Block out all noise to enhance your signal

Perform a noise check on yourself
Whenever you’re encountering any information, ask yourself the following: Is this information unusable? Is it untimely? Is it hypothetical? Is it distracting? If it meets any of these 4 criteria, eliminate it.

Reduce your consumption of information
For the next 2 weeks, decrease your information intake by just 5%. Cut out information that fits any of the above criteria for noise. For example, you can keep the radio off for the first 5 minutes of driving your car. You can turn off the radio in case you’re having a conversation with someone. You can reduce the time you spend watching TV news. You can also read fewer articles that report negative events happening across the world.

Create active noise canceling
Put up a sign next to your desk with the following 3 statements: “I will keep my worry in proportion to the likelihood of the event,” “I will not ruin 10,000 days just to be right on a handful,” and “I will not equate worrying with being loving or responsible.” Use these visual statements to help you focus only on your positive goals.

Fact-check your worries
When feeling worried, ask yourself: “How often has this negative event happened in the past?” “How often does this negative event occur to people like me?” Answer these questions objectively and your worries will reduce.

Write down positive things to cancel the negative noise
If you start worrying about something, take 5 minutes to write down all the things you’re passionate about. These can be your children, values, hobbies, faith, etc.

Add exercise to your daily routine
If you’re struggling to reduce your worry and anxiety, hit the gym. Exercise increases optimism and lowers cortisol levels.