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BRAVE news detox: how I will achieve a mindful media diet

(Wiktor’s note: This post is an authentic example of the BRAVE system in action. The editing is minimal, and the thinking is recorded almost real-time.)

1. BIG

It would really delight and excite me if my days – now, in self-isolation, and when the pandemic passes – could be spent in a more focused and mindful way. It would be amazingly helpful if news, alerts, rumors and notifications stopped reaching me entirely, except for the times and channels of my choosing.

Big success of this plan can be described as follows: I go about my day focusing on things I care about and can control. I regain peace of mind and productivity as my thoughts are free of distractions and rush. I stay in touch with what is going on with the world, by choosing my own ways of consuming media and news – and by limiting their access to my eyes and ears. As a result, I sleep better, work better, and am more enthusiastic about working out the rest of my life. This also affects my relationship, because the decision is shared and we keep the media diet together; the results are fewer anxious moments, more calm and focus, and more joyful times together.

2. REAL

  • I work online all the time. I use browsers and communicators. This means I’m only a few clicks away from news. I can also install a blocker on my work laptop.
  • I use my smartphone most of the time. I use a browser there. However, notifications and news apps are turned off or deleted.
  • My home laptop is online, but customizable; I can decide which apps to use and which sites to block.
  • I have no TV.
  • I have a radio in the kitchen. The radio station I’m using plays a news broadcast every day at 6pm – handy, as that’s when I’m logging off my work laptop and finishing for the day.
  • I do not buy newspapers and do not subscribe any magazines.
  • I am not in a group chat of any sort.
  • My work email does not have any news alerts or newsletters.
  • I don’t check my personal email often – and if I do, I ignore everything that looks like news.
  • I am savvy enough to install extensions and to modify them to only allow certain websites through.
  • I am also savvy enough to overcome any such extension, so anything I do would need to be password-protected – the password would need to be saved in my Lastpass, and not synced, so the extra hassle would discourage me.
  • I am an introvert and being alone in my own world is fine by me.

3. ACTIONS

  • Resolve with M.: we do not check news websites.
  • Together with M., listen to the BBC 3 news broadcast at 6pm, once daily.
  • Every morning, listen to German news, slowly spoken, on the podcast RSS – to practice reading and understanding German.
  • Get RSS feeds set up for all my favourite blogs and websites – to get the info without having to go to browser.
  • Get Leechblock extension set up on home and work laptops – blacklist every known news site – protect with a random-generated password, save password in a note (not separate website) on Lastpass.
  • On smartphone – delete all browsers apart from one which you only use in emergency.
  • Install Forest app on smartphone and use for regular periods every day to build a habit.
  • Refuse to talk about news or media stories with anyone. Practice saying "it is what it is" or something like that. Avoid starting news conversations.

4. VERIFIABLE

I will know that this has worked when I’m able to have a day without checking the news. Then three days. Then a week.
I’ll log this in a "Habit Loop" app every evening at 6pm. I’ll instantly see how many days I’ve gone without reading the news.
I’ll arrange small rewards for myself at the end of 7, 14, and 31 unbroken days.

5. EFFECTS

  • More time for myself.
  • More time for my projects.
  • Less anxiety.
  • Less anger at what I cannot control.
  • More creativity.
  • More focus at work.
  • More interesting conversations with others (since they won’t be about the news any more).
  • More happiness with M. and less stress.