There is a lot going on in our world, a lot that can consume our thoughts. At the same time, we may have more down time than we are accustomed to, given that most of the world is still trying and failing to manage the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping us indoors much more than before. This combination, so much going on in the world while our individual lives are forcefully slowed down, means we likely have more time to 'think'. How we think matters, and I hope that you have come to that realization already, given some of my previous blog posts.
With more time, potentially, to think about what is happening around us, it is imperative that we make conscious decisions about how we are thinking, what we are thinking, and what we are thinking about.
I have mentioned in previous blog posts that it is in our best interest to limit our access to news, as a protective mechanism for our mental health. That doesn't mean to ignore what is happening, which is at the other end of the extreme spectrum from overdosing on news and media consumption. Being informed is important, but then what we do with that information is a decision we can make for ourselves, and for our own well-being.
Research tells us that rumination, dwelling on particular negative thoughts, is a danger to our mental health, can lead to depressive thoughts or clinical depression, and in extreme cases may contribute to obsessive-compulsive disorder or eating disorders. So, ruminating on the plethora of negative or stressful events in our current world would be to our own detriment. It is easy to do- to ruminate on all of the negativity in our current world. Especially given that the news is available 24-hours, and is at your fingertips, whether you are in your car, at work, at home, in bed.... anywhere you go, you have access to it, so the bad news can feel overwhelming and abundant.
So, what can we do to combat this? We can, again, limit our exposure to the negative news, search out some good news, and choose to meditate (on the good news) instead of ruminate. Yes, it is a choice. It is not an easy one, I recognize that. I struggle with this myself sometimes. It is pretty easy to get caught up in the negativity bias, seeing all of the bad things around us and ruminating on all of it. Sometimes we do just sort of surrender to it and allow ourselves to have a bad day, that happens. But, as a general approach to living in a pandemic and what feels like world wide civil unrest, it is in our own best interest to pull ourselves out of that pit of rumination and use our energy to meditate on the good. It doesn't have to be anything huge, but something simple like sunshine, or today I am happy to have some rain, as a welcomed reprieve from the August heat and humidity in the southern U.S.
Your task for the day is to practice meditation on good thoughts instead of rumination. The good things are out there, you just need to look for them. Research tells us that when we wake up in a bad mood, we tend to focus on the negativity in the world around us, which further feeds that bad mood. As a past commuter in Los Angeles traffic, I can tell you, on a bad day, I would notice ALL of the bad drivers on the freeways, but on a good day, that same long commute allowed me to see the kind drivers, the courteous commuters, and enjoy the music blaring from my car speakers as I smiled my way to campus. It wasn't the traffic that was any different - it was always congested, and typically filled with the same commuters each day. It was my attitude that was different. It was what I was focusing on that changed. So, instead of ruminating on the bad drivers, meditating on the good ones contributed to my good mood, and started my day off rather well. We can do that each day, with a conscious effort toward the positive meditation instead of rumination.
I challenge you to do this today, and any day. Look around you. Don't ignore the news or the current events or the realities of your life, but don't forget to meditation on the smallest of good things, too.
Sunshine or rain. Solitude or noise. A good cup of coffee or delicious breakfast. A day to work or a day to rest. A flower. Beautiful graffiti. People laughing.
You can do this. We can do this. We will get through this together!
Be well, take care, stay safe.
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