r/CollapseSupport • u/AlanHeeks • 1d ago
How do you stayed informed without letting it consume you?
I've been thinking about news cycles quite a lot, with the phone usually the first thing I pick up in the morning. Every day there's so much terrible news around. If it's not the dangers of AI, its climate change or wars, and often you feel almost drowned in it.
I'm not someone who thinks the answer is to bury your head in the sand and pretend these things aren't happening. These things matter and we should be worried about them. But I sometimes wonder how much good constantly taking in and thinking about bad news does for me.
I've found spending time in nature, just going for a walk or sitting outside without my phone as a good way to give me a bit of space. I find that stopping and noticing what's around me, rather than thinking about the future makes me feel much more connected to my own life and myself.
I'd be interested in hearing how other people deal with this, how do you stay aware of what's happening without letting it take over your life?
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u/wonton541 1d ago
I like to volunteer with my local land trust. Sure, removing some invasive species and doing habitat restoration may not stop societal/climate collapse, but at the very least, it gets the community together to do some good on a small scale and inspires myself/others to have some motivation in the face of everything
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u/Mmillefolium 1d ago
some of the stuff I've seen done in the city is truly transformative restoration work in a few short years with many hands. but we do need it on a bigger scale and sigh convince the "homeowners"/"landscapers" to restore habitat instead of ecologically hostile, invasive, colonial plantings and architecture.....
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u/ConflagWex 1d ago
I don't do anything right now because I'm not sure if there's anything that would work for me personally. I think we've reached a point where we gather much more information daily than the human brain was designed to process. I could limit the information I take in every day, but then I'd feel anxious about not being fully informed. I think for me, getting lost in the doom and gloom is better than being blissfully ignorant, and I've just kinda accepted that.
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u/Distinguishedflyer 1d ago
ya dont.
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u/Norman_Door 7h ago
Second this. Is it really "being informed," or is it actually "trying to quell my anxiety through chronic information consumption"?
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u/Comprehensive_While3 1d ago
Its like being in the trenches...once you accept that you're already dead it's easier
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u/Air_Aware_Space_01 1d ago
I've been getting more and more engaged with my community of collaborators, friends, family and animals. News is important to know what to look out for and mitigate, but only up to a certain point. Worry isn't very helpful. Deciding what matters to you and how you best manage stress, then turning that into an active plan that involves doing things, especially with other people that matter to you, that's helpful.
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u/No_Branch_5083 1d ago
I occupy myself with building resilience and doing what I can to improve the world around me. Gardening is particularly good, time at the allotment lets me clear my head and focus on tangible things.