 🙃
Glad you enjoyed it Kirstie. It still amazes me how much more peaceful I feel the less time I spend on social media or consuming the news. We're falsely taught to believe that we have to stay hyper informed to know what's going on and to be good citizens. But those media giants aren't trying to inform us, they're just trying to make the problems of the world seem like our problems.
It's been years since I've watched the news. I choose what I want to engage with, especially since what I've read tends to stay with me. I can't mentally brush it off and go about my day.
I love reading on Substack because topics of my interest keep popping up! I love the article, the topic of it, and nice job on the "mentally obese" term!
It warms my heart to know I'm not the only one who has completely removed myself from the news consumption rat race. And you are so right, whether we know it or not, every piece of information we choose to consume stays with us for so much longer than the few moments we spend with it.
Substack may be the best antidote to mental obesity.
'The only news worth knowing will find a way to reach you without you seeking it out.'
We don't always have to seek out the news and stay up to date constantly.....especially given the fact that news in general is depressing and can be quite overwhelming.
It's good for us to have some space and step back every now and then....or at the very least, try not to get too attached or influenced by the news.
Totally agree. It's so interesting because we really think we NEED to be informed. My morning routine was very similar to yours some years ago. But when you break the addiction and "lose the weight", so realize that not only did you not need it, you're much better off without it. Sadly though, some people can't be convinced.
We talk about the food we eat a lot, but determining the quality and quantity of what is a healthy amount of content to consume is just as important for our (mental) health. I’m probably mentally obese too at this point…
I love the analogy of the mental junk food buffet! It perfectly captures how easy it is to get sucked into consuming endless amounts of low-quality content. It's a real struggle to break free from that cycle. Finding substack also has made a huge difference. I've been enjoying much better content and making solid connections with people.
I deleted news apps years ago and it was liberating. I was enthralled in political gossip, angry at things I saw happening around me and helpless to do anything about it. I don't miss any of it one bit. Almost all of it is non-reductive.
People crave being informed, but you sacrifice trying to be informed in today's age (you can't), with genuine curiosity. If you only have a small amount of time a day to escape your day-to-day life or to try and make something better of yourself, it's almost always not a good idea to spend it on your phone watching the news or on social media.
good for you Karl! i did the same and have never looked back.
99% of it is just meant to distract us from our actual lives. the little bit of free time we have can be used in so many more beneficial ways like taking a walk or reading an old book :)
One of the first, and most impactful things I ever did was set my phone up in another room at night on the charger. Getting it away from my easy grasp made a hell of a difference in how I sleep and where my attention goes first thing in the morning.
The "obesity" in media is real...but it's very possible to disconnect to get our brains the right stuff, as you said.
Who knew the path to mental fitness was just a few clicks away from our screens? Bon appétit to a healthier, less anxious brain! Thank you for this post, Arman!
indeed it is. and sometimes even better to put the screens down and not click at all! glad you enjoyed it Simone
Couldn't agree more! As someone who stopped watching TV over 40 years ago, I can vouch for the mental health benefits of being disconnected. My husband flew fighters in the first Gulf war and I coped better than any other wife I knew because I never watched the news. (The newswatchers stayed in a peptual state of terror.) I also managed to navigate 9-11 and the pandemic without watching the news. As you rightly pointed out: "The only news worth knowing will find a way to reach you without you seeking it out." Thanks for a much needed post, Arman!
I'm glad you enjoyed it Jeanie. Wow I'm so impressed with your amazing accomplishment! You haven't watched TV for longer than I've been alive. You are so right. The goal of the news is to make the world's problems seem like your problems.
Now I feel old, Arman! 😂
Haha old is just another way of saying wise :)
Interestingly put out article that is the need of the hour! Another way to escape from gadgets is to escape into nature outside, as soon as we wake up. Especially without gadgets 🙂 it magically rejuvenates me every time!
Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Yes I agree that nature can be the perfect antidote to mental obesity.
Elegantly put. I stopped news consumption a few years back for these exact reasons. Constant anxiety about stuff I can't control and not even sure how true half of it is! Thanks for writing this, I just subscribed.
Thank you my friend. The news companies want to make the world's problems our problems all so they can make a buck. And you're right, the same news story could have wildly different "facts" depending on how they want to portray it.
Mental Obesity is such a brilliant name for it!
Thank you Melissa. I chuckled to myself the first time I thought of it. Did anything stick out to you besides the name?
