Our minds shape how we experience everything else, and mindfulness practice goes more smoothly when the mind isn’t constantly overstimulated. Mindfulness can help us protect our minds, and a protected mind makes mindfulness easier to practice. Here is what it means to protect your mind, and why it matters.
“Like water which can clearly mirror the sky and the trees only so long as its surface is undisturbed, the mind can only reflect the true image of the Self when it is tranquil and wholly relaxed.”
– Indra Devi –
We understand consuming junk food is no good for our bodies, but there’s also junk food for the mind. Too much of it can crowd out the peace and contentment available through mindfulness, and may take a toll on how clearly we think.
The great sages teach that the mind takes on the qualities of that which is put in front of it. On at least some level, we all know this. We are what we eat. When we occupy our minds with violence, gossip, reality TV or too much social media, we may feel the same kind of brain fog we know after binging on sugar or other unhealthy foods. To protect the brain, and also the mind, we must be mindful of what we consume.
“If a person had delivered up your body to some passer-by, you would certainly be angry. And do you feel no shame in delivering up your own mind to any reviler, to be disconcerted and confounded?”
– Epictetus –
Disturbing the Peace
When we’re healthy, just one moment’s indulgence in junk food can make us feel terrible the next day. But when we eat junk food every day we soon have trouble discerning how awful we feel. We become accustomed to living with a new, unhealthy, baseline and we no longer remember what it feels like to be healthy. When we partake in activities that disturb the peace of the mind, the same effect happens. We may enjoy it in the moment, but if we do it daily we forget what peace truly feels like.
Neuroplasticity, the ability of the mind to form new neural connections, is among the most discussed findings in mindfulness and meditation research. What’s less often discussed is that it can work both ways. A mind fed junk food daily may begin to crave more, and redefines for itself what it deems as ‘normal.’
Partaking in the following activities is particularly disruptive to our mindfulness practice and our efforts in establishing a calm and stable state of mind:
Violence
Violent media may affect the brain. In a Columbia University fMRI study, a brain network that helps suppress aggressive behavior became less active after people watched several short clips from popular movies depicting violence.
Unfortunately today, violence is not only depicted in fictional media, but we see it daily in the news. To protect the mind, be mindful of what you label as entertainment, and what you label as necessary information. You might limit how much violence you feed the mind, in all its forms.
Negativity
It’s not comfortable to be around someone who’s always naysaying, vocal about the worst case scenario, or discussing nothing but bad news. And while it might be easier for us to recognize this in others, we do it to ourselves too. Our inner voice tends to demand our attention the most when it has nothing nice to say.
Habitual negativity, such as catastrophic thinking, continual worry, or dwelling on the sadness we see in the world, is associated with anxiety and depression. Understanding the brain has a negativity bias is the first step in mindfully working to overcome it. Stress, exhaustion and hunger can also make us more vulnerable to negative thinking.
Useless Speech
Useless speech includes gossip and idle chatter. Our minds absorb this type of speech when we engage in drama within our social circles, or when we watch it on TV. To be party to gossip, yelling, and even profanity can disturb our peace and wellbeing.
This type of chatter not only wastes our time, but devalues our connections to others, and obscures the good we can do through how we speak.
Media
Television, internet media, and social media have been studied for their effects on the brain and mood. Some research links heavier use with higher anxiety, though findings vary.
In the same way that junk food scientists encourage us to overeat through their efforts in finding the perfect mix of salty, sweet and crunchy, app developers and programmers are tasked with creating products that hold our attention and keep us coming back.
One way to keep us on our screens is by drawing on our negativity bias. Violence, chaos, and polarizing views can keep us engaged with the very thing that may be wearing on our sense of wellbeing.
Time spent online can reinforce a shorter attention span, less tolerance for boredom, and a stronger desire for social validation. We may become more ingrained in our identities as separate, different from, or better than.
To protect the mind, we must remember that all junk food is ultimately unfulfilling, and that it’s to our benefit not only to be mindful of what’s in front of our minds, but how we’re engaging with it.
We can practice being distracted, or we can practice mindfulness. The less we protect the mind, the more challenging our mindfulness practice becomes.
“The mind is a flexible mirror. Adjust it, to see a better world.”
