Mindful Consumption

have our lives sped up to such a level that we do not have time to think about what we take in before it’s too late— media, food, opinions, emotions, music… I would like to think not.

This is an open invitation from me to you to be mindful when you consume

When you wake up in the morning and scroll on social media, what are you looking for?

When you take the first bite of breakfast, do you what ingredients make up your food?

When you are in the car, do you know why you choose the music that is playing?

When a thought floats into your mind, do you immediately claim it as your own?

When you hear another’s opinion on a subject do you lean towards it or question it?

How often are we mindful of what we are doing, saying, eating, consuming and how often are we simply going through the motions because we did so yesterday and the day before and because way back we saw someone do these motions that they also copied from someone else and so forth.

Everything we consume from the lyrics of a song in the car to the small talk in the office to the images on on our phones is information our mind is tasked with processing. It is information we are holding onto and words and emotions that our body carries for the whole day.

Nowadays we overwhelm our mind with stimuli through various forms of overconsumption and we do it so regularly, so easily, so routinely — that we forget that it does not have to be the norm. Most of us have not stopped to wonder if we even want to consume all of the information we are currently devouring.

Slowing down enough to ask yourself if what you’re about to eat or listen to or who you’re about to have a conversation with is something that will be beneficial to your day or not— that should be the goal.

The life we have is ours, every second of every hour of every day belongs to us and we should never pretend otherwise.

The conversation of consumption is mainly geared towards media and food, but it is also important to remember that the people you surround yourself with should also be mindfully chosen. Or not chosen.

Everyone carries their own energy, narrative and perspective, and it is important to acknowledge that as well as understand how much of another’s energy narrative and perspective you want to take in and how much of it you want to let pass you by.

If you have the ability to take a step back from a relationship that is not bringing you anything positive, you should always do so. But rarely do we get the luxury to step back from the relationships that have the strongest impact on us for that is precisely why their impact is so strong.

When you cannot choose how much time to spend with these people, or how much of your life they are involved in, you can always choose not to absorb their energy and narrative while giving them enough space to feel comfortable and respected. Although it sounds obvious, it’s easy for us to forget that we don’t have to absorb another’s energy. We get caught up in the moment, in the reaction, in the first emotion that comes to the surface and claim it as our own when we could just as well let it float on by. Notice I did not say just as easily because I will not pretend that watching your emotions as opposed to claiming them is easy.

I have found that some of the most helpful steps I can take towards mindful consumption are these:

• Deleting social media for a couple of weeks every few months

• Watching the conversation I am having with someone from a third party perspective to avoid taking things personally or reacting

• Not answering the phone when I am feeling overstimulated

• Staying silent when asked a question until I have let myself think through my answer, and if I am pressured to give an answer I say I’ll have to think about it.

If you have anything that helps you stay mindful in your consumption of life, please do share in the comments. This is a safe space.