30 Jan 2025
By Marcus Pearce
Nothing represents mediocre growth more than our toxic appetite for news. Not only is our news consumption the epitome of passive learning (watching, reading and listening), we defend our news habits like children fighting over lollies in a piñata. Being informed may seem essential to most of us, but what if the issues we’re informed about are contributing to our struggles in other areas of life?
The following excerpt from Your Exceptional Life – which PSK members can receive the ebook and audiobook for free here – shows that striking the right balance between family and the rest of your exceptional life is equal parts delicate and essential.
10,000 stories per year
Many of us are more informed about celebrity relationships than our own marriages; we know more about our favourite sporting teams than the sports our children play or the subjects they’re studying at school.
It’s estimated that we consume approximately 10,000 news stories per year or 27 per day. If you find this number to be high, consider how many stories you consume through television, social media, radio and print media (both online and offline). With the rise of social media as a news source, that number may in fact be closer to 20,000 per year and more than 50 per day. Consider for a moment how many of those stories have helped you live a more exceptional life, and my tip is the answer would be very few, if any.
News stresses us out
“If it bleeds, it leads” is the catchcry of many a newsroom. In other words, the worst news is the highest priority and the cat stuck up a tree goes last. Unnerving and ‘shocking’ stories spur the release of cortisol in the body. Cortisol is a hormone which can be very good for you at certain times – it’s responsible for waking you up each day – but when released constantly, cortisol has a toxic effect. In short, cortisol is the primary stress hormone in the body. And when we stress, our digestion and immune systems are impaired, whilst mentally and emotionally we are more fearful, anxious, depressed, aggressive and desensitised. If you already have enough stress in your life, going on a news diet is a quick and easy way to lower your cortisol levels and claim back some calm.
“There’s mass media, then there’s more masterful media. By the time the truth puts on its shoes the illusions spread across the world.” Dr John Demartini.
Stop eating the news for breakfast
Even if you think news doesn’t affect you, choosing to consume the news as soon as you wake up is a mediocre start to the day. I’m sad for people who have been murdered and their affected families; I’m sad for people who have died in car accidents and I’m sad for the millions of people displaced through the atrocities of war and terrorism. I’m sure you are too.
I don’t though, need to bombard myself with this knowledge just moments after waking up. Unless you’re a leading politician or superintendent of police, neither do you.
Consider for a moment that the news triggers the limbic system, the part of the brain responsible for functions including emotion, behaviour, motivation and long-term memory. Is it really worth feeding your emotional regulator a steady diet of bad news for breakfast?
What if you started the day by writing the news of Your Exceptional Life? “A middle-aged woman in her 40s was seen waking up at six o’clock this morning to go for a walk with her friend. After a brisk 30-minute session, the two were then seen returning to their respective homes and preparing the family for the day ahead.” Nothing newsworthy there, except that the two women have ticked off exceptional movement and social life and are about to begin family, nutrition and life purpose.
One of the quickest and easiest ways to dampen your soul and lose your inspiration for daily life is to be a regular consumer of the mainstream media. To fill your mind with the novelty of murder, tragedy, death, war and hate is but one side of the story of life. If this is pushing your buttons, please know that I’m not having a go at you for watching the news. I just want you to write the script of Your Exceptional Life, and it’s difficult to do that when the mainstream media is constantly by your side to help you write it.
Is there any news that does benefit?
The only news that benefits or has zero (or minimal) toxic effect is the news that doesn’t negatively impact your emotions. For me, sports results and match analysis fit into this category. For you, it might be business or industry news. Other interests including travel, the arts and entertainment, food and gardening are unlikely to trigger negative emotions, unless you use them as a source of comparison. If that is the case I would recommend you reduce or eliminate their consumption.
It’s the ‘top’ of the news that you are wise to be wary of. The child murdered by her parents; the threat of war, the rise in violence, racial tension, and so on. Most of the time, the top of the news is completely outside of your control. These stories will not help you live your exceptional life.
If you love where you live and are inspired to help your community, being aware of local news can be incredibly valuable. But again, be wary of local newspapers. Many of them are owned by multinational media companies and still have a culture of sensationalism, even in local news.
Choose your own media
So what’s the solution to all this naysaying of the news? The answer is simple, easy and fulfilling: choose your own news. It is easier today than ever before to control your own media consumption. You can listen to, watch and read essentially anything you want at any time. Video streaming services such as YouTube and Netflix have become TV on demand. Podcasts now allow you to pause, fast-forward, rewind and even speed up or slow down any piece of content. Most radio programs will now publish their entire shows as a podcast. The internet now allows you to learn whatever you want whenever you want, rather than being limited to one or two newspapers in your city and a local library. Add to this the millions of online courses available (many of them provided free by leading universities around the world), and we truly have created a ‘knowledge on demand’ global society of information.
But please never forget the power of a good book. Books, outside the real-life guidance of an elder, are arguably the greatest teachers we have on the planet. “Books are the quietest and most constant of friends,” said Charles W. Eliot, former Harvard University president. “They are the most accessible and wisest of counsellors, and the most patient of teachers.”
“If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book.” J.K Rowling.
Never forget the most important news
Remember that your own news and that of your family and friends is more important than the news of the country or the world. Longevity cultures spend their evenings immersed in long dinners, socialising with friends and family, discussing the news of their local community and each other (and of course at times the news of the world). You can do this too – virtually or in person. It takes nothing more than a cup of tea or glass of wine (the drink really doesn’t matter), and an authentic priority of the other person over the television or social media. The conversation could be deep and meaningful or completely trivial. Again, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you are more informed about the people you care most deeply about than the people you’ll never lay eyes on.
Marcus Pearce is a longevity and life design strategist and the author of Your Exceptional Life. He hosts the podcast 100 Not Out: Mastering The Art of Ageing Well, and each year takes small groups to the European Blue Zones of Ikaria and Sardinia.
As for all things relating to your health speak with your GP or a relevant medical professional. For all your financial health contact PSK on (02) 8365 8300 or visit psk.com.au
General Advice Warning - Any advice included in this article has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on the advice, you should consider whether it’s appropriate to you, in light of your objectives, financial situation or needs.