How can I cope with the huge amount of information coming at me every day? I feel like I'm "drinking from a fire hose."

Answer From Edward T. Creagan, M.D.

There are two concepts that might help you cope with the amount of information you receive each day through social media, online sites, email and other outlets.

  • Recognize you have limited bandwidth. You have only so much capacity on your mental and emotional hard drive. You can only take in a certain amount of information at once. An overloaded hard drive can't function properly.

  • Practice selective listening. Learn to focus on what's important amid the flood of information and chatter. This "noise" can distort the messages that matter and can keep you from attending to what you need to do.

    You can only focus on a certain number of things at one time. Consider being selective about the information you take in on social media, online sites, email and other outlets.

Try this: At the start of each day, write down three measurable and achievable tasks. This might be something as simple as washing your car or making a doctor's appointment. Then build your day around achieving these tasks.

With

Edward T. Creagan, M.D.

Follow on Twitter: @EdwardCreagan

Feb. 05, 2020 See more Expert Answers

See also

  1. 3 simple strategies to help you focus and de-stress
  2. 3 ways to become more stress resilient
  3. 3 ways to learn patience and amp up your well-being
  4. 4 proven ways you can feel happier
  5. A Very Happy Brain
  6. Adapt to put stress in its place
  7. Anger management: Your questions answered
  8. Are your holidays a dietary free-for-all?
  9. Balancing work and life responsibilities
  10. Being assertive
  11. Bridge pose
  12. Can yoga help me keep caregiver stress in check?
  13. Caregiver stress
  14. Caregiver stress
  15. Cat/cow pose
  16. Chase away the winter blues
  17. Child's pose
  18. Cobra
  19. Control email to regain control of your life
  20. Coping with job stress
  21. Coronavirus grief
  22. COVID-19 and your mental health
  23. Coping with unemployment caused by COVID-19
  24. Destress with breathing
  25. Denial
  26. Does stress make rheumatoid arthritis worse?
  27. Downward-facing dog
  28. Dreading a family holiday gathering?
  29. Ease stress to reduce your psoriasis flares
  30. Feeling overwhelmed? Take a break
  31. Forgiveness
  32. Great expectations: How to keep them from creating unhappiness
  33. Have you had a good laugh today?
  34. Holidays don't have to break the bank
  35. How decluttering your space could make you healthier and happier
  36. How sharing kindness can make you healthier & happier
  37. How to focus on the present for long-term progress
  38. Job burnout
  39. Job satisfaction
  40. Laugh more, stress less
  41. Learn to reduce stress through mindful living
  42. Learn to say no and enjoy the holidays
  43. Lifestyle strategies for pain management
  44. Manage stress through problem-solving
  45. Manage stress to improve psoriatic arthritis symptoms
  46. Mountain pose
  47. Need better work-life balance?
  48. Stress-relief tips
  49. New School Anxiety
  50. Perfect holiday? Forget about it!
  51. Pet therapy
  52. Positive thinking
  53. Problem-solving
  54. Resilience
  55. Say no, to say yes to less stress
  56. Seated spinal twist
  57. Setbacks and criticism — Don't let them derail you
  58. Slide show: Yoga poses
  59. Social support: Tap this tool to beat stress
  60. Spirituality and stress relief
  61. Standing forward bend
  62. Stress and technology
  63. Holiday stress
  64. Prevent stress setbacks
  65. Stress relief from laughter
  66. How to say no
  67. Stress relievers
  68. Stressed out? Skip the late show
  69. Stressed? Set yourself up for success
  70. Support groups
  71. The power of positive thinking
  72. Tired of feeling hassled? Try these tips
  73. To manage anxiety, start with the way you think
  74. Use the 80/20 rule to manage time and reduce stress
  75. Warrior 1
  76. What is hot yoga?
  77. What is reflexology?
  78. Why aromatherapy is showing up in hospital surgical units
  79. Work-life balance