Information Overload is a real hazard now, more than at any other time in history.
Social, health and movement restrictions at workplaces, schools and shops designed to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the plague years of 2020 and 2021, have added stress to already "always on" lives.
For Silicon Valley citizens, it's even easier to be overwhelmed with apps, data and shiny new objects vying for one's attention. Who doesn't have a friend, neighbor or colleague with a new app to share (with a mandatory "review" of course)? Add Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, plus the need to remember (and periodically change) a myriad of passwords, and who wouldn't be 
overwhelmed by information overload?
When Information Overload threatens, consider these easy options to regain mental balance.
1) Turn It Off. Take at least one daily break from technology. Turn it off, turn it all off, for at least one hour. Consider adding "Internet break times" in one's calendar. Just knowing there's a "tech-free break time" to look forward to may reduce stress.
2) Go outside. Breathing freshly oxygenated air can revitalize a person physiologically. If one can't get outside, at least look at nature-through a window, at a photograph or painting, or even an online camera, such as the Monterey Bay Aquarium or Oakland Zoo. (Just make sure there are no ads or pop-ups if you choose a live camera option.) Studies show even simply looking at either the color blue or green for 10 minutes mentally refreshes a person's brain.
3) Get Physical. Take a short walk, ideally outside in nature. If one can't get outside, at least move the body for 10 minutes or more, whether by stretching, dancing or riding a stationary book.
4) Read a Book. Spending time with a good book, whether fiction or non-fiction, can simultaneously stimulate and refresh one's mind and spirit. Mentally entering another world through a book helps the brain shift gears.
5) Connect In Person. Eat an entirely technology-free meal (no phone, Internet or television) with a loved one, or even a colleague. Setting a time to talk face-to-face with a real person gives each participant an opportunity to talk through what's happening in their lives and release stress.
Images courtesy of www.freedigitalphotos.net.
Thanks for reading "How to Survive Information Overload Day Oct. 15."
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