Say Goodbye to Data Smog

An article by Andrew Weil, M.D was released yesterday on Time Ideas --Why 'Data Smog' may make you depressed.  
We are witnessing the revolution of information. Information overload leads to stress, especially when much of that information is useless. The suggestions given in the article including: 

Deleting, without remorse, all games from my computer and mobile devices.

Refusing to aimlessly surf the web. I always have a specific object in mind, and resolve to seek only that.

Handling e-mail almost exclusively on my desktop computer, almost never on my cell phone or notepad.  When I leave my office for the day, usually in the afternoon, I leave the computer and e-mail behind until morning.

Overloaded information of course will become a distraction, but should we banned aimlessly surfing the internet? The top liked response to the article is : Funny thing, I wouldn't have seen this article if I refused to aimlessly surf the web!

According to Eastern Philosophy, everything has a balance, which is so called 'Zhong Yong'.  It is not an approval for mediocre performance, but a profound appreciation of the relationship between extreme and optimal. Another famous Chinese author, Lin Yutang once said, 'A tendency to fly too straight at a goal, instead of circling around it, often carries one too far.' Therefore, I worried that following the suggestion given by the author, we might not achieve real clarity and peace, but hold ourself from possible inspiration and enlightenment. 

After reconsidering his points, I decide to keep the habit of 'searching web aimlessly',  however, accommodated with several ruled customized for myself. 

1. Pay attention to topic that you are browsing. Financial news will help you be familiar with term and situation in financial world. Music sound track and MV always lights up my day. 

2. Not only be a pasive receiver but response to the information you received. Write a short article, discuss it with friends. 

3. Use it as a relaxation. New knowledge and information is a good break out of your zone. After working on your interest, get back to your work with improved efficiency. 

4.  Less Signing up. A lot of website do not have rich content, on the contrary they are asking for your detailed information again and again. Be cautious and do not waste your time on signing up. 

5. Always be clear what is your main task. Prioritize your task, and put yourself under control but not aimless most of the time.