– Amit Ray –
Practical Ways to Protect the Mind
We understand we must exercise and eat nutritious foods to keep our body in good health. Of course, the brain is part of the body, so good food and exercise benefit the mind too. Holistic mind protection also includes the following:
Meditate Consistently
Research suggests mindfulness and meditation may help support the brain as we age. One systematic review looked at the potential effects of meditation on age-related cognitive decline, and the evidence is still early. Meditation is not a proven way to prevent or treat dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, and it complements professional medical care.
A systematic review asked whether commercially available brain training games prevent cognitive decline, and meditation also has early research behind it for cognitive function. Meditation may also ease stress in the body, support better sleep, and help with emotional regulation.
When we’re mindful, we’re aware not only of what the mind sees all around us, but we become aware of the ways in which we feed on the junk food of our own self-criticism. A steadier mind, developed through consistent meditation, can be less thrown by whatever is put in front of it.
Learn how to meditate with the free Mindfulness Made Easy course
Rest Often
Just as our bodies need a balance of rest and exercise, so too do our minds. True rest for the mind is not watching television, scrolling through social media feeds, or gossiping with our friends. It’s activities such as meditating, spending time in nature, exercising, and sleeping.
Sleep appears to play a role in neuroplasticity. Researchers think deep sleep helps the brain clear out waste, strengthen neural connections, sort memories and emotions, and solidify what we learned during the active part of our day.
- LISTEN: Kate Munding on the importance of resting the mind
- WORKSHEET: The Gift of Rest
Spend Time in Nature
When the mind is given time to be outdoors in nature, we get closer to our natural state of being. Contemplative traditions describe the ‘true nature’ of the mind as spacious, at ease, and loving.
Ecopsychology is the study of how time spent in nature affects our mental health, and some research suggests stepping away from our screens and into the great outdoors may ease stress and anxiety and support creativity and attention.
- EBOOK: Ajahn Chah’s teachings on nature
- WORKSHEET: The practice of Nature Gazing
Declutter Your Environment
Our minds are prone to distraction. While we’d still be susceptible to distraction if we lived far from society in a cave, it’s still worth the practice of decluttering our environment to help protect the mind.
Our minds are influenced by our environment, and can feel more spacious when we’re surrounded by minimal, simple decor. We can also declutter in other ways. We can declutter our phones by removing distracting apps. We can declutter our days by intentionally choosing how to spend each minute of our time.
- WORKSHEET: Practice mindful cleaning
Socially Engage Offline
In-person social engagement may support healthy cognitive function. Research on aging has found that people who are actively engaged in a social network, regardless of the size of that network, sustain cognitive function longer into old age.
Engaging socially through helping others, volunteering, and being of service also promotes brain health. Compassion is not separate from cognitive function, but requires us to apply top-down cognitive processes to develop compassion and ultimately, extend it to all beings. The intentional practice of compassion can shape the mind in healthy ways.
- LISTEN: Jon Kabat-Zinn on why compassion and mindfulness go hand in hand
- MEDITATION SCRIPT: Teach Yourself or Others to Connect to Self-Compassion
Practice Mantra
Mantra is a Sanskrit word often translated as ‘instrument of thought,’ and some traditions read it as ‘mind protection.’ The root ‘man’ refers to the mind, and ‘tra’ is commonly understood as a tool or means of protection. In that reading, a mantra is a sound that guards the mind.
Practically, when used for meditation, a mantra acts as an anchor for the mind and helps fend off distraction. Some traditions teach that the vibration of sacred mantras settles into the body as well as the mind.
A mantra may be given to you by your teacher, or you could practice with any mantra you’d like.
- LISTEN: Mantras for deep inner peace
- WORKSHEET: How to use mantra in your meditation practice
“Delight in heedfulness. Watch over your own mind.”
– Buddha –
Mental health is as important as physical health. We understand why it’s important to protect our bodies, and it’s time we applied that same thinking to our minds. But we also know that understanding the importance of health and avoiding unhealthy action are two separate things. Just because we know what’s good for us, doesn’t mean we do it.
Mindfulness can help close this gap. Protecting the mind takes steady attention, and present-moment awareness helps us slow down, look at our choices, and choose the healthier one.
