Warmth. Connection. Goodness. Truth.

Over the past 5 or so years, I have really taken a step back from mainstream news in an attempt to protect my mental well-being and preserve my energy for the things I CAN change. But over the past month, I have found myself unable to turn away from what sometimes feels like a horrible theatre production playing out on the world stage. It has really affected me.

Even with my belief that this rupturing of what we know is bringing to light repressed and hidden corruption that we NEED to see in order to make real and lasting change, we are still living our human lives and seeing the fear and suffering of others. And that is very hard. 

So what to do? How do we witness it without being consumed by it?

My approach over the past few weeks has been to try to become even more discerning about what I allow in - and by this I mean everything - books I read, social media accounts I follow, things I watch on TV or online, people I meet.
I am asking myself, who and what am I allowing in? It requires me to notice - what is happening in my body right now? What is happening to my mood after I read or watched that thing? Where is my attention now?

For example, I recently got three-quarters of a way through a novel that had been recommended to me before taking it back to the library. I realised that, yes, it was gripping and well-written, but the subject matter was painful. I just didn't need to know any more. My system just didn’t need it.

I started to look at my inbox and other channels that bring information towards me, and I realised that even things that appear to be interesting or informative can bring with them a vibration of tension. A course being run by a very well-known health professional popped up on my feed. The topic was pertinent and relevant, but the language thrummed with fear. 

'DON'T GET LEFT BEHIND' 'PRESERVE YOUR CAREER'

Just as an experimennt, can I ask you to notice what happens in your body when you read those words? I wonder what happened to your breath. And nothing in your surroundings changed, you just read those words. 

Sometimes the messaging is more subtle, but it leaves us feeling unsettled or nervous or imbalanced or tense. And if we are already feeling that, while this input can feel like a welcome distraction, is it really welcome?

I decided to think of some criteria, some gate-keepers if you like. And they are warmth, connection, goodness and truth? Does that email from a mailing list, or that feed, or that film give rise to a sense of any of those things? Do I feel softer, more open, more grateful, more peaceful or more curious? Then yes please. Otherwise, it’s a no from me.

I can tell you that I am getting way less emails. My IG feed is quite limited. I'm feeling a bit bored. It’s definitely a work in progress and the temptation is high. But, like when I wanted to improve my diet when I was in my twenties, I realised that adding in was as important as cutting out. When my diet was bulging with good things, there was simply less space for the other stuff. Could our personal inbox be a bit like that?

Because I know that we are more likely to find things if we are focusing on them - and who of us couldn’t say that we’d like more warmth, connection, goodness and truth in our worlds?

Worth a try?