I recently took an informal poll among my family, friends, and colleagues.  I wanted to find out what impact the worsening economic news was having on them.  What I discovered was not all that surprising.  The people who were feeling more stress and pessimism knew whether the stock market was up or down that day, the most recent unemployment figures, and the latest company to announce a major layoff.  On the other hand, the people who were generally optimistic and positive told me that they were very selective about what they read, listened to, and watched on TV.  A couple of people told me that they never read the newspaper or watch new programs on TV, feeling confident that if something really significant happened, they would somehow hear about it – eventually.

We’ve all heard the old saying, “you are what you eat.”  If you eat the too many high-caloric and fatty foods, you’ll begin to resemble the Michelin Man or perhaps the Pillsbury Doughboy.  The same can be said for watching, reading, or listening to the economic news.  When you are ingesting so much bad news, it is bound to have a negative effect on your mental attitude.

News outlets are selling something.  And, like it or not, massive layoffs and decimated 401K’s sell better than your neighbor getting a new job with a competitive pay package and closer to home.  So, if you are feeling discouraged about your current situation or worried about what tomorrow will bring, try going on a news diet.