Weeding the Mental Garden

Many centuries ago the Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius had this to say about mental health: “The things you think about determine the quality of your mind.”

No doubt the struggle to seed, cultivate and tend to a pleasant “mental garden” is one that dates back to the earliest of our human brothers and sisters. Although the things we worry about have changed somewhat over time, we’ve likely always been anxious about something.

No matter the epoch or social strata that a person occupied, there have always existed some sort of stressful circumstances able to cause spiritual trauma and negatively affect thought patterns.

In some respects the battle for a right mind is as old as time itself. However, never before has this “battle-of-the-mind” been so ever-present because of negative and completely avoidable influences (i.e., news media, entertainment, and social media that are propagated to us 24/7 through various forms of technology, but mostly by means of our smart phones).

In the course of any given day, perhaps before 10 am even, the modern mind can be subjected to many dozens of negative and corrupting influences: lustful images, acts of violence, godless humanistic tirades, stress-inducing political opinions, greed and ego-driven programs of self-improvement, snippets of celebrity worship, images that incite negative social comparison, or just plain soul-numbing garbage that attempts to masquerade as actual humor.

And then there is the emotional tumult that comes with the awkward expectations of “instant-messaging” – texting, Facebook messenger, DMs on Instagram, etc. If the other person saw our message but hasn’t replied yet (or chooses not to reply), does that mean they don’t like us? What about when we don’t know how to respond to someone, or it slips our mind to do so? What sort of misunderstandings can ensue?

So the question is this: How can we keep a right mind when the modern world seems hellbent on poking and prodding it with one thing or another – perpetual and unsatisfiable communication demands, or outright digital sewage which can eventually pollute our thoughts and negatively affect everything from our physical health to our productivity to our self-image to our relationships and spiritual life?

To frame that quote from Marcus Aurelias another way we could say this: “The things you view determine your thoughts, which determine the quality of your mind, which affects the health of your body and soul.”

I see perhaps the preeminent battle of modern man and woman thusly: to protect the mind from negative influences that are daily beset upon us by media (again, mostly through our phones), and to take breaks from 24/7 availability and the worry that can come with it.  

These are a few of my resolutions this year: to reduce the amount of time spent scrolling on my phone; to reduce time spent viewing social media; and to take more breaks from emails/screen time in general.

Such resolutions would seem simple, but in practicality are oh-so difficult for many of us. Think of this. Most of our mornings begin with screen time. We have no alarm clocks, so the habit is to reach for the phone first thing in the morning, ostensibly to see what time it is but then to “gently” wake ourselves up by looking at social media, emails, texts and the like.

Before breakfast has even been served our minds have been subjected to all manner of influences which might put “weeds” into our mental gardens and begin the day with stress. These weeds get in the way of intentionality, focus, productivity, and spiritual health.

“Weeding the mental garden” is a valuable goal for all of us, and it might include many items from improving self-talk to being more intentional about unplugging more often.

Don’t be intimidated by this idea. Think about how you can begin to do a little “weeding” yourself, and remember that this important work will open up more fertile ground for future productivity and increased inner peace.

---

MICHAEL PRIEBE is a writer and life coach who has worked with clients from all over the globe to facilitate positive transformations. You can connect with him here: www.michaelpriebe.com/coaching