Information Overload

(unrelated picture of the sunset on the summer solstice) 

On Sunday evening, I listened to a podcast on my drive home from my parent's house. Nothing unusual there, but I was struck by something the woman being interviewed was discussing. She brought up the interesting and uncomfortable idea that we can get so over saturated with information--from online sources to books, podcasts, teachers/coaches/church, even social media--that it can be easy for some of our own natural intuition/inner voice and sense of self to slip away in the process of absorbing.

It's a scary revelation for me to dig into because I do try to keep a steady source of constant information running throughout most of my days, especially when I am home during the work week.

 I am very good about ignoring/consciously selecting what "real news" I allow into my life because I have had lots of experience with the spirals of hopelessness and sadness that come over me after browsing CNN or the terrible anxious feeling of turning the radio off suddenly during a horrible news story that the kids might overhear. I'm pretty good about protecting us from that stuff regularly, but I love having podcasts on during the day, because I have always liked to learn and it helps break up my day as a stay-at-home parent. I read a lot too, but not as much as I used to because: kids. Some of you might have seen my huge haul from the recent local library book sale on Instagram. I make no apologies for that (and I was thinking about how those books fit into my proposed minimalist lifestyle, but that is a different post).  

I feel like I have learned and soaked in so much useful information that has revived my soul in the past year from so many new sources. My relationship with myself, my understanding of god, and my entire outlook on life has shifted positively due to my exploration and new avenues of information I have let into my life. 

So, I feel that even though I understand what the woman in the podcast was saying, and I have that tug of conviction (I hate the connotations of that word) towards it from inside of me, that to take a pause in taking in new things constantly would leave me feeling adrift. What would I fill my time with? It's so easy to make something like emptying the dishwasher or folding the never ending laundry piles easier if I can just listen to the new episode of On Being or reward myself with a few chapters of a book at nap time! 

I have this same information overload problem with the internet and just browsing. I read quickly, so I can go through thirty tabs with ease and be relaxed by all the different things I am taking in. Luckily, this problem is tempered by the fact that my life doesn't allow for much unstructured internet time (except this window in the morning while I drink coffee). But the example points to my information addiction. 

Maybe there are uncomfortable unanswered questions for me to explore by "turning down the noise" so to speak. I am afraid of the days seeming even longer than they already do. I am afraid of missing out on something interesting. I am afraid of my brain turning to mush if the only media I am in taking is geared towards preschoolers. 

Then again, what if calming the noise opened more time for activities like taking walks or doing the morning yoga I always tell myself I will do until the second cup of coffee is in me? What if instead of merely taking in things I start producing my own content? What if I wrote more here or committed to my journaling like I aspire to? Should I take a sabbatical from consumer in order to move more towards the creatrix side of myself? Commit myself to prayer and meditation instead of listening to lectures and sermons? Does it all come down to "is this helpful or harmful to me right now"? And how am I to learn moderation? Gretchen Rubin talks about how there are two kinds of people-- moderators and abstainers. I know when it comes down to it, I am way happier and better at being an abstainer. It's just so damn hard for me to commit to a change. This particularly would be hard as an introverted INFP. 

So, Maybe this is a area that I need to be more mindful of. I feel I should make up some set guidelines for myself and try to implement them because I do feel myself burning out from all the constant input. My body has a physical reaction to the idea of slowing down and listening to myself more. I can still pick up on that cue, so maybe it is not too late to stop living in my head and make the change to giving my brain a much needed vacation :) 

Please let me know if you have any issues in this area or wise comments to add, especially if you are a person who is very good about staying happy and content without constant streams of information in your life!