How to Lift My Mood
The most important thing to remember about your psychology, is that your brain feeds on whatever information is presented to it, no matter how good or bad it is.
The brain absorbs anything perceived through the five senses; irrespective of whether it is right or wrong, uplifting or depressing, accurate or fake.
The brain not only feeds upon the information, it swallows it, digests it, and incorporates it into its tissues.
The brain uses the information to form its "working theory" by which it explains to itself, "the way the world really works". This "working theory" is its guide for every step you take and every move you make, and to shape your emotional responses.
The information your brain is exposed to, shapes your subjective experience, your personal reality.
So, mentally and emotionally, whether you live in a palace or a prison, is completely dependent on what type of information you feed your amazing brain.
If you feed your brain a monotonous diet of fear messages, miserable news, disasters and depressions, then your mind will absorb that information, assimilate it and use it to build models of the world, that corresponds to the nature of the information being used to construct it.
On the other hand, if you fill your mind with the latest scientific breakthroughs, advances in technology, examples of how great humans can be when they are at their best, then your mind will integrate THAT information, and use it to build a more optimistic model of the world, which corresponds to the positive quality of the information used to build it.
The interesting thing to note about both models, is that both are correct, in the sense that every piece of information is true, and so the whole is true.
But, it is selective truth.
Whether your mind is essentially optimistic or fearful, depends entirely on the selection of facts you expose your brain to, and therefore, the model of the world your mind builds.
Computer programmers say, "Garbage IN, Garbage OUT" (GIGO).
Nutritionists say, "You are what you eat".
Psychologists say, "You feel whatever you think about".
Think about that.
If you don't feel as optimistic as you want to feel, or if you feel more downhearted, than you want to feel, then make the necessary adjustments to your mental diet.
You feel whatever you think about.
You think about whatever you expose your mind to.
And YOU can decide to change what you expose your mind to... today.
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mental diet
In personal development, a mental diet is the daily practice of choosing which words, images and sounds you let into your mind. It works only when you select the input on purpose, keep the habit every day, use it to guide your thoughts and feelings, and check it often to cut unhelpful items and add helpful ones.
CG4D Definition
Context: Personal development
Genus: Practice
- Input is chosen on purpose
- Habit is kept each day
- Aim is to shape thoughts and feelings
- Sources are reviewed to drop harmful and add helpful items
Article Summary
Your brain works like rich soil: the words, pictures and sounds you feed it grow into thoughts, and those thoughts drive your feelings. Swap doom for hope and you will lift your mood fast, ease worry and see the world in a brighter light.