8 Ways NOT to let the news discourage you (for the D.I.Y. Rock Star)

This post loosely accompanies Gab & Jam, 235. How NOT to let the news discourage you (for the D.I.Y. Rock Star)

(video: https://bit.ly/235healthymindsetvid and podcast: https://bit.ly/235healthymindsetpod )

A familiar topic....

Not that we haven’t talked about this one before—see our https://bit.ly/blogmas2021blog , but this particular post was inspired by Ruth Soukup (of the Do It Scared podcast ) email newsletter. Her big idea is that, with all the bad news that’s going on in the world today, it’s important for an entrepreneur to maintain a strong, hopeful frame of mind. In order to do that, she suggests that folks do five things. –And, of course, we added four more suggestions...

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Here are her 5 ways to NOT let bad news discourage you:

1. LIMIT THE NOISE.

Remember that the news media is a for-profit industry, and ultimately their goal is to get more clicks, which means that they’ll always focus on the most extreme, attention-grabbing headlines. It's up to you to KNOW this and to limit your exposure to that kind of negativity.

2. GET OUTDOORS.

There are ample studies that tout the many benefits of spending time outside, including absorbing vitamin D, better focus, improving immune function, getting better sleep, accessing more creativity, improving cardiovascular health, experiencing less anxiety…. So, Soukup recommends that we get outside!

3. SET MICRO GOALS.

This is a way to focus your energy and attention so that you’re not spinning around in circles. She says, it’s not just about BIG goals, but it is the small goals that can keep us focused in the here and now.

4. SOCIALIZE MORE OFTEN.

She mentions that the pandemic caused us to be so many to be alone—and lonely—when, as humans, we need each other. As a suggestion, she says phone a friend you haven’t seen in a while and invite them to coffee Go to church or join a social club. But get yourself out there!

5. RELY ON A HIGHER POWER.

She says, especially when things feel evil or inexplicable, take comfort in believing that there is a bigger plan than I am able to see. She says that this allows her to shift my focus back to what she can control and to decide how to respond.

Here are our additions:

And, of course, other things that D.I.Y. Rock Stars can do to make sure we stay as mentally-healthy as possible, including:

1. Create something in response.

In our opinion, the BEST way to counter something that is bothering you is to harness the power of creativity. Expressing WHATEVER moves through you as you react to something will allow it to be a gift—and NOT a drain. So, whether you create something uplifting (to counter the negativity) or if you create something that leans in (and lets you process the negativity) or if you choose to celebrate the gift of life (by just creating a party tune), use this input as stimulus to create. THAT’S what we’re good at, so let this be a reason to create.

2. Schedule when to check in.

As we have mentioned before, there are seasons where we ONLY check the news once or twice a day—mainly to check traffic and weather and a glance at national and local news. What I mean is that we RARELY leave it on all day. We’ve found that this keeps us focused on the things we CAN control, like tweaking our vision and getting shit done. We DON’T need someone else’s agenda of trying to shock us into endlessly watching—or doom-scrolling—to knock us off our square, so we try not to give it our time and energy. We’re in control of how many times we watch/listen to the news, so we exercise that agency.

3. The sky is falling... ALL the time.... 😳

Realize that the world has been ending since the Dawn of man and that we have to decide that we are going to live our own BEST life, while we’re here, because it really goes so fast.

4. More causes to support. 💜

Instead of getting bummed by the amount of bad news, think about it as an opportunity to get involved in some wonderful causes. As an artist, you can help change minds, hearts, and lives, so lean into your unique power by finding what’s making you sad and championing the solution. We need more involved folks to help us solve these solve these problems, so why not you?

Finally....

So, if you are struggling to make sense of a crazy world, try some of these strategies to bring yourself back, so that you’re ready to build your creative empire. Also, check out our Blogmas 2021 health and wellness episodes: https://bit.ly/blogmas2021blog

Check out the episode to hear the full discussion and check out our blog post: https://bit.ly/234healthymindsetblog