There’s a moment when the noise becomes too much. When everything around you—your phone, the news, your social feeds, even casual conversations—feels like a firehose of opinions, outrage, and inaccuracies. I recently hit that wall.
I call it Information Chaos.
The sheer volume of information we’re exposed to every single day is staggering. And the kicker? So much of it is just flat-out false. Inaccurate. Unverified. Often delivered by people with loud opinions and little actual expertise.
Let me ask you something: When was the last time you paused and asked yourself, “Why am I even consuming that?”
You see and hear it everywhere—“Can you believe he did this?” “Did you see what they said?” “You won’t believe what just happened!” And sure, sometimes I can believe it. People can be predictable. But the energy it takes to sort through the noise—to filter fact from fiction—was starting to chip away at my own sense of wellness.
It wasn’t just overwhelming. It was unsustainable.
That’s when I realized something had to change. I needed a way to make sense of the overload. Not just for clarity, but for my own mental and emotional well-being. I started thinking about the different ways information enters my life—and how I could take more control over it.
What I landed on was this: two simple categories—outbound and inbound. One is what I choose to consume. The other is what tries to consume me.
Outbound: What I Go Looking For
This one’s easier to manage. Outbound information is what I actively seek out—who I follow, what I watch, the websites I visit, the podcasts I subscribe to, the books I read.
So I asked myself: What’s actually worth my attention?
Years ago, I stopped watching the nightly news. More recently, I did the same kind of audit with my digital life. I looked at the voices I was letting in and started curating more intentionally.
I unfollowed people and places that didn’t add value. Unsubscribed from podcasts that drained more energy than they gave. Reshaped my feeds to focus on thoughtful voices and useful insights—not noise, not fear, and definitely not drama.
The result? Fewer distractions. More room to explore my curiosities. A little more peace.
Inbound: What Comes to Me
This one’s a bit trickier. Inbound information is what finds you. Notifications, headlines, conversations—it shows up, whether you asked for it or not.
I silenced some notifications and unsubscribed from the obvious noise. But the harder part was dealing with the everyday interactions—friends, colleagues, even strangers—who toss around opinions or stories that only feed the chaos.
I learned something important: It’s not just about what people say. It’s about how I respond.
Sometimes I set boundaries: “That’s not a topic I’m interested in.” Sometimes I just let the conversation pass without jumping in. And occasionally, I disengage altogether.
This isn’t about tuning out the world. It’s about protecting your space. Your mind. Your wellness.
We can’t stop the world from talking. But we can decide how much of it we’re going to let in.
Adding Humor
Once I created a little breathing room in my day, I added something new to the routine: a few minutes each day to watch or read something that makes me laugh. A skit, a stand-up clip, a meme—whatever sparks a genuine smile.
Humor, I’ve found, is a powerful reset button. It reminds me that not everything has to be so serious. That levity and laughter are not luxuries—they’re tools.
No, I’m not replacing critical thinking with comedy. I’m balancing it. I’m choosing laughter, even if it’s just for 90 seconds, instead of spiraling into the chaos.
One of my recent favorites? A two-part skit that had me in tears (the good kind).
Part 1 (https://youtu.be/JYqfVE-fykk?si=NBBw1px70lP) | Part 2 (https://youtu.be/VJ62EfUKI3w?si=EkX4siB_YA2t1iRG)
Final Thought: A Tool, Not a Tirade
I know this could sound like a rant—but it’s not. I’m not complaining. I’m sharing a tool that helped me regain control over something that was quietly wearing me down.
This isn’t about ignoring reality. It’s about filtering the noise so you can focus on what actually matters.
So here’s my challenge to you:
Take five minutes today and reflect on your own information intake. What’s helping you? What’s harming you? What could you let go of?
Make room for your curiosities. Make room for laughter. It’s working for me—maybe it’ll work for you too.
See you next week,
Brent, your Rivr Guide
