24-hour news channels, zoom meetings, video conferences and live stream events never cease and never tire. For many, so much information can feel more disabling than enabling.
If you feel like your cup has runneth over, take comfort that you are not alone.
Gen Z & Millennials are watching 50% more online videos, and Gen X and Boomers are watching 50% more broadcast news since the covid crisis erupted. The Global Web Index found that 80% of consumers in the USA and UK say they watch more content since the outbreak.
We have been dealing with information overload for long time. Yet restrictions and constraints, intended to reduce the spread of the corona virus, can lead to a diminished psychological state if we are not careful. Being easily distracted, anxiety, or feelings of hopelessness may be signs you are being swept up by the tsunami of over information.
I’ve learned to take an offensive approach to mastering information overload, rather than become a creature of circumstance, who falls for quick clicks and is easily distracted or de-energized by the constant pounding of pandemic pulses that may or may not be helpful to me.
I use the 3Cs to help me navigate successfully through the waves of information:
- Choose places, times, and activities where you do not consume new information. For me this means no cell phone in the bedroom, no new information after 9 pm and making a deliberate effort to leave the phone at home during morning walks.
- Cluster several 60- or 90-minute slots during your week where you work on meaningful and strategic topics. These creative clusters are not interrupted by phone calls, emails, or news streams.
- Curate what you consume. Does this content inform me (the evening news), inspire me (The Last Dance, with Michael Jordan) or does it help me improve (Masterclass)? I favor content that inspires and helps me improve, with a modest amount of inform only content.
I do not try to overengineer my approach, yet by being more proactive and intentional about the choices I have available to me, I can still enjoy my cup of coffee (and flow of information), without it overflowing.
What are your best practices to manage the vast volume of information that comes at you every day?
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