Nourish Your Mind

Hey everyone!

Me again! I think we've all heard that saying; "you are what you eat," well the same is true of our minds! You are what you consume! It's something to be aware of, especially with a lot of people home from work, in isolation with nothing better to do. Are you bingeing on Netflix? Or getting stuck in the scroll hole on social media? Or both at the same time!? The truth is, our mindset us largely determined by what we feed it. Did you know that in the first hour after you wake up, and the last hour before you go to sleep, your mind becomes a sponge, absorbing all and everything our eyes and ears take in! During the waking hours, an adult brain is able to filter what it takes in; to rationalise and use logic to make decisions about what is happening around us. This is not so during the time when we are still waking up, and when we are winding down before sleep - there is no filter. And what do most people do when they first wake up? Scroll social media, turn on the news... and what do most people do as they're winding down before bed? Play video games, watch Netflix... So you can see how someone who turned on the news first thing every morning would go into the day with the mindset that there's no good in the world. Or someone who scrolls social media before they even get out of bed would go into the day with the mindset that everyone else has a better life than them. Similarly, you can imagine the toxic mindset of a person who plays war video games right before bed, or watches action or horror movies late in the evening! Now, I'm not saying don't do those things, I'm just saying be aware of what you're feeding your mind each day! One of the best things you can do for your mindset is remove negativity from your social media newsfeed. Then, limit your exposure to negative news sources, particularly first thing in the morning and last thing at night. And more than anything, consider why you need to reach for your phone first thing, or why you need to stare at a screen late into the night?? About 3.5 years ago, I deactivated my Facebook, and it was the most liberating thing I ever did! The algorithm was really not in my favour, and my whole newsfeed was so negative that every time I went online I would fall into a downward spiral; so like, everyday! Yeah, it wasn't fun. I lived without Facebook for years - I still used Instagram to share my photos, but I was super careful what I allowed into my newsfeed - I've only recently become active on my Facebook again, since I started my online business. But in doing so, I recalibrated my algorithm, got rid of some toxic people, and also try to limit my time in my news feed - ain't nobody got time for the scroll hole! However, you should consider what you're feeding your mind all through the day, not just in the morning or at night! Just because our brains are better at filtering it during the day, doesn't mean we should overload it with toxic and negative content! Because basically, you are what you always think, too! It can become so comforting to fall into the mindlessness of watching a movie or tv show, or the mind numbing sensation of getting stuck in the scroll hole. But what I found to be true for myself, was that once I started feeding my mind with some proper nourishment, it's slowly becoming habit to fill my mind with nourishment, rather than junk! Similar to our bodies really; once we start giving our bodies the nutrition it needs, rather than just filling our stomach with junk food, we find we reach more for a healthy snack over a chocolate bar! And then of course, it's important to become comfortable in the company of our own thoughts! I find so many people need to have the radio blaring all day, or can't fall asleep without some form of background noise, and it drives me crazy!! I sometimes have days where I need to evaluate why I need to have some noise playing, why I can't be alone with my thoughts - and honestly, if your mind is so toxic that you don't even want to hang out with yourself, it's time to take a step back and explore why! I've been loving diving into meditation this year so far, and it's been great for providing clarity and wellness in my mind! In particular, a 'Prepare for Sleep' meditation has been very helpful on those nights where I just can't switch off for bed. I'd definitely reccommend meditation for anyone who's struggling with any kind of mindset stressors - if you don't think you have time to meditate, that's when you really need to meditate!! Hope this one served you, and if you're wondering where to start for some nourishment for your mind, keep your eye out for my next post, coming in the next couple of days, where I'll share what I listen to and what I find feeds my mind!