{"source_url": "https://coastalcourier.com", "url": "https://coastalcourier.com/opinion/diet-us-all-2020/", "title": "A diet for us all in 2020", "top_image": "https://coastalcourier.static.anvilcms.net/media/images/2018/09/06/images/Guest_column_t715.max-640x480.jpg", "meta_img": "https://coastalcourier.static.anvilcms.net/media/images/2018/09/06/images/Guest_column_t715.max-640x480.jpg", "images": ["https://coastalcourier.static.anvilcms.net/media/images/2019/12/12/images/Ft_Stewart_Christmas_tree_lighting.max-250x187.jpg", "https://coastalcourier.static.anvilcms.net/media/images/2019/12/20/images/IMG_2369.max-250x187.jpg", "https://coastalcourier.static.anvilcms.net/media/images/2018/09/06/images/Guest_column_t715.max-250x187.jpg", "https://coastalcourier.static.anvilcms.net/media/images/2018/05/31/images/Patty.max-250x187.jpg", "https://coastalcourier.static.anvilcms.net/media/images/2018/06/15/images/Letter_to_the_Editor_generic.max-250x187.jpg", "https://coastalcourier.static.anvilcms.net/media/images/2019/12/21/images/SPORTS_LCRD2019_Outstanding_Volunteers.max-250x187.jpg", "https://coastalcourier.static.anvilcms.net/media/images/2020/01/01/images/loder-littlewomen-800x450.max-250x187.png", "https://coastalcourier.static.anvilcms.net/media/images/2019/12/16/images/lpdJK6H9357_Y87kLU2.max-250x187.jpg", "https://coastalcourier.static.anvilcms.net/media/images/2019/11/29/images/Booker_still.max-250x187.jpg", "https://coastalcourier.static.anvilcms.net/media/images/2019/12/20/images/SPORTS_U10_Soccer.max-250x187.jpg", "https://coastalcourier.static.anvilcms.net/media/images/2019/12/19/images/Hall_of_Fame_1.max-250x187.jpg", "https://coastalcourier.static.anvilcms.net/media/images/2018/09/06/images/Guest_column_t715.max-752x423.jpg", "https://coastalcourier.static.anvilcms.net/media/images/2019/12/20/images/KLB_Photo_2.max-250x187.jpg", "https://coastalcourier.static.anvilcms.net/media/images/2020/01/01/images/Lewis_New_Years_2019_shooting.max-250x187.jpg", "https://coastalcourier.static.anvilcms.net/media/images/2018/09/06/images/Guest_column_t715.max-640x480.jpg", "https://coastalcourier.static.anvilcms.net/media/images/2019/12/31/images/NAACP.max-250x187.jpg", "https://coastalcourier.static.anvilcms.net/media/images/2019/12/03/images/shot_dJxlFmI.max-250x187.jpg", "https://coastalcourier.static.anvilcms.net/media/images/2019/12/21/images/A9_05195.max-250x187.jpg", "https://coastalcourier.static.anvilcms.net/media/images/2019/12/05/images/Ft._Stewart_thanksgiving_2019_screenshot.max-250x187.jpg", "https://coastalcourier.static.anvilcms.net/media/images/2018/09/06/images/Guest_column_t715.max-1200x675.jpg", "https://coastalcourier.static.anvilcms.net/media/images/2018/02/16/images/CourierWebsiteFlag.height-64.png", "https://coastalcourier.static.anvilcms.net/media/images/2019/12/19/images/House_Fire_1.max-250x187.jpg", "https://coastalcourier.static.anvilcms.net/media/images/2019/07/31/images/angry-phone-user2.max-250x187.jpg", "https://coastalcourier.static.anvilcms.net/media/images/2019/12/20/images/A9_07372.max-250x187.jpg", "https://coastalcourier.static.anvilcms.net/media/images/2019/10/31/images/flag.max-250x187.jpg", "https://coastalcourier.static.anvilcms.net/media/images/2019/12/16/images/00758.MTS.00_00_03_02.Still001.max-250x187.jpg", "https://coastalcourier.static.anvilcms.net/media/images/2019/12/21/images/lpd462H4510.max-250x187.jpg", "https://coastalcourier.static.anvilcms.net/media/images/2018/02/16/images/CourierWebsiteFlag.height-128.png"], "movies": [], "text": "If you\u2019re like most of us, you overindulged a bit too much in 2019. No, not on calories (well, maybe those too!), but on \u201cnoise.\u201d That\u2019s the name for the dizzying onslaught of information from work emails, app notifications, the 24/7 news cycle, social media updates, and other forms of screen time that leaves us unable to focus, listen, or do deep work.\n\nA smidgen of noise now and again is okay. (We all have our guilty pleasures!) But consuming it mindlessly, all day long, is as bad as keeping a bag of chips, a monster-size soda, and a can of frosting at our desk and reaching for them every few minutes.\n\nToo many empty brain calories won\u2019t make you fat but they will make you mentally anemic. Noise keeps you in a constant state of distraction. And like actual junk food, a high-noise digital diet is addictive, yet it never satisfies or nourishes you.