When I was a teenager, I remember listening to a song by The Police called, “Too Much Information”, and feeling confused by it. The opening lyrics are:
Too much information running through my brain
Too much information driving me insane
At the time, I didn’t understand the theme of the song or why too much information was a bad thing.
But now I know… Unfortunately.
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In the last few years, I’ve really begun to feel over-saturated with information, mostly due to spending a lot of time on the internet.
I feel “full” when it comes to new information. I now notice resistance when reading online articles whereas before, I was really interested.
Although the learning and access to helpful information has been beneficial for me, I think I felt more relaxed and had a calmer mind before I bought my first home computer in 2005.
What can you do about “too much information”?
Be intentional about the information that you’re consuming. You might not need to be as “connected” as you think.
You could greatly reduce a lot of personal communication, news consumption, TV-watching, reading blogs, browsing online for things to buy and any other online and offline information consumption.
You might start to notice more clarity, more focus and more free time. You can use this clarity, focus and time to work on your personal and professional goals.
Reading and learning are great habits but consuming a ton of information could be blocking you from reaching your goals.
Instead of taking action on your goals, you stay only in “learning or researching mode”. Action is what really counts and is what will get you to your goals.
Too much information also makes us feel confused and creates underlying anxiety.
How to get out of the digital world and be more in the physical world
Here are a few practices that you can do throughout your day:
- Exercise; even 10 minutes is better than nothing. Make daily movement an absolute priority for you.
- Practice mindfulness; by observing your five senses or breath, you will cultivate more awareness and be more physically present in your body. It also has a grounding and calming effect.
- Limit your time online; avoid aimlessly browsing the web; get online for what you need and then get offline as soon as possible. Use your computer or mobile device only as a tool. Pick it up, use it, then put it away as soon as you can.
- Limit time spent consuming information; get the information that you need and put it into practice. Ask yourself if you’re going to use the information within the next week or two. Regarding news and current events, how informed do you really need to be? What value does it add to your life? If it adds a lot of value, maybe it’s ok to keep up with some news. If it’s just an automatic curiosity habit, then it’s a good idea to really limit news consumption.
Use these ideas help you gain more clarity, focus and free time. Too much information can really slow you down in reaching your goals. Taking consistent action is what will get you results!
As always, I really appreciate you reading these articles. Have you been caught up in consuming too much information? How do you deal with it? Give me a shout through the contact form or leave your thoughts in the comment section…
Until next time!
Nigel
Nigel Cook
Accountability Coach
Holding Your Feet to the Fire
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