On Mental Clarity

If I have blogged less it is more due to my demanding job that is all computer based and less to the amount of ideas I have floating in my head. At the end of the day the last thing I want to do is look more at a screen, any screen and the more my mind and body aches for something real and tangible like a walk, cooking dinner, talking with a real person or making something with my hands.

One thought that I've had for a while now is the topic of mental clarity. I don't know about you but where I live the level of tension and negativity is pretty high. The DC area is packed with political drama. The news always has something depressing or heartbreaking: one day it's a girl getting stabbed in the neck while jogging, today a man by my job got hit by a car as he was on his bike going to work, the earth is boiling with global warming and the children in Myanmar are waiting for food while the rich people in expensive restaurants in DC don't finish their swordfish and the leftovers promptly plopped into the garbage for the rats to eat.

We need a break as humans from constant tragedy, consumption, and the internet. If you want to log-off now and go buy flowers I would be oh so very happy. But if you stay, you are warmly welcomed to stay too!

Since 2016 (when we moved and politics were getting nasty on every single channel), I decided to start taking a step back from it all. Part of my step back was pure repulsion of the level of hate that I saw good people exhibiting and simmering in. It was like a hate-stew and no one was leaving the pot willing to emotionally die rather than to step out of the stew.  Ignoring TV was partially shock and wanting nothing to do with participating as a viewer of the TV. I preferred walking and looking at the deer. But since then, and especially this year I have made a conscious effort to choose what entered my mind via the internet and TV and let me tell you, it has made a huge difference in my health and well-being. This might not work for everyone but I noticed that my body felt more relaxed, I felt less prone to being anxious on what was happening, and I felt more stable in the moments that seemed unstable. I thought of a few things that worked for me that I could share and here are some:

1. Have regular moments of recognizing grace in your life. I'm no morning person so the idea of starting the morning with a thankful spirit is silly to me when I roll out of bed wondering whose idea it was to start the day before noon. But I do believe that when you are in a good moment of the day for alertness it is great to make a list of things you are grateful for, even if it is said outloud. My time is usually noon when I go to mass and can be thankful for the beauty of Jesus that is there in perfect peace. If that day is tedious or a bad day then the moment of grace and thankfulness is so much more powerful to remind me of the good that surrounds me and all that I have both spiritually and physically. Thankfulness makes forgiveness easier.

I'm grateful for little friends, my health and little moments of happiness where the world disappears with a squirmy kitten in my hand. 

2. Sleep with the cell phone in another room. This is a hard one yet makes sleeping so much easier. If you have a computer, turn it completely off! The humming sound isn't good for deep sleep. I found that when I sleep with my phone close-by that the first thing I do when I wake up feeling like a zombie, is check my email. My brain is definitely not registering any information at that time! Our bodies and minds are more primitive and need to wake up at a natural pace with some order before choosing to look at our cell phones and see the overflow of information that is ready to jump at us: the news, our email, who called, who didn't call, who is going to court or who got stabbed, etc. Give your mind a real break at night. It was created for a natural cycle and cellphones really create a level of agitation that isn't natural and breaks that cycle of relaxation by interrupting with overstimulation.

"No more till tomorrow after breakfast!" Fatty sets his paw down.

3. Limit the news you watch. I would say cut it out completely on TV and be very selective on what you spend time on online. Most news isn't good for your mind or soul. You know the political situation is a mess. You know people probably got mugged and another lousy parent took an overdose while their baby died of starvation. It is happening now! I feel like the compassion in our natural self to see or know of suffering and injustice feels a need to act. And having the constant stimulation of this terrible news imbalances our sense of balance. I would suggest making a list of good sources of information and limiting time to those good sources such as an hour or two per week rather than hours per day.

Find wonder in the ordinary. Let your mind relax.

Take up cooking something new or different! Take up cooking a dish for the needy once per week. 

4. Avoid social media. Social media produces so much anxiety across age groups. That is a blanket statement and yes seeing old friends is great and catching up on cute pictures of families and trips are fun but social media is also a vacuum of joy. People only post the good. Of course they do! Who is going to post the latest on their knee replacement or breakup and how they sobbed for the millionth time when they lost their job? But in those moments of loneliness and difficulty, turning to social media and seeing only the positive in other peoples lives makes it seem like everyone else has it together, with a decent family on the holidays, and a well behaved dog. So many of the people of my generation fall into the comparison trap and feel that they need to catch up, match and surpass their friends on the internet. It is simply no way to live! Pictures haunt. Pictures depress, and ultimately people feel more lonely than before. My advice: get rid of all social media. Live your lives and call your friends and ignore your past enemies. Actually, pray for them. If you can't stomach praying for your enemies then pray for a spirit of forgiveness and have your favorite person you resent next on your list to pray for their health, soul and God to work in their heart.

Thumbs up. Smiley face. Like. It's all a way to get people to get attention. Turn it off and focus on the people you wish to have good relationships with. Focus on your interior life, pray, talk with God and ask some of the amazing saints to intercede. Read up on saints, I'm sure you will find a friend to talk to way more than on Facebook! St. Anne Catherine Emmerich is my current saint for the week. There are so many amazing saints to read about and commiserate with. They know what this life is like and are all ears ready to inspire you and to intercede!

How many followers does the shark have on Instagram? None! He ate them all!

5. Engage your mind on the good, honest and beautiful. One of my favorite Bible verses says to think on all things good, honest and beautiful. It is hard! It is so much easier to dwell on people's faults, what the did, what they didn't do, what they should have done, and on the pain in my back, cramps, and degrading boss. Yes, the litany of self-inflicted negative thoughts are so easy to sit with. One good way that has worked for me to get out of this hurdle is to look at art. Go to a museum and see beautiful masterpieces of artists, talk to the pieces, eat something different and take a bagged lunch to give to some homeless person in need. Doing something for others in dire need is the best way to take your mind off your pains and also a way to get joy from giving out of the love for another human being. When you find your mind straying to the bad, dishonest, and ugly give yourself a moment to realize where your mind is and let yourself know that you aren't going to stay here for very long and that you are moving your thoughts elsewhere. It really works.

There is always a first day when you try anything new. There is so much good to try and think about!

I asked myself a few times if I was being oversensitive, or too "American" or avoiding reality by trying somethings for mental hygiene. Then I realized that our ancestors didn't have all of these mental stimulants and while their problems didn't go away, they were able to live just fine without constant access to terrible news and the internet, so why can't we? I feel like since stepping back from the "noise" I have felt more relaxed, and have been able to be a better listener to my family and friends, have better moments reflecting with myself and also opening my ability to distinguish moments to spend time seeing the negative and mentally walking away from it or actively engaging with it giving the negativity a time limit. My time is precious and bad things have their space but are not welcome to dwell in me.

I hope some of this helped, friends. Happy Autumn! Enjoy some walks!