I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQLServerCentral newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here.
Today’s tip is to broaden your perspective: read a different paper, magazine, or site.
Many of us tend to get caught in bubbles of information. Google/Bing do this, bringing us certain results. We have a set group of people on social media, and often we read the same sites for news, information, fun, etc.
The US election took place recently, and it was a contentious one. Like many, I was entranced with the process, the outcome, and the way the event unfolded. I have some sites for news, and a subscription, but I decided to try something different since I was hoping for other views.
In particular, I gave CNN a try at CNN.com. I haven’t been thrilled with their television program for years, as I think they struggle to find new and interesting things to day and still fill 24 hours. However, I saw some ratings about how people around the world view the site, and it’s fairly neutral.
I also grabbed a new book, Dirt, after hearing someone talk about it on NPR. It’s a book by a writer that moves to France to learn French cooking. A little out of my area, and I struggled to get into this book, but eventually it turned a corner, and I enjoyed hearing about how the writer blends cooking, chefs, ingredients, and life in a foreign country.