I can relate to this so much. I have taken myself off of social media (but do have to use it for some work) and my fomo has gotten so much less. I’m beyond glad I don’t know what everyone is doing constantly. When it comes to the news I used to listen to it all because I thought it made me uncaring not too but then I read about Margaret Wheatley on civilisation collapse which sounds horrendous but actually was weirdly not 😂 and the idea of us all working at a local level and that’s how we’ll make the most difference. Sharing a meal with a neighbour and cleaning up your rivers etc. I mean, I’ve not been brave enough to do that with my neighbours yet but I do pull people’s recycling bins in and that’s a start 🙃
Glad you enjoyed it Kirstie. It still amazes me how much more peaceful I feel the less time I spend on social media or consuming the news. We're falsely taught to believe that we have to stay hyper informed to know what's going on and to be good citizens. But those media giants aren't trying to inform us, they're just trying to make the problems of the world seem like our problems.
It's been years since I've watched the news. I choose what I want to engage with, especially since what I've read tends to stay with me. I can't mentally brush it off and go about my day.
I love reading on Substack because topics of my interest keep popping up! I love the article, the topic of it, and nice job on the "mentally obese" term!
It warms my heart to know I'm not the only one who has completely removed myself from the news consumption rat race. And you are so right, whether we know it or not, every piece of information we choose to consume stays with us for so much longer than the few moments we spend with it.
Substack may be the best antidote to mental obesity.
'The only news worth knowing will find a way to reach you without you seeking it out.'
We don't always have to seek out the news and stay up to date constantly.....especially given the fact that news in general is depressing and can be quite overwhelming.
It's good for us to have some space and step back every now and then....or at the very least, try not to get too attached or influenced by the news.
Yes, yes, yes. We are incapable of consuming and comprehending all the news of the world flooding into our minds in real time.
Totally agree. It's so interesting because we really think we NEED to be informed. My morning routine was very similar to yours some years ago. But when you break the addiction and "lose the weight", so realize that not only did you not need it, you're much better off without it. Sadly though, some people can't be convinced.
yes! we're overinformed and undernourished when it comes to our information diet.
i actually think most people would agree with this but they think its a necessary evil to exist in these times.
That is such a good analogy of the mental junk food. Also love the David Perrell quote of the never-ending now.
thank you Sophie. im glad you liked it. david perell has so many thought provoking ideas. he's worth checking out.
We talk about the food we eat a lot, but determining the quality and quantity of what is a healthy amount of content to consume is just as important for our (mental) health. I’m probably mentally obese too at this point…
100%! its a constant struggle to get my daily dose of nutritious information :) i would be lying if i said i wasnt still a bit mentally pudgy myself
I love the analogy of the mental junk food buffet! It perfectly captures how easy it is to get sucked into consuming endless amounts of low-quality content. It's a real struggle to break free from that cycle. Finding substack also has made a huge difference. I've been enjoying much better content and making solid connections with people.
thank you Alexander. i knew i was on to something when i chuckled to myself as i was writing this.
i still struggle to break free all the time. its a never ending battle.
substack is the only "social media" platform i spend any time on now and ill never look back.
I’ve never met someone at the end of their life say “I wish I had spent more time on social media”
haha amen! just like "i wish i had spent more time at the office".
perfectly said!
thank you Clare. did anything stick with you?
I deleted news apps years ago and it was liberating. I was enthralled in political gossip, angry at things I saw happening around me and helpless to do anything about it. I don't miss any of it one bit. Almost all of it is non-reductive.
People crave being informed, but you sacrifice trying to be informed in today's age (you can't), with genuine curiosity. If you only have a small amount of time a day to escape your day-to-day life or to try and make something better of yourself, it's almost always not a good idea to spend it on your phone watching the news or on social media.
good for you Karl! i did the same and have never looked back.
99% of it is just meant to distract us from our actual lives. the little bit of free time we have can be used in so many more beneficial ways like taking a walk or reading an old book :)
Preach Arman🙌🏻
Love this. I’ve been trying to disconnect from the mental junk food. It’s tough. It’s so addictive.
you and me both. the reason i wrote this is because i need to be reminded of it daily.
but its just a big distraction machine.
One of the first, and most impactful things I ever did was set my phone up in another room at night on the charger. Getting it away from my easy grasp made a hell of a difference in how I sleep and where my attention goes first thing in the morning.
The "obesity" in media is real...but it's very possible to disconnect to get our brains the right stuff, as you said.
yes same here. such a small step to take with massive payoffs.
i also put my phone in airplane mode before bed and try to avoid turning it off until ive been awake for an hour or two the next morning.
we are on the same page!