I am a sucker for a bowl full of anything. When I go to a Mexican restaurant and the waiter brings out a bowl of tortilla chips before the meal, I have no self-control. Or if I sit down to relax after a round of golf and the waiter brings out a bowl of snack mix, I’m done. I don’t even really like snack mix! I have learned that I need to control portions. Whatever the size of the plate, I will eat everything on it. If the plate is small and the portions are reasonable, I have a much better chance at self-control.

Information is like snack mix to me. It comes in big bowls, not in manageable portions. Between news, social media, blogs, podcasts, YouTube, newspapers, and TV, information doesn’t stream in, it floods in! I believe information is good – in the right portion. 

I know people (you probably do too) who are truly information junkies. They are addicted to information, whether it is political, entertainment, or self-help. It feels good to be learning and absorbing, but in reality, we can only absorb but so much. The rest only serves to clutter our minds, making it difficult to even use the information which would be helpful. 

I feel like I am constantly walking that tightrope of too much of a good thing. I have to carefully diet when, how much and what information I put on my plate. Otherwise, I get lured into the information overload trap.

Here are a few tricks that I have had to use personally to keep my portions of information healthy:

• Restrict the information firehose in the first hour of the day.The first hour of the day is precious and sets the tone for the rest of the day. If we open the floodgate too early, our mind and spirit will become agitated and unfocused.
• Limit your sources primarily to ones that give life.While I value learning from people who think differently than I, prudence suggests that I have to set limits on information which is disruptive internally. Personally, I particularly find this true when it comes to political information.
• Watch your hot buttons.Some areas of information, while not bad in and of themselves, push buttons that are unhealthy for me. Social media falls in that category. Instagram and Facebook may be fun, but often leave the impression that everyone else is living fantastic lives – except for us. I can tell this is a problem when I have a hard time turning it off. Just like with food, I have to be aware of what tempts me to gorge.
• Even with the best content, too much is still too much.I know a few people who constantly read and listen to amazing new content on personal growth and leadership. I love learning from them. Yet, sometimes I take in so much good content that my brain hits overload. Even if I can intellectually absorb the content, I have no bandwidth left to actually put it into practice. In my information gluttony, I lose all the nutritional value. The bottom line question is, “are we actually changing for the good?” What a shame if too much good information keeps us from good living! 

Take a moment and do a personal inventory of the information flow in your life. A little reflection can go a long way in improving each day.

• What needs to be eliminated or reduced?
• When do you need to restrict information flow (perhaps early morning and late at night)?
• What information brings life to you?
• Is the information in your life making you a better person?