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Encouragement,  Simple Rhythms,  Thoughtful Consumption

Simplifying Life: Information Overload and Finding Peace

October 20, 2026 /

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it means to simplify my life.

Not necessarily in the way we often hear about it — getting rid of possessions, moving to a tiny house, or giving up every modern convenience. I’m talking about something a little less tangible but, at least for me, just as important: simplifying what comes into my life every day.

The information. The noise. The constant stream of things competing for my attention.

It finally occurred to me that I was spending an awful lot of mental energy filtering through information I never asked for in the first place.

When Everything Wants Your Attention

Think about how differently we live today compared to previous generations. We can wake up in the morning and, before our feet even touch the floor, have access to breaking news, social media updates, advertisements, other people’s opinions, videos, emails, and an endless stream of recommendations for things we should watch, read, buy, or think about.

And it doesn’t stop there.

Even when we aren’t actively looking for information, it finds us. Our devices are designed to keep presenting us with something new, something interesting, something we might like. There’s always another link to follow, another video to watch, another post to read.

Our brains are left to sort through it all.

I’ve read research over the years about information overload and the effects of constant stimulation on our ability to concentrate, process information, and manage stress. While I don’t think every problem we experience can be blamed on technology, I do think we underestimate how exhausting it can be to live in a world where our attention is continually being pulled in different directions.

I began to notice the effects in my own life.

I wanted to focus on the things that mattered to me — preparing meals, keeping up with the house, tending the garden, working on projects, and taking care of the everyday responsibilities that come with maintaining a home. I wanted the mental space to think about what needed doing and to decide how I wanted to spend my time.

Instead, there was always something else trying to get my attention.

And I was tired of it.

Small Changes, One at a Time

So I started making changes.

Not all at once. I worked through things gradually, making one or two changes each week rather than trying to overhaul everything overnight.

The first big step was cleaning up my smartphone.

I haven’t given up my smartphone, and I’m not sure I have any desire to do so. It serves some genuinely useful purposes in my life. But I removed almost all the apps that had become sources of distraction — Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, and the others that encouraged me to keep checking in.

I kept the practical things I use regularly, including my calendar, maps, and email, but tucked them away in a folder rather than leaving them readily available on my home screen. I kept the Walmart and Amazon apps, too, because ordering household necessities and groceries for delivery saves me time, money, and energy.

When you’re dealing with limited energy, the goal isn’t to make life unnecessarily difficult in the name of simplicity. It’s to make room for the things that matter by letting go of the things that don’t.

I’ve made other changes, too.

I’ve set up my phone to screen calls from numbers that aren’t in my contacts, which has eliminated almost all the spam calls I used to receive. I put “No Soliciting” signs on the front door, and those unwanted sales pitches at the door have all but disappeared.

And when I know I’ll have to sit and wait somewhere, I take a book with me.

It’s a small thing, but I like having something I actually want to read instead of automatically reaching for my phone because I’m bored or have a few minutes to fill.

Each change has been relatively simple on its own. Together, they’ve begun to change the feel of my days.

Even Entertainment Can Become Noise

One of the more recent changes involved YouTube.

I still enjoy watching videos, but I’ve found that the recommendations and suggested content can become another endless stream of things competing for my attention. Even when I start out looking for something specific, it’s easy to be drawn into watching something else, then something else after that.

So I’ve changed how I use it.

I watch YouTube on the television rather than on my phone. That makes it easier to enjoy what I’m watching without getting drawn into reading or writing comments or following one recommendation after another.

I’ve also separated my interests into different accounts. I have one for nature and landscape videos and another for favorite movies, with other interests kept separate as needed. That way, the recommendations are more relevant to what I actually want to watch in that moment.

I often play nature videos or familiar movies in the background while I’m doing other things. They help settle my racing thoughts and make it easier for me to focus.

The difference is that I’m choosing what I want to have in the background rather than being presented with an endless menu of things I might want to watch next.

That distinction matters.

Entertainment isn’t the enemy. Neither is technology. But I want to be the one making the choices, not constantly responding to whatever an algorithm puts in front of me.

Reclaiming the Space Between Things

I’ve also deleted my Facebook pages and plan to reactivate my personal profile in a month or so. For now, I’m enjoying the absence of the constant stream of advertisements and sponsored content.

I don’t know yet what my relationship with social media will look like when I return. I’m not making any grand declarations about never using it again. I simply wanted a break long enough to experience what life feels like without it being part of my everyday routine.

And I’m discovering that I enjoy the quiet.

There is something to be said for having a few minutes with nothing demanding your attention. For sitting with your own thoughts. For noticing what needs doing around the house, or what you’d like to work on in the garden, without a dozen other things interrupting the thought before it has a chance to develop.

We don’t always need to fill every quiet moment.

Sometimes we need to let our minds wander. Sometimes we need to reflect on something we’ve read or experienced. Sometimes we need to pray, spend time with God, or simply be present with another person without mentally juggling everything else that’s vying for our attention.

I wonder how much of what we call boredom is simply our discomfort with having nothing new to process.

We’ve become so accustomed to filling every spare moment that we’ve almost forgotten how to leave a little space for ourselves.

A Simpler Life Isn’t About Doing Without Everything

I don’t think simplifying life means rejecting everything modern or returning to some imagined time when life was easier. Previous generations had their own burdens, and I’m grateful for many of the conveniences we have today.

My smartphone makes navigation easier. Delivery services save me trips and energy. Technology allows me to access information, communicate with people I care about, and enjoy music, films, and the beauty of places I may never visit in person.

I want to keep those benefits.

What I don’t want is to spend my limited time and energy constantly sorting through things that don’t serve a meaningful purpose in my life.

I’m learning to ask a different question: Does this make my life better, or does it simply take up space in it?

Sometimes the answer is obvious. Sometimes it takes a little experimenting to find out.

And that’s why I’ve approached these changes gradually. I’m not following someone else’s list of rules for a simpler life. I’m paying attention to what leaves me feeling peaceful, what helps me focus, and what allows me to spend my time and energy more intentionally.

It’s less about restriction and more about discernment.

Making Room for What Matters

The past few days, especially since I made the latest changes to my YouTube feeds, have felt noticeably more peaceful.

I’m finding it easier to think about the things I want to do rather than the things some website or app thinks I should be interested in. My attention is turning back toward my own home, my own projects, and the everyday things that give my life meaning.

I want to spend time cooking and caring for my home. I want to tend the garden and work on projects that have been waiting for my attention. I want to make things, learn things, and enjoy the simple pleasures of an ordinary day.

I also want to have time to think, to pray, to listen, and to be present.

Because a meaningful life isn’t necessarily one filled with more information, more activities, or more things to consume.

Sometimes it’s a life with fewer interruptions and a little more room to breathe.

I’m still figuring out what that looks like for me. There will undoubtedly be more adjustments as I go along. But for now, I’m enjoying the process of clearing away some of the noise and discovering what I want to make room for in its place.

Maybe that’s a good place to begin: not by asking what else we can add to our lives, but by asking what we might gently set aside.

What would we notice if we weren’t constantly being distracted from noticing it?

What might we think about, create, or accomplish if we had a little more mental space?

And what might we rediscover about ourselves, our relationships, and our relationship with God if we allowed a little more quiet into our days?

I don’t have all the answers. I’m simply beginning to make room for them.

And for now, that feels like a very good place to start.

Further Reading & Research

Information Overload

Interruptions, Multitasking & Attention

Recommendation Feeds & the Attention Economy