Unplugged and Unbothered: When Knowing Less Became My Form of Self-Care
My son came down the stairs the other night while I was watching Dancing with the Stars and asked, “Mom, are you watching the New York mayoral race?” For a moment, it felt like a trick question—but then something deeper settled in. I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about, and to my surprise, that realization filled me with joy. I didn’t know about the race, and I didn’t need to know. If you read my last blog – “My health is not for Sale”, you will know that I’ve been living far off the radar of news, politics, and social media and his question reminded me of how good it feels to stay committed to nurturing my heart, soul, and body. I have discovered that my body is simply not built to carry a daily overload of external noise—the endless scrolling, constant news updates, and pressure to always know what’s happening. I used to fight that truth, convincing myself I needed to stay informed, connected, in the loop. But all it did was flood my spirit with information I didn’t need and drain the peace I was trying so hard to protect. Choosing not to know has become its own form of self-care for me—a quiet rebellion against the noise. A noise that robs us all of truly being able to embrace the joys of living! And trust me there truly is a lot of joy to embrace!
Life feels surprisingly light when you stop needing to know everything—what’s happening in the world, what others are doing, or how to fix it all—and just start living. When I unplugged from the endless scroll of updates, I felt a real shift: my mind quieted, my focus sharpened, and my heart felt lighter. It turns out, the less I knew about everyone else, the more peace I found within myself.
And since my health is not for sale, I continue to enjoy just being! And trusting that not knowing is sometimes the healthiest place to be-I am now filling my space up with long walks, more trips to the gym, trail hikes with my son, creating healthy vegan meals, writing another book, and learning about my ancestry. Oh yes, and I work full time too! It’s very clear that the less I know about everyone else’s highlight reels or drama threads, the more I am able to reconnect with my own life — my pace, my values, my truth and doing what makes me feel alive and awake. Knowing less doesn’t mean you’re uninformed; it means you’re intentional about what deserves your energy. And in a culture built on noise, and poised to keep us all distracted, that’s not withdrawal — that’s wisdom. It’s being clear about the value of this one precious life, how quickly it goes by, and knowing that at the end of the day, most of us are able to choose how we want to live it. And in this chapter of my life, I choose to be unplugged and unbothered. For the health of it, give yourself permission not to know — and watch how your mind, body, and spirit begin to exhale.
