Feed Your Mind Well

What you feed your mind is as important as what you eat.

In a world where we're becoming increasingly aware of what we put into our bodies – reading food labels, counting carbs, avoiding processed ingredients – it’s surprising how little attention we often give to what we feed our minds.

Think about it: you wouldn't knowingly eat spoiled food. So why consume a steady diet of mental junk – negative news, toxic conversations, doom-scrolling social media, or content that leaves you anxious, angry, or numb?

Let’s talk about mental nutrition.

Junk Food for the Brain

Every time you turn on the TV and let a 30-minute news cycle blast you with crime, war, outrage, and division, it’s like inhaling a greasy fast-food combo for your brain. It’s engineered to keep you hooked, but it leaves you mentally bloated – filled with fear, anxiety, and stress.

And just like your body struggles to perform well on poor nutrition, your mind will struggle to think clearly, stay optimistic, and feel calm when it's constantly fed negativity.

History shows us that the world has always teetered on chaotic change. In the past, we didn’t have sudden access to the firehose of fear programming that funds the media. While you can’t control the events happening in the world – you can control your focus.

A Mindful Mental Diet

So what should you feed your mind?

Books that challenge your thinking. Fiction or non-fiction, good literature stimulates imagination and empathy.
Conversations that lift you up. Surround yourself with people who encourage, not drain you.
Content that teaches or inspires. Podcasts, documentaries, art, nature – the world is full of meaningful input that energizes your spirit rather than exhausts it.

You don’t have to bury your head in the sand. It’s okay to stay informed – but there’s a difference between being aware and being consumed.

Detoxing from the Negativity Loop

If you’ve noticed a mental fog, low mood, or rising anxiety, it might be time for a mental detox:

Turn off the news for a week. You’ll still know what you need to know – trust me.
Unfollow accounts that spike your stress. Curate your feed like you curate your plate.
Schedule time for silence. Meditation, prayer, or even just a walk without headphones can reset your mental rhythm.
Walk in nature. When you immerse yourself in the natural world, you will find squirrels doing squirrel things, trees doing tree things and birds singing bird songs. Simplicity is an amazing cure for anxiety.

The Mind-Body Connection

What you watch, read, and listen to doesn’t just affect your emotions – it affects your body. Chronic stress from negative input can mess with your sleep, your digestion, your immune system, and more. A peaceful mind often leads to a healthier body.

Just like a balanced diet fuels your physical health, a balanced mental diet fuels your emotional resilience, creativity, and joy. Be as intentional with your mind as you are with your meals. Guard your attention – it’s your most valuable resource.

Because your thoughts shape your reality, what you feed your mind becomes the soil from which your life grows.