The Most Fertile Ground There Is

One of the most common topics lately in the media is our mental health. Its definition, its variations, its vulnerabilities, the things that affect it or not, but mainly, what is recommended we do to preserve it, conquer it, or, in certain cases, recover it, are discussed at length. The subject is considered quite serious, since it has already affected many different celebrities, such as artists and even Olympic athletes. Specialists from the most varied areas prescribe preventive measures and healing suggestions, but the general perception is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution, as each case carries its particularities which must always be taken into account.

The fact is that our minds have never been so exposed to unhealthy influences as they are today. If we add up the images and information that come to us through our TVs, computers, tablets, cell phones, and even wristwatches, we will come to the sad conclusion that our minds are being bombarded minute by minute with visual and auditory impulses of all kinds, and if we do not put some kind of filter on this informational tsunami, we will significantly decrease the chances of remaining mentally healthy.

Whether for our benefit or detriment, our minds capture everything that goes on around us. Everything that is perceived by our senses is processed and gains meaning in our brains. We must also include in this list, our energetic and vibratory perceptions, which lead us to feel (or sense) everything that is less obvious to our five primordial senses. After being processed and interpreted, such sensations and information generate biochemical reactions in our bodies, and the result of these reactions is what will make us feel better or worse, calm or stressed, relaxed or anxious, happy or sad, serene or afraid.

Following this reasoning, everything we give access to our minds is impacting us, whether we like it or not, and this leads us to question whether we are facilitating this access to the right things.

More often than not, our minds don't know how to clearly differentiate reality from fiction. If you imagine any scene in your mind with proper concentration, that thought will trigger the same biochemical processes and their consequent emotional reactions that you would have if you were seeing it in reality. If you watch a horror movie or play a war video game, your mind interprets that what is being seen is real, and therefore gives rise to adrenaline discharges and the consequent sensations of fear and desire to flight, for the sake of self-preservation.

If we analyze social networks, equipped with powerful algorithms that intelligently observe our every virtual interaction, the exposure of our minds to less healthy images and sounds has reached sophistications never seen before. Everything that instigates our instincts is constantly offered to us, and by "clicking" on such a stimulus, we become victims of our own latent primitivism. The algorithm will offer us more and more of that stimulus and we will be stuck to the cell phone screen, witnessing more and more everything that is most primitive and instinctive, polluting our minds more and more.

And if we decide to analyze what some "influencers" offer us in terms of advices and their behavioral examples, most of the time toxic and negative in nature, we will soon conclude that we are being influenced towards more frustration and unhappiness.

All of these things I have just mentioned are different types of seeds that are being inconsequentially sown in the fertile soil of our minds, which in turn will germinate thoughts, behaviors, biochemical reactions and the subsequent feelings aligned with the seeds that were planted. Such reactions affect us, stress us, distress us, depress us and occasionally could lead to suicidal acts by the least prepared and most vulnerable.

When we analyze such a dark and worrying scenario, one question arises: how are we dealing with such impulses? Would we be positioning ourselves only as passengers on this bus, allowing them to drive it for us? Will such seeds that we daily allow to be planted in the fertile soil of our minds lead us to a good place? My personal impression is that they will not. My perception is that the constant exposure to this avalanche of toxic images and information of questionable intentions is the root cause of many cases of mental health issues.

As a healthier alternative, we could seriously embrace the responsibility of being our own sensors. Does this video game instigate violence? Let's stop playing it. Does this TV series stress and anguish me? Let's stop watching. Does this social media content have dubious veracity? Does it violate my values? Let's stop clicking. Does this website instigate unbridled sexuality or immoral thoughts? Let's stop visiting it.

Selecting what we see and choosing the seeds we allow to be planted in our minds is everyone's individual responsibility, and can make the difference between happiness and depression, health and mental illness, peace and anxiety, and sometimes even life or death.

For some time now, I have "tamed" my social media, and only "click" with intentionality, looking only for the things I want to be shown back. I only follow people and pages that post content that I consider healthy and positive. With this simple action, I sanitized my experience in such media, and I no longer find myself stressed or distressed by the content I receive. In my mind, only the seeds I give permission are planted.

I leave that tip to you. For your own health, be your own content sensor.