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| Photo by Rick Hustead |
With so
much going on in the world these past few days, it is easy to get sucked into a
vortex of national news/political spin/cat videos/etc. when we turn on and tune
into social media. From what I have observed on my own Facebook
and Twitter feeds, local news
reports and daily life, it seems like more and more of us are getting stuck in environmental
hypnosis. This constant onslaught of digital information overloads the
subconscious mind and impairs our ability to use the reasoning, will-power,
decision-making and logic faculties of the conscious mind. The more information
we get (or misinformation, as some cases turn out to be), the more we want and,
in many cases, the grumpier and more stressed-out we become. If you want to get
off that emotional treadmill, I have a suggestion.
Turn it
off.
That’s
right, turn it off. Put down the Smartphone or tablet, close the laptop, turn off the television or radio and do something else for a little
while. Go outside and do some gardening. Take your dog for a walk, go for a run
on the beach or find a quiet part of your house or office and take a nap. Work
on a hobby you previously set aside and focus 100 percent of your attention on
that project for half an hour. Put on some music and dance; exercise, meditate
or do yoga. It doesn’t matter what activity you choose so long as it provides a
sensory break from the images (sights, sounds and other sensory experiences)
that have been overloading you in your digital environment.
To
fortify your ability to discern information and make logical, reasoned
decisions, eat a meal or have a snack that contains some form of protein. In my blog about
the origin
of fears and phobias, I explained how Hypnosis
Motivation Institute founder John
Kappas, Ph.D., observed how fluctuation in blood-sugar level can influence mood,
anxiety and suggestibility. Dr. Kappas observed a strong relationship between
low blood-sugar levels, fear and development of phobias. If you finding that
you are more likely to react or over-react emotionally to something in the
current social environment, pay more attention to what you are eating. Maintaining
a healthy diet that includes nutritious food and limiting caffeine and alcohol intake
can help you remain more objective about what is going on around you.
One of my
yoga teachers recently advised as we prepared for meditation at the end of
class: “You control your mind. Your mind does not control you.” I know it may
not always feel that way, but her words were and are true. To get control over
all that extra stimuli that seems to be driving you to distraction, it is as
easy as turning off the noise and looking away.
Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in
Southern California. She graduated with honors from the
Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense
Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.
© 2017
