Breaking News Alert

OK, how many of you are tired of the constant breaking news alerts on whatever cable or network news channels you tune into?

I have recently decided to stop watching and listening to those TV and radio news channels that parlay a continuous parade of breaking news.

It might be different if the news actually was “breaking”. Most of the time, however, the breaking news is old.

You’ve heard the saying ‘disasters sell newspapers”. Well, television and radio news outlets have made a science out of this.

If we’re not careful, we will find ourselves in a constant state of panic, thinking that the world is coming to an end. Whether it is ISIS, Ebola or the next crisis, the media thrive on stoking our fears.

Is it surprising that the average first-grader laughs more than 300 times a day while the average adult laughs only 17 times a day?

How do we remain positive and focused on creating our “own” breaking news? How do we create a continuous stream of innovative solutions, and true breakthroughs in our own domains of practice?

We do this by managing optimism and reducing stress; by tuning out the “breaking news”; and by practicing some form of mindfulness each day.

In The Happiness Advantage, Shawn Achor demonstrates that “when we are positive, our brains become more engaged, creative, motivated, energetic, resilient and productive.”

While encouraging employees to slow down and focus on the present can seem at odds with many corporate cultures of speed and goal attainment, studies are confirming that mindfulness practices are good for business.

Manfred Ke De Vries, a professor of leadership at INSEAD finds that people who practice mindfulness report having better communication, increased innovation and more appropriate reactions to stressful situations.

Companies, including Google, Aetna, General Mills and Target, have successfully incorporated mindfulness training to improve performance and productivity.

One of the easiest paths to mindfulness is to meditate for a small period of time each day. A minimum of five minutes of stillness can keep us calibrated.

To start, take just five minutes each day to experience your breath as you inhale and exhale. Remain patient, and if you find your mind drifting (which is normal), just bring it back to focus on the breath.

While there are many different forms of meditation and mindfulness, just following the simple steps above have been shown to produce dramatic increases in happiness and lowered stress.

Let’s stop rewarding the media for keeping us in a constant state of panic. Instead of staying glued to the TV or radio, take at least five minutes each day to practice some form of mindfulness.

Done consistently, you will find yourself creating your own breaking news, and that is what the world needs most.