21st May
Good morning !
I think most of you must have read this post which has been circulating on whatsapp for quite some time, *”Your diet is not only what you eat, it is what you listen to, what you watch, what you read, the people you hang out with and the things that you subject your mind and soul to. Always be mindful of the things you put into your body, physically, emotionally and spiritually.”*
And I have been experiencing the truth of this for quite a few years now….from Before Corona times !!
About 8-10 years ago, I noticed a funny thing about myself. I would be in a great mood when I woke up in the morning; but as the day went by, I would find myself irritable or angry or frustrated. As I had started meditating a few years earlier, I decided to focus my awareness on exactly how and when this change in my mood was taking place. And very soon, I realised that most of the times, my mood changed as a consequence of an external factor….either hearing a bad news about a dear one or having an argument with someone. But even more than that, I realised that my mood remained good if I did not read the newspaper!! And my mood would be spoilt on the days that I had a leisurely breakfast along with reading the newspaper. It didn’t take me long to pinpoint the exact process of the mood change….any negative news, be it a violent act or corruption or the political situation or news predicting an economic doomsday (at least one of these news is given prominence daily in newspapers ! ) , ……after reading this news , I would get anxious or frustrated or angry. The mood change was very subtle, but it was definitely there. So I decided to either stop reading the news or to focus only on the good news. The second option is very difficult because most of the times , the bad news is in a prominent position and we really have to look for the Good news which is tucked away in a corner. Finally, I almost stopped reading the newspaper except for solving sudoku and other puzzles…..and then my mood remained stable on most days !!
I have had the same experience in the last 2-3 months of the Pandemic. Whenever I am exposed to posts or videos depicting the negative things happening around, my anxiety level tends to increase ….and I have to really work hard to get myself back to normal.
I do know that media plays an important role in our lives, but unfortunately, in the last few decades, the media has slowly changed to a sensation seeking and fear provoking force which is extremely powerful.
In uncertain times like the current one, most of us are in an extremely vulnerable state, so it would be better to stay away from the negative news if it doesn’t directly concern you…or at least read / watch the news only once or twice a day.
Taking in too much negative news ( either from newspapers or TV or social media or intenet or during your interaction with others )is like being poisoned slowly ! And any poison is bound to affect your Health ( Physical, Mental or Spiritual ) negatively.
So, do think about this…..do you want to feed yourself with poison everyday or do you want to stay Healthy and Happy ? The choice is yours !
Love,
Anjali Bhatawdekar