\n\nThe real problem with giving into noise temptation isn\u2019t what you\u2019re doing; it\u2019s what you\u2019re not doing. You\u2019re tuning out what really matters. You\u2019re skimming the surface. When you\u2019re scrolling Facebook, for instance, you aren\u2019t learning a new language, refining that career-changing presentation, or engaging with your kids in a meaningful way.\n\nThe new year is the perfect time to put yourself on a noise diet. To help with your calorie count, let\u2019s take a look at what noise junk food looks like:\n\nThe irritating\u2014yet addictive\u2014parade of social media stock characters in your newsfeed. This band of noisemakers assaults your brain with their cries for attention. For instance:\n\n\u2022 The humble bragger. Your college rival who subtly slips into her post that she just got another promotion at her swanky company. #blessed #gag\n\n\u2022 The cryptic drama-stirrer. That self-righteous friend who calls out people anonymously for perceived slights or makes vague \u201cpoor me\u201d pity posts. (Cue the wave of very concerned commenters.)\n\n\u2022 The over-sharer. We don\u2019t need a play-by-play of your colonoscopy. Thanks.\n\n\u2022 The drop-of-a-hat ranter. Whose day would be complete without a furious recounting of how the barista screwed up your nonfat, dairy-free, double-shot, decaf, extra-hot mochaccino with extra foam? The nerve!\n\n\u2022 The overly zealous kid promoter. Yes, yes, we know Junior is the smartest, cutest, cleverest tot around\u2014your other 15 posts this week made that perfectly clear.\n\n\u2022 The amateur political pundit. Do not engage...just don\u2019t.\n\nDumb shows on TV. You don\u2019t need to waste your precious attention span watching Jerry Springer, B-list celebrity lip-synch contests, or those morning talk shows. Substance-free television combined with the lure of a cozy couch can quickly turn into a lost day or evening.\n\nThe 24/7 news carousel-of-darkness. Sadly, most news is bad news, and during a controversial election year it can also be fodder for controversy, vitriol, and the loss of civility with friends, family, and neighbors. (Hint: You don\u2019t need to totally disengage, but it\u2019s good to be discerning about what you let in\u2014and about how often you engage in debates with the people in your life.)\n\nYour work email. Your boss just had to email you at 9:30 p.m....again. The moment you jump out of the bath to write back is the moment work email becomes yet another source of noise.\n\nAre you feeling that noise hangover settle in? Don\u2019t worry, you can kick off the new year with a different kind of diet\u2014one that cuts the empty \u201cbrain calories\u201d of digital distraction and gives you what you\u2019re really craving: a more intentional life. Join my \u201cJust Say No to Noise\u201d Movement and tip the scales in the other direction. A few suggestions:\n\nTry going a week without social media. (We promise, you\u2019ll survive.) A short detox from social media is a pretty painless way to unplug and reclaim a lot of lost time. When the week is over, you can see if you even want to go back to occasional scrolling.\n\nReduce temptation by \u201chiding\u201d distracting devices from yourself. Okay, you probably can\u2019t hide your computer but you can shut the office door. As for cell phones and tablets, treat them like what they are: gateways to digital distraction (and it is a very slippery slope). Find an out-of-the-way place to charge and store your devices so you\u2019re not constantly reaching for them.\n\nBreak the idiot-box \u201cbackground noise\u201d habit. It\u2019s easy to mindlessly turn on the TV when you get home. Problem is, it\u2019s broadcasting nonstop noise into your work-free hours. Instead, plan a time to watch your favorite shows. Daily exposure to the depressing litany of pain and conflict we call \u201cnews\u201d isn\u2019t making your life better. Neither is watching the \u201cFatty McButterpants\u201d episode of King of Queens for the 50th time. (Okay, we admit that one is pretty funny.)\n\nSet some work/life boundaries with the 7-to-7 rule. The company won\u2019t crash if you stop answering emails around the clock. After 70 p.m., put away your devices for the night. Don\u2019t pick them up again until 7 a.m. the next day.