12 | Navigating the News: Staying Informed Without Getting Distracted and Overwhelmed

Let’s talk about something that’s buzzing in the background of our lives – the news. It’s everywhere. In our pockets, in our notifications, in conversations, even piped into the waiting room at the doctor’s office and it’s leaving many of us feeling overwhelmed.

We live in a world where the news never sleeps. But just because the headlines are constant doesn’t mean your heart has to be overwhelmed, in turmoil or your mind distracted. Today’s news cycle can lead to burnout, cynicism, and apathy instead of action or hope.  So here’s the big question for today:

How can you stay informed without feeling completely distracted and overwhelmed?

Your beautifully designed, God-given brain was never meant to process global crises every single hour of every single day.

You were created to carry your own life, your own responsibilities, your own family, your own calling not the chaos of the entire world. But with a 24/7 news cycle, it’s like we’re constantly being asked to hold things we were never meant to carry.

And this non-stop exposure doesn’t just stay in your head. It seeps into your heart. It shows up in your emotions. Sometimes it even shows up physically, like poor sleep, irritability, tension, or that underlying sense of dread you just can’t shake.

In today’s episode, we’re tackling one of the most common and overlooked sources of digital distraction, the news. Whether you’re someone who casually checks headlines or finds yourself deep in the rabbit hole of doom-scrolling, this conversation will help you understand how today’s 24/7 news cycle is affecting your mind, mood, and spiritual clarity.

You’ll learn how to set intentional boundaries around your news intake, how to recognize signs of news fatigue, and how to stay informed in a way that fuels action and peace, not anxiety and overwhelm. Most importantly, we’ll look at how to guard your heart and stay anchored in God’s truth as you engage with the world around you.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• What news fatigue is and how it silently impacts your mind, emotions, and body
• Why today’s news is designed to hijack your attention (and how to stop letting it)
• 3 practical boundaries to help you stay informed without spiraling into overwhelm
• How to filter what you share or react to through a biblical lens
• Ways to balance the hard headlines with hope-filled stories and redemptive action

If you’ve ever felt anxious, overwhelmed, cynical, or emotionally exhausted after reading the news, this episode will give you tools to engage with wisdom, guard your peace, and move forward with clarity and calm.

🎧 New Here?
Take the Screen Time Personality Quiz and get your 3-Day Digital Peace Plan – a free guide to help you reset your screen habits and reclaim your focus. 👉Screen Time Personality Quiz

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Want more tips on healthy tech habits?
Check out Episode 5 and download your FREE Guide to Grayscale with step-by-step screenshots to turn your phone into a calm, less-distracting space. 👉Guide to Grayscale

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