It’s been over three months since I finished my military service and made some decisions about the next chapter of my life. One of these decisions was to block any kind of news from entering my mind. That means I decided not to find out what’s happening around me (and even far beyond) through newspapers, magazines, websites, or radio/TV, unless I choose to. I emphasize this second part because many people think you have to block it like you’re quitting an addiction.

My reasons for this are simple. I get to choose what information enters my brain [text removed]. I choose what to worry about at this moment, what to be happy about, what counts as a big event, and what’s insignificant, not the background noise of headlines or sensational news.

This started with quitting social networks. The full reasons and explanations are in that post, so I won’t repeat them. The next step was avoiding TV, radio/podcasts, and any audio content related to news. Blocking all news websites (a plugin for this) so you don’t accidentally visit them. Not stopping at newspaper stands. Not talking about news with taxi drivers or passengers (headphones exist for a reason) or any other way news might enter your mind without your permission.

At first, you feel like a prehistoric human, but later you realize there’s practically no difference between you and someone who knows that in Baghdad a bomb has exploded for the two-hundred-billionth time, killing some women and children. Especially if there’s nothing you can do to stop it. (Besides lying on the couch in shorts and tweeting with the hashtag #PrayForBaghdad.) That person experiences anxiety, you don’t.

Sometimes you’ll be surprised at how much of your day was spent following nonsense that doesn’t affect your life. On the other hand, you gain an unusual opportunity to focus on news that actually matters to you. For example, if you plan to immigrate to a country, the economic news there directly affects your life in the coming years. You follow related threads or subreddits on platforms like Reddit. During dead time (like in a taxi or subway, or other moments when you can’t do anything productive), if you’re not reading or listening to a book, you can check these sources and read useful, relevant news.