Want Happiness? Ignore the Mainstream Media
Posted on July 01, 2013 by Erin Yates, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.
Constant bad news about the job market and economy can take its toll on our emotional well-being. Take a break from the news and focus on the positive
We are inundated with blogs and news articles spreading gloom and doom wherever we happen to look. The news is particularly dismal when it comes to the job market and the economy as a whole. It started even affecting my outlook and I’m a Career Coach who has seen many people break the mold and achieve, according to the mainstream media at least, the nearly impossible. The usual positive way I was viewing the world was becoming polluted and was dragging me down that I knew action was necessary. Therefore, I decided to do an experiment and go ‘cold turkey’ from any news for a week. Initially I felt disconnected, but those feelings quickly dissipated and I became happier and able to see things as they truly are due to my media sabbatical.
The main problem with this constant barrage of bad news that only serves to perpetuate fear is that already pervasive in our culture and inhibits us from going after what we really want. In psychological terms, these feelings are called learned helplessness. When one has acquired learned helplessness they begin to become apathetic and behave in an ineffective manner; even to the point of ignoring potential opportunities when they become apparent. More alarmingly, when we have the perception of being completely out of control over our own outcomes it leaves the door open for clinical depression and heightened anxiety to develop.
I am not implying that one needs to be totally detached from what is occurring in the world to be happy, but limit your negative news intake considerably. Instead I would recommend seeking out good news, an excellent resource for that is www.goodnewsnetwork.org. Also, focusing on the positive things that are happening to others around you is extremely helpful because it illustrates a real world example. We create our own path in life and no Yahoo! news article can definitively account for each individuals’ experience. If you want to change careers and you are over 40, do it! A burning desire to return to college, go! Have you always wanted to start your own business, plan carefully and begin the process! Cultivating a more positive outlook helps people think outside the box and, in some instances, can increase your intelligence. We must reprogram our thinking and self-talk to combat any learned helplessness we may have acquired as a result of media brainwashing. We do have control of how we view the world and the circumstances around us, it is a choice to reject what is being reported to us as across the board truths. Setbacks and disappointments are a part of life, but despite what the media is telling you unlimited success and happiness is entirely possible.
If you want to achieve what the media says is impossible and increase your overall happiness in life, I can help. Contact me for a free consultation at www.ErinYatesCoaching.com
