Clean Your Filters

Hello and Happy Holidays!

This is a great time of year to "clean your filters." I'm not referring to your home's heating filters or the air filter in your car. I'm referring to your mental filters - those inherent screening systems that let in the good and, hopefully, keep out the bad.

We're constantly bombarded with images, messages, and other visual and mental stimuli that can have potentially negative effects on our thinking, perceptions, outlook, attitude, and behavior. Consider things such as violent video games, pornography, advertisements (particularly those that target an individual's self-esteem), racist and sexist images, and even the nightly news.

Do you recall a time when your behavior, thinking, or attitudes changed because of something you saw on TV or read in a magazine? I know many women who live by the articles and photos in fashion magazines. They compare themselves to the unrealistic (and very airbrushed!) photos of models, and fear rejection unless they succumb to breast implants and Botox. I know of other people who watch the news religiously and then complain of feeling depressed because the world is such a terrible place.

The solution? Clean your filters! Be extremely selective about what you allow your mind to absorb. You've heard the saying, "You are what you eat." Well, the same holds true about what you see and hear.

Choose entertainment that is uplifting and has a positive message. Be mindful when you watch the news; consider each story's true relevance in your own life. While it is important to be aware of events in the world, we don't have to allow these events to color our outlook on life.

Being selective and saying "no" to certain media messages is a healthy form of self-care. Nurture and protect your self-esteem and mental wellness by fueling your mind with inspiring, positive, and wholesome stimuli. Your synapses will thank you, and I think you'll start to experience a fresh, new perspective. My clients, family, and friends who have adopted this strategy report that they feel "lighter", more invigorated, more optimistic, less angry, and more patient. Cleaning their filters really paid off!

You might want to try this as an experiment for a month. I hope you'll let me know how it works for you!

Wishing you continued success,
Dr. Debra