What's the Message? Part 2- Reducing Negative Messages

We receive negative messages from a variety of sources.  Television news, radio, newspapers/journals, email notifications, neighbors, co-workers, friends, family members. For some of us, repeating negative messages to others can become a way to socialize and make chit-chat, however, the impact this has on our psyche is no less potent than watching the local news channel air one tragic event after another.  Rather than comprehensive and thorough coverage of an issue, the most shocking or attention-grabbing aspects are often highlighted. Issues are, essentially, ‘dumped’ on us, resulting in a sense of powerlessness.  Sources may offer a sentence or two, a soundbyte or headline only without exploration or a call to action.

Here are some ways to limit our daily intake of negative messages:

• Keep superficial chit chat to a minimum or maneuver it toward more inspiring headlines, witticisms or humor.

• Limit contact with those individuals who complain often or who make generalizations about the world and human nature based on isolated incidents portrayed in the news.

• Allot one specific ‘news session’ per day utilizing any one source or combination of sources and limit it to 20 minutes or less. Set a timer if necessary.

• Refrain from keeping the television on as background noise.  Only turn it on when you intend to sit and watch a specific program. When the program is finished, turn the television off.

• Turn down the volume or walk away during television commercial breaks which primarily offer products/services to minimize or eliminate something negative/undesirable about us; thin/dull hair, yellow teeth, poor memory, etc. or to convince us that life would be better if we owned certain things; faster car, more powerful appliance, bigger television, etc.

In the next chapter, we will look at ways to ‘feed’ our brain positive and empowering messages.