Protecting your Mental Input
There are times when my heart begins beating fast, my mind starts racing, and I break out in a nervous sweat. It may seem that the cause of these symptoms would be from doing something challenging, such as taking a test or perhaps giving an important presentation. However, more often than not, these effects take place in my body shortly after scrolling through news articles online.
I think we are all familiar with the notion that “bad news sells.” A headline that is promoting major change or controversy is going to get way more reads, comments, and attention than simply a feel good story. And with the help of social media sites, news travels quicker than any other time in world history. However, just because we have access to so much media input at all times, does not mean that we have to consume every article that is placed before our eyes. Just like I have a choice on whether or not I will buy only junk food at the store, I can also choose what I will allow into my mind.
In a similar way that my brain and body can get addicted to sugar if that’s all I eat, I feel that if I’m not careful with how I use technology, I can also quickly become addicted to new input overload. This is where my brain is sending me signals to check the news or social media every few hours, sometimes even every few minutes, to see if there are any new developments or information that I just “need to know.” When I live like this, I feel like a hamster on a wheel, I don’t really know where I’m headed, just that I need to get there fast.
Pretty soon, I’m worried about everything. I feel things are out of control, and I feel helpless to fix them. I can’t sleep at night, and even trying to maintain friendships seems exhausting. Anxiety runs high, rest runs low, and relaxation is nowhere in sight. I’m irritable and grumpy, and tension flows throughout my body.
When I finally realize I am far from living the way I want to, I take a reflective step back and start to put some safeguards in place. One thing I do is filter out the news. There will always be bad news whether I read it or not, but I can only control myself, so when I stop reading every article, I find it is easier to enjoy life and see the beauty that is around me. This also means changing my input. When I change my focus to being in nature, reading good books, encouraging a friend, taking time to be thankful for what I have, or serving someone else, I am changing my view of the world and even my part in it. For me, rest is so much more easily achieved when my life is centered around that which is good. Our input directly affects our output and that can make all the difference.
Challenges/Points:
We are in control of what we put into our brains, and our mental health affects our entire body.
If you don’t like the outcome of your daily habits, know that some intentional practice can bring about helpful change.
By changing our focus to more of what is good, our mental health improves and results in us having more peace, rest, and a sense of well being.
Questions:
What kind of input do you sense adds to your mental stress during the day?
What are some safeguards you can establish in your life to protect the input your brain receives?
What are some activities that bring you joy? How can adding more of those things to your life bring a better quality of rest and peace?
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