I work with many individuals trying to improve their health in some way. A big part of the care and healing comes from making changes to their diet. We start by taking out food that has little to no nutritional value. We remove foods that are triggering to their specific body systems. And lastly, we implement highly nutritious foods and increase the consumption of these on a daily basis. Immediately the body begins the process of repair and healing and in time we see the results of these new choices. Some health issues are cleared up rather quickly. Other, more complicated problems, may take a longer period of time to resolve. When my patients realize that food is inevitably leading their body towards repair or destruction they make better choices and we see the results.
Just like I put my patients on a "physical food" regime, I also put them on a "mental diet". Truth be told, I have found the mental diet to be even more powerful than the food. The mental diet drives behavior and thereby affects what people tend to put in their mouths. So I spend just as much time reviewing and revamping a person's mental diet as I do the physical diet. I've found most people pay no attention to this yet it affects EVERYTHING in life!
How do we improve our mental diet so we can get phenomenal results? Pretty much the same way you would improve your eating habits. Pay attention to what you're consuming, then remove the bad and put in more good.
Just like there are foods that trigger some people's body systems in a negative way, causing an inflammatory response, so too can the mind be triggered by what comes in. Sometimes these mental triggers can cause an inflammatory response as well! Start by identifying what your "triggers" are and reduce/remove as many as possible. Some examples of triggers are watching certain news stories, or getting involved in pointless arguments. Sometimes it's certain people or what they say. If possible, reduce the amount of time you spend with them. If you can't do that, then a better option is to really do some deeper work and examine WHY these people are triggering to you. What must you believe about yourself or others in order for you to be triggered? What meaning must you be giving an event that is triggering you rather than moving you in a forward direction? (See Arrow Tip #8) Change these things.
Some foods have no nutritional value. The same goes for what you feed your mind. Decrease the empty, meaningless things you put into your brain. Spend your time consuming "nutrient-dense mind food". If it adds value to your life then it's nutritious for you. Fill your mind with things that build you up in some way or add joy to your day.
When we consume food (external source) our bodies break it down (internally) to form the building blocks that cause our bodies to function (either well or poorly). Likewise, what we take into our minds externally also fuels the building blocks of our internal thoughts that affect our function in day-to-day life. I've mentioned in several Arrow Tips the importance of paying attention to what you're thinking about and thinking better thoughts. This is a huge part of the mental diet. But, a key piece to doing that is to watch what you're feeding your mind on a daily basis because those things affect your thoughts and feelings.
I spend a great deal of my time inputting powerful, valuable information into my brain. I keep my media/news input to a setting that allows me to get the data I need to be an informed person rather than regurgitating negative stories and gossip over and over endlessly. I read books and listen to podcasts that teach me new things. I enjoy listening to music I love and having meaningful conversations with people that add value to my life and whose lives I add value to as well. I watch my inner mental diet and when I notice myself being triggered by something, I try to understand what it is that's REALLY triggering me. If those thoughts are out of alignment with where I want to go or who I want to be in life then I change them. I quite literally "rewire" my brain to create better thoughts by repetition and mental rehearsal of new empowering thoughts. If you don't know how to do this then go back and read my previous Arrow Tips on this blog where I explain and give the ACTION STEPS to improve your internal mental diet.
We all know if we want to have healthier bodies then we need to eat healthier foods. But it's not all that often that people pay attention to the mental food they're consuming on a daily basis. If you want a healthier mindset, and to navigate life at a higher level of function, you must start paying attention to what you're feeding your mind and make the necessary changes.
Just like the body, some changes you will see immediately. Other times, for internal, more complicated matters, it might take longer for deeper changes and healing to take place. But I can assure you they will if you take the time to pay attention and change what you feed yourself mentally. Start consuming content that will fuel the construction of strong building blocks to create an empowered mindset.
ACTION STEPS:
Make the decision to pay attention to what you're feeding your mind.
Reduce the amount of negative or empty content you're consuming.
Notice what triggers you. Reduce the triggers if possible. Dive deeper into them and use previous Arrow Tips to determine what meaning or beliefs you have around these triggers so you can change them.
Introduce new, positive content into your system as well as increase the consumption of valuable mind food to build a solid mental foundation and enhance a powerful mindset.
*Remember: YOU ARE UNSTOPPABLE.
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