In a world that is ever addicted to information, I have decided, somehow that in the coming weeks I will be going on a short information fast. Studying nutrition is so enlightening and invigorating for the mind and body and I am constantly learning new ways to fast/detox the body. But even with a physical detox, you can still feel 'full' spiritually and mentally.
I have a clean philosophy in the way I eat and how I live. There isn't much clutter in my house, not much on the walls, very neutral colors and little furniture (I'm not talking white walls, white floors and a table in the middle of the room - my house is just not overcrowded). It is due to my oversensitivity to information. Everywhere we look we are absorbing whatever we see, whether it be a conscious decision to do so or not. When we go online, every bit of space on a web page that can be filled with ads or information is at capacity and looking at a web page is like a power surge to the brain. In 5 minutes online I can read about 15 different (useless) stories that I will remember. And checking facebook and other social networks just adds to the mind noise. I really do not need to know every detail of everyone's life all throughout the day. Don't get me wrong, I am not against facebook, social media or the internet (I am addicted to the net) but I think just as we detox from junk food, we need a detox from all the junk-ersation and junk-ormation. A detox from all the inane babble that is truly meaningless and fruitless.
Things like having the TV on in the background, or surfing the net for things you don't need, or window shopping, listening to the radio in the background - it just adds to stress levels and prohibits your ability to truly slow down, breathe and feel connected. Even when you think you're unwinding you might be listening to music or reading a book, but both are affecting you, causing your body to respond. Our addiction to noise and information makes us so scared to be silent, to be thoughtless.
I confess I was never this sensitive to information and conversation before. I was an information and noise junkie and I am known to be excessively verbose and I apparently talk non-stop. But as I get older, I become more sensitive, just like my mum, to noise that I needn't hear. And I am irate at myself for surfing the net and absorbing information I don't need to know on a daily basis. So with that, I declare my intention to detoxify my soul of the unnecessary noise for at least one day sometime this summer. I would ideally love a day of silence, but as a mother of 2 I think that may impossible (my 4 year old daughter would be distraught that mommy isn't talking.) Instead I will stay offline, not listen to music, not watch the television or shop. I will enjoy the silent moments, the sound of my children (unless they're crying...that just grates on me but I will try!), the sky, the trees, the Potomac river. I will let you know when I decide to do it - I don't have the willpower to attempt it anytime soon!
It's the intention though, right?
Nutrition is particularly dependent on information. People say this is good and that works, but there's very little scientific basis in what a lot of people believe to be healthy.
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