How are you making out without the evening news? Better? Worse? Having news-withdrawal jitters?
I didn’t watch the news at all this week and I still know who won the Iowa Caucus. I don’t actually care who won, because I have election fatigue already. I think the process we use takes way too long and there is only so much I can take of politicians. It’s about thirty seconds worth and they don’t even have to be speaking to wear me out. My point? I actively avoid all the campaigning and the news of all the campaigning and I still know who won in Iowa. Thus, proving that avoiding the evening news won’t cause you to be ignorant and uninformed. Ta Da!
What you feed your mind is as important as what you feed your body. (I keep threatening to embroider that on a pillow.) It is true and it is necessary to understand it as true to step out of the stress and into joy. There has been a lot published and touted about brain chemistry and the effects of chemical imbalances in the brain. For everything that is known there is much that is not. The theory goes that chemicals in your brain affect your mood. That is the underlying belief behind prescriptions for depression and ADD. What is also known but not reported much is that your mood and your thoughts have an effect on your brain chemistry. There are also many who believe that your diet has a significant effect as well. If alcohol can alter your mood and brain chemistry why not any other food? I think a part of the attraction to high fat comfort foods is the chemical alteration that occurs.
But, I’m getting off my point. What you feed your mind is important. You’ve stopped inputting the craziness that is the evening news. That’s great. I made a playlist on youtube.com called Bring in the Joy. The videos included are ones I find particularly effective at getting me out of the present moment and into the space of connectedness and joy. There are only seven videos at the moment. I invite you to send me the links to videos that lift you out of yourself and for that few minutes it’s just you and the music. I want to add them to this playlist.
Enjoy!