Saturday made it one month since I decided to cut out all sources of the news from my life for a month due to how it all was making me feel. I removed the news apps from my phone, refused to watch the evening news on TV, avoided newspapers, and stayed off my personal Facebook page due to people posting about current events on there. I would sit facing away from the TV in restaurants that had the news going, because I simply didn’t want to have to fight the urge to look and see what they were talking about. If they had the sound up where I could hear it, I would just leave and go someplace else.

When this past Saturday got here I started to log back on, and check out what’s been going on in the world, but found myself not really wanting to. Here I am a few days later writing this post, still feeling hesitant about it. It has been so odd having totally disconnected myself from current events for a whole month for the first time since maybe forth or fifth grade – which is when I first started taking interest in reading something in the newspaper other than the comics.

Rescue Time is a service I use to keep myself in check and monitor where my time is going while working at my desk. My productivity scores have never been as high and consistent as they were this past month…

Other than getting a few random tidbits of information in regards to what’s going in the world from my girlfriend, and a couple of other friends, I am totally clueless how things turned out in Ferguson, MI. I’m totally clueless what’s been going on with ISIS in Iraq. I’m totally clueless what has happened between Israel and Hamas. I have no idea what’s happen in Syria. I have no idea what’s happen with the whole Russia / Ukraine issue. I have no idea if ISIS ended up beheaded another photojournalist and posting a video of it for the whole world to see or not. The news of the first video they (ISIS) released is what brought me to the point of just sticking my head in the sand, and not wanting to know. That may sound irresponsible to many people, and I suppose it is in some ways. It’s willful ignorance. But I assure you that the experience has taught me how true the saying “ignorance is bliss” really is.

Valuable Lessons I Experienced From It:

1.) Life is so much better when you don’t concern yourself with issues you have absolutely no control over.

2.) I use to feel like Facebook and following the news took up so much of my time that I wasn’t able to get everything done that I wanted to get done in a day. I blamed myself for getting distracted by them. Well, I completely removed both from my life, and STILL wasn’t able to get everything done that I wanted to get done. The lesson I learned from that: If you’re not able to get everything done you want to get done without distractions like the news and Facebook, then how can you ever expect to with them? They both have value to me still, but I’ve got to work at consuming both in small doses from here on out. Facebook is absolutely great to check up on friends and see how they’re doing when you just don’t have the time to call or visit them. And the news – it serves a purpose I guess. Sometimes.

3.) “Garbage in. Garbage out.” So much of how we feel physically and emotionally depends on what we are feeding ourselves. Not just food, but content. If you eat healthier, you will feel healthier. The same applies to what you feed your heart and mind. What you read. What you watch. What you listen to. Even who you spend your time with – it all matters. Feed yourself garbage, and you will feel like garbage. A little here and there may be fine for some, but, too much too often and you’re asking to feel the same way you’re treating yourself.

This past month has been great. The work keeps on coming in, and as I have gotten busier I have had no choice but to learn to be more efficient with my time. I’m pushing myself harder and harder to get more done in less time for work, all while following the strict time schedules I have set for myself. I need them to avoid burning myself out. I need them to take care of myself. And I need them to take care of relationships that I care about.

The clarity that disconnecting from the outside world has given me in regards to my own world has been huge. I feel better than I have in a long time as a result of it.