Let’s be honest—we’re drowning in information.

Do we really need to take another class?

Or read that book everyone’s talking about?

Or listen to an influencer telling us what solved their problem, as if that means it will work for us, too?

Um, no.

We’re lucky to be living in a time when the answers to our biggest questions are accessible at our fingertips. And, admittedly, there are a lot of positives to be had in listening, learning, reading, watching, and collaborating. It’s how we expand, grow, and have more creativity to achieve flow.

BUT…

At what point should we question whether information overload is having the opposite effect?

The answer is personal. Even if someone else shares their secret to living in information overload, we may find that our success in adopting those strategies is fleeting.

I believe we each have to find our own rhythm, write the words of our personal theme song, and create harmony with who we are at this moment in time. We should ask ourselves: am I in tune and in relation(ship) to the world I want to create? Or am I discordant?

Each option serves a purpose, and what may be in tune or discordant isn’t right or wrong: it’s an individual preference. All of the music (energy) we create allows us to flow—either to express where we are or to where we want to be. It also allows us to interact with likeminded folks who dance to similar rhythms.

Ok, so how do we find that rhythm and create harmony?

First, recognize information overload is essentially anxiety.

Second, we must consciously change the energy to move through it. Here’s how:

Let’s say you’re scrolling through Twitter and feeling your head start to spin or your blood pressure rise. Or maybe you feel like you’re drowning in work deadlines and distracted by what’s going on at home. It’s key to recognize how anxiety feels to you. Think about how you feel in the moments before anxiety escalates. This is your moment of opportunity to make shift happen.

Great! You’ve already done the most important part.

Now, it’s time to find ways to change the energy and release the situation causing anxiety.

If possible, remove yourself from your current environment. Take time to set down your phone, stand up from your computer and head for the bathroom. Or take a longer work break and go outside if the weather is nice.

Maybe a little cold water to the face, a look in the mirror to smile at yourself, a few deep inhales through the nose and exhales through the mouth, or a calming aromatherapy roller to bring your nervous system back to earth.

If you can’t yet remove yourself from your situation, try visualization. Identify the way you want to feel… calm, powerful, harmonious. Imagine a scenario to create those feelings. Is it being outside on your idea of a perfect day? See yourself lying down on the grass and skywriting keywords and images of what you want to shift.

Or, pretend you’re sitting in a different chair and doodling pictures of things you love to create those positive feelings. A puppy, a flower, the chocolate cake you’re gonna devour after work…

Once you’ve escaped the loop of overwhelm, use the newly opened space to affirm these or other truths to yourself:

I always have the power to change the energy.

I now feel relaxed (grounded) and ready to shift.

This takes practice, but like with anything, practice inevitably evolves into making habits. It’s the information age—we can’t reduce the amount of information being produced, but we certainly can regulate how much of it we consume.

Here’s to creating harmony in this wild venue we call life!

Diane Carr is an Austin, Texas-based Creative Facilitator with over 40 years orchestrating change. She has worked with individuals and organizations across multiple industries, including healthcare, entertainment, technology, design and construction to clear the clutter and get projects moving!

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