Refuse to let go of hope
Hope for a better tomorrow is what can keep us moving forward in today. In our current era of instant access to information, the 24 hour news cycle, and, the reality that a vast amount of information we read is inaccurate, it can be easy to get worked up and step right into fear based thinking. I would call the internet a hope thief in many ways.
Yet, we can make a choice each day to do something different. You can control the information you use to make your day to day decisions. Find balance in your use of social media. Find information sources that are sources of quality information. Disconnect from the web and distance yourself from a screen for awhile.
I see a lot of information that can easily trip me right into fear mode. Almost all news sources have a picture of a virus on their home screens. I think, what is this even on there for? Is there a need to show some scary picture of a virus? No, there isn't. But, that's what gets our attention. I see big headlines telling me what the latest change was due to needing to contain the virus. Instead of just putting it on the screen in an easy to read font, it is massive and uses catchy font colors. Why do they need to do that? No reason other than to catch our attention. I call those things click bait. All with the purpose of getting us to click on their site. Most of it is nonsense. Set limits for yourself on the amount of time you spend reading information related to the current state of affairs. Steer clear of websites who's sources are unreliable and not based in fact.
Social media is a great resource of information in many ways. But it is also a massive rumor mill gone wild. One post by someone who really doesn't know the facts, can go viral and many believe it to be true. During this time period it is vital to know the facts. Yet, many people can't help themselves. They don't check their sources and put it out there anyway. You can avoid falling into this trap by thinking before posting or sharing. Is what you are posting true? Is it verified by a reliable source? Is what you are about to share from a reliable source? Should it be shared at all? It would be much better to not share at all, then to share something you think is true, but, really isn't.
Having hope requires me to take actions to facilitate a hopeful mindset. Spending an inordinate amount of time scrolling on a screen is hope stealer. Balance is the key with the internet. Yes, it is a great tool in many ways, but, I believe it can also be a significant hope thief.
You can keep a hopeful mindset by going for a walk or sitting outside and taking in fresh air. You can work on a project around the house that you haven't had time for before all of this went down. Watch an uplifting show or series on the TV. Listen to music or play an instrument. There are many things you can do to keep a hopeful mindset. Most of them, require us to step away from a screen. So........do that now!
Yet, we can make a choice each day to do something different. You can control the information you use to make your day to day decisions. Find balance in your use of social media. Find information sources that are sources of quality information. Disconnect from the web and distance yourself from a screen for awhile.
I see a lot of information that can easily trip me right into fear mode. Almost all news sources have a picture of a virus on their home screens. I think, what is this even on there for? Is there a need to show some scary picture of a virus? No, there isn't. But, that's what gets our attention. I see big headlines telling me what the latest change was due to needing to contain the virus. Instead of just putting it on the screen in an easy to read font, it is massive and uses catchy font colors. Why do they need to do that? No reason other than to catch our attention. I call those things click bait. All with the purpose of getting us to click on their site. Most of it is nonsense. Set limits for yourself on the amount of time you spend reading information related to the current state of affairs. Steer clear of websites who's sources are unreliable and not based in fact.
Social media is a great resource of information in many ways. But it is also a massive rumor mill gone wild. One post by someone who really doesn't know the facts, can go viral and many believe it to be true. During this time period it is vital to know the facts. Yet, many people can't help themselves. They don't check their sources and put it out there anyway. You can avoid falling into this trap by thinking before posting or sharing. Is what you are posting true? Is it verified by a reliable source? Is what you are about to share from a reliable source? Should it be shared at all? It would be much better to not share at all, then to share something you think is true, but, really isn't.
Having hope requires me to take actions to facilitate a hopeful mindset. Spending an inordinate amount of time scrolling on a screen is hope stealer. Balance is the key with the internet. Yes, it is a great tool in many ways, but, I believe it can also be a significant hope thief.
You can keep a hopeful mindset by going for a walk or sitting outside and taking in fresh air. You can work on a project around the house that you haven't had time for before all of this went down. Watch an uplifting show or series on the TV. Listen to music or play an instrument. There are many things you can do to keep a hopeful mindset. Most of them, require us to step away from a screen. So........do that now!
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