\n\nInsist on phone-free family dinners... Yes, the kids might whine at first, but soon enough they\u2019ll get used to conversing with the out-of-touch \u201cBoomers\u201d and \u201cKarens\u201d at the table.\n\n...and screen-free family fun days. For instance, make video games and TV completely off-limits every Wednesday and Friday. Yes, even if the kids swear they have no homework. Instead, do something fun or productive as a family. Play a board game. Go bowling or skating. Cook a great meal together. Volunteer at the local animal shelter. Heck...maybe even read.\n\nLearn to save your \u201cappetite\u201d for the stuff that really matters... Your \u201cappetite\u201d is really your attention span, and it\u2019s your most precious resource. Filling up on headlines, emails, and social media means there\u2019s little left over for doing the deep and meaningful work that helps you reach big goals at work and in your personal life. Before you cozy into an hour of lurking on your ex\u2019s Facebook page, close the laptop and find something productive to do.\n\n...and choose some meaningful goals to pursue. When you are able to sharpen and aim your focus, you can do some pretty impressive stuff. Want to start a website? Get a better job? Learn to code? These \u201cNorth Star\u201d goals are the best incentive to rethink your relationship with noise and see how your life changes.\n\nWe don\u2019t realize that very often our addiction to information is the thing holding us back from getting a huge promotion, becoming valedictorian, or training for a marathon, but that\u2019s exactly what happens as time passes. Once you think of it this way, it\u2019s so much easier to put yourself on a noise diet. Make this the year you take back your time and use it to do something that matters.\n\nJoseph McCormack is the author of NOISE: Living and Leading When Nobody Can Focus. Joe is the founder and managing director of The BRIEF Lab, an organization dedicated to teaching professionals, military leaders, and entrepreneurs how to think and communicate clearly. His clients include Boeing, Harley-Davidson, Microsoft, Mastercard, DuPont, and select military units and government agencies. He publishes a weekly podcast called \u201cJust Saying\u201d that helps people master the elusive skills of focus and brevity.\n\nTo learn more, visit www.noisethebook.com.", "keywords": [], "meta_keywords": [""], "tags": [], "authors": ["Updated", "Jan."], "publish_date": null, "summary": "", "article_html": "", "meta_description": "If you\u2019re like most of us, you overindulged a bit too much in 2019. No, not on calories (well, maybe those too!), but on \u201cnoise.\u201d That\u2019s the name for the dizzying onslaught of information from work emails, app notifications, the 24/7 news cycle, social media updates, and other forms of screen time that leaves us unable to focus, listen, or do deep work.", "meta_lang": "", "meta_favicon": "https://coastalcourier.static.anvilcms.net/media/images/2018/01/29/images/CC_FavIcon.width-16.png", "meta_data": {"robots": "noarchive", "description": "If you\u2019re like most of us, you overindulged a bit too much in 2019. No, not on calories (well, maybe those too!), but on \u201cnoise.\u201d That\u2019s the name for the dizzying onslaught of information from work emails, app notifications, the 24/7 news cycle, social media updates, and other forms of screen time that leaves us unable to focus, listen, or do deep work.", "viewport": "width=device-width, initial-scale=1", "theme-color": "#ffffff", "og": {"title": "A diet for us all in 2020", "type": "website", "url": "https://coastalcourier.com/opinion/diet-us-all-2020/", "image": "https://coastalcourier.static.anvilcms.net/media/images/2018/09/06/images/Guest_column_t715.max-640x480.jpg", "description": "If you\u2019re like most of us, you overindulged a bit too much in 2019. No, not on calories (well, maybe those too!), but on \u201cnoise.\u201d That\u2019s the name for the dizzying onslaught of information from work emails, app notifications, the 24/7 news cycle, social media updates, and other forms of screen time that leaves us unable to focus, listen, or do deep work."}, "twitter": {"card": "summary_large_image"}}, "canonical_link": "https://coastalcourier.com/opinion/diet-us-all-2020/"}