The podcast is back after a little two week summer break to coincide with my holiday. As I hoped I've come back with lots of fresh ideas for topics that I want to talk about.

I feel like I've been battling a lot of digital noise over the past few months. This really came into sharp focus when I was sat by the pool on holiday mindlessly scrolling through my Twitter feed..."something has gone very wrong here", I thought to myself, still scrolling.

It seems even harder than ever to escape information overload.

Wherever we go we are connected.

Data roaming throughout Europe is now included in my phone contract, so I don't even need to seek out wifi to get online. And I found it really hard to unplug. Not just because of my own compulsions, but for other reasons as well, which I've tried to explain in this show.

I have fond memories of going on holiday and being completely disconnected from home and the outside world. We spend two weeks without knowing any of the latest news. And I'd say it was pretty good for us. It seems kind of terrifying now, and there are certainly some wonderful advantages about being connected. But it was also a lot better for mental wellbeing.

To be put in that position where you had to unwind; forced to not think about the madness of the world around us for a minute and enjoy the bubble of rest and recuperation.

Anxiety and Panic

Being connected at all times is bad for us. It makes us anxious and panicky. And it has a detrimental impact on our ability to truly engage in the moment, and to be truly present with our loved ones. For many of us experiences are only real when they're shared. And the panic sets in when something great is happening, but there's no way of documenting it to share on social media. It sounds extreme but it's a genuine issue of addiction for many of us.

Sensitive to the Digital Noise

In this episode I ask how we can respond to overwhelming levels of digital noise. First we ask why we struggle to turn it off. Then we look at some of the damaging affects of being plugged in all the time. And to finish, I share a few ideas for how we might avoid the trappings of a world that never unplugs.

Things have become overwhelming. Especially for gentle rebels and highly sensitive people, processing it all at a deep level.

Sensitivity to digital noise can make the whole thing even worse. Introverts and HSPs are drained more quickly by the external world - stimulation and social situations; but I'm increasingly convinced that we get more drained, anxious, and isolated by the social energy we spend online. Especially when we scroll through and allow information to bombard us without a sense of purpose or boundaries around the way we engage with the noise.