Here is my one life hack for how to be more jolly and less bah-humbugy this year. Get ready; it’s a biggie.
Turn off the news.
Scroll right past the headlines. Or, if you really want to break the cycle, unfollow every news outlet for the next thirty days. You might want to include talk shows that bill themselves as entertainment but fill their space with political opinion and doomsday ranting. Only let them stay on your feed if the show makes you smile. (Thanks for the jolly, Jimmy Fallon. Farewell, ladies who love your own view. With the exception of Whoopi. You can sometimes make me smile even when I disagree with you.)
I can hear your arguments now. How will I know when an earthquake hits California? If you live there, you will feel things shake. If you live in Nebraska, it probably won’t impact your day. (If you have friends and family there, you can check on them after someone at works brings it up. Someone will always bring stuff up.)
Maybe you don’t want to disconnect from news sources forever. But take a break. And a breath. When you come back in the new year, consider carefully how many “sources close to the white house” or “experts in the field” you really need to hear from every day.
Look around for a news digest that offers headlines in a language other than click bait. It’s hard to find something truly unbiased. But give it a try. The improvement in your jolly index will be worth the effort.
Merry Christmas is coming.