PODCAST SHOW NOTES

Episode Title: News Anxiety Relief: Stop Doomscrolling and Listen to the Birds

Episode Description: In this essential midweek episode of The Writer's Journey, acclaimed memoirist and writing teacher Laura Davis addresses one of the most pressing challenges writers face today: news anxiety and information overload. Media fatigue and information overload have become widespread problems, causing psychological exhaustion, decision paralysis, and creative burnout.

Part of Laura's weekly Midweek Pause for Peace series, Laura shares Alastair Muirhead's profound poem "Listen to the Birds, Not the News," which offers permission to step back from the constant flood of distressing headlines that depletes creative energy.

As one therapist wisely notes, "We are wired for a village's worth of problems, not a planet's worth of problems."

What Laura Covers in This Episode

The biological truth: humans evolved to handle local concerns, not global disasters 24/7

How constant news consumption damages the creative writing process and mental well-being

The healing power of returning to immediate, tangible observations in nature

About Host Laura Davis

Laura Davis is an acclaimed author and writing teacher with over 35 years of experience guiding writers through their creative journeys. Her award-winning memoir "The Burning Light of Two Stars" won the prestigious BookLife Prize in 2021.

Throughout her distinguished career, Laura has become known for her compassionate approach to teaching memoir and personal essay writing, helping countless writers find their authentic voices. Laura leads writing classes, workshops, and international retreats, creating transformative spaces where writers can develop their craft while exploring profound personal truths. Her work emphasizes the healing power of storytelling and the importance of creating community among writers.

Poet Featured:

Alastair Muirhead - Collector of stories, seeker of meaning, poet, and Trustee of libraries, museums, and art galleries

Follow Alastair Muirhead's work on Substack: https://tairmuir.substack.com/

Perfect For:

Writers struggling with news anxiety and creative blocks, anyone experiencing information overload and doomscrolling addiction, memoirists protecting their creative energy from media fatigue, people dealing with compassion fatigue and emotional exhaustion, mindfulness seekers looking for practical stress relief, and listeners drawn to Laura Davis' thoughtful approach to writer wellbeing and nervous system regulation during overwhelming times.

Join Laura's Community

Subscribe to Laura Davis' Midweek Pause for Peace series for consistent, nurturing content that honors both your need for beauty and your nervous system's need for calm amid information overload. Each week, host Laura Davis pairs beautiful imagery with meaningful poetry, offering writers and creatives essential respite from news anxiety, media fatigue, and the constant pressure to consume distressing headlines. Protect your creative practice and mental health with these weekly pauses.

Connect with Laura Davis

Subscribe to The Writer's Journey: laurasaridavis.substack.com

Explore Laura's classes, books, workshops, and retreats: lauradavis.net

Engage with the community by liking, commenting, and sharing posts

The Writer's Journey with Laura Davis is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support her work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. You'll receive regular posts like these, as well as beautifully curated poems and nature photos, essays on life and the craft of writing, and more.

You can subscribe here: https://laurasaridavis.substack.com/

Learn about Laura's writing classes, books, workshops, and international retreats at: https://lauradavis.net/

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit laurasaridavis.substack.com/subscribe