A new habit I have begun implementing has been taking in the news once a week for an hour as part of my workday.

As a writer and producer, being up to date with my community, province, country and the world is more than helpful. I would consider it part of the job as a storyteller and content creator. To have a pulse on the heartbeat of others, invaluable.

Years ago in Interpreting training, we were taught to stay current with the news and the world around us. I always found this a practical and helpful tool, but with the rise of social media and lack of access to ‘paper’ read news (I prefer to read over watching daily news programs) I found myself only ever checking in during a catastrophic event.

Because news is a constant, overwhelming and often oppressive presence, taking the time in my work week to consume one hour of it intentionally has helped me immensely. It has changed how I view it and has made it less of an emotional journey, and more of intellectual practice.

I have also started doing this to be better equipped to speak to those I interview, to ask the right questions and also, to control how much I allow the '24/7’ news to infiltrate my life.

Obviously, this previous week has been heavy with news updates and current events unfolding.

I can only hope that as I move forward with this habit, I will find ways to continue consuming the news with a mindful, thoughtful and open spirit.