Mental Detox...

In this age of information ‘bombardment’ and the resultant increase in general stress levels, it is important to embark on regular mental detoxification. Increase in statistical data of psychological cases is scary enough to set this trigger in for most, if not all of us. While there may not be a generic solution to this malice, it is clear, however, that the human mind is just like a garden that needs constant weeding and attendance. Prolonged neglect may result in the ‘weeds’ taking over just like a physical garden. Now, not only do you need to weed this garden often, you may also need to plant beautiful flowers to make it more lively and enduring.

Some psychologists even liken the human brain to computer software that needs periodic upgrading to enhance its effectiveness. After all, if we look at mental development, we naturally grew into adult thinking from childhood naivety. And we go to formal schools to sharpen our minds to fit our current social structures.

But it’s equally important to note that while good fertilizers can enhance a garden’s prospect, a poisonous weed will do the opposite. One of the sources of distress is mental poison. Ironically, our sources of nourishment may also become toxic – whether they are environmental, personal, institutional or global influences. Mind-building opportunities can become mind-slaying advantages arising from personal interaction, social bonding and even the gamut of media apparatus. No matter the source or sort of program it is, the onus lies on everyone to check, decide, mitigate or eliminate insidious source(s). But of course, this can only happen if you aware of this 'possibility' in the first place – then proceed to ask the right question.

For starters, you might want to check mental poisons coming arising from:

1. Your belief System. You may be your own enemy. After all, if you don’t believe you can succeed, why blame others?

2. The Right Knowledge. Acquire the right information about your project whatever that may be – the what, how and when. This helps you determine the gestation period and gives you a fair idea of expected results. Ignorance is a form of mental poison.

3. Mental Exercises. If we find it necessary to replenish the body through daily feeding, exercise the body to keep it fit, then the mind deserves mental workouts too to keep it optimal. Playing mind games like Crosswords, Chess or Scrabble can stimulate key parts of the cerebral cortex. Aside from honing your analytical skills, this mechanism also sharpens your mind's ability to organize thoughts and come up with out-of-the-box solutions to problems.

4. Negativity from others. People who are sworn pessimists who only see doom no matter what good prospects there exist. Then there is the larger social circle, institutions, governments and the global ‘cults’. Pick your radius carefully, you never can tell.

5. Enhance Your Intuition. We all have gut feelings naturally from childhood. But we lost this ‘sense’ as we grow older. Yet, this is the best friend we never encouraged. It always helps to crank up your intuition when you need to make decisions. Your gut enables you to make sound judgments that are not based on misleading appearances or other people's opinions.

We live in a world of games players; you are either on the winning side or the losers – the choice is yours.

Faj