News Burnout, Fall

Let's face it, the world can be a pretty depressing place, especially if one is a news media consumer. It is for that reason that at least a couple people I've spoken with or heard about have stopped watching/reading/following the news.

While I understand this approach, it isn't one that I personally take. Aside from short, deliberate news fasts, I find it important to be an informed citizen, in spite of the emotional toll it may take.

Granted, sometimes I can only take the news with a heavy dose of humor (Jon Stewart, I miss yoouuuu...), but I do feel a need to be plugged in not only to social media but to the larger world around me. This may be partly because of my field. My Master's degree is in Communications, so the media is an important part of what I do and most of my classes required some degree of news consumption. But honestly, I actually feel better when I keep up with what's going on in the world.

I do need to tune out a lot of the partisan bickering, but no matter how bad things are in the world, I feel better when I remember that the world is larger than myself. It's a unique kind of misery being in your own little bubble, and the news helps me get outside that.

And while watching or reading the news can lead to feelings of helplessness, that's when I as a person of faith turn over the things I can't control to God. Because I need to pray for the world and not just for my world.

Do you find that news consumption leaves you feeling helpless or connected? Do you limit your news consumption, or avoid the news altogether?

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On another note, it's fall! I'm not sure if today or tomorrow marks the official start of fall, but Labor Day has come and gone and pumpkin spice lattes have been out for awhile.

I have been partaking of the pumpkin products (usually pumpkin iced coffee from Dunkin Donuts), but this season has been all about the aroma therapy for me this year.

The other week I went into Bath & Body Works. I was looking for my favorite seasonal lotion, Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin. But oh, my goodness, I lost count of how many different scents of pumpkin alone they had. Pumpkin latte (of course), pumpkin cupcake, caramel pumpkin swirl...it was actually kind of overwhelming. The sweet cinnamon pumpkin is still my favorite though.

And I'm becoming really partial to apple scents. My car smells like apple (thanks to a Bath & Body Works refresher), and I bought some Fe-breeze apple scented stuff. Best part? No calories, haha.

Fall smells as good as it tastes.