Like a fish caught in the hook, our attention, focus and energy is often reeled in by social media content. Especially shorts and reels -- short one minute or less long videos that spread on social media like wildfire. Though often funny and relaxing these reels take a toll.

LOSING OURSELVES

After browsing these reels for sometime we find ourselves lost and it is often with surprise that we look up and find that we have spent much more time on this than we wanted. Like coming out of a sleep, there is a moment of disorientation and we have to put effort to restart our intended activities.

LACK of SUBSTANCE

Ask yourselves the question “What videos I was watching, what was the content that I was consuming?”. Often you will find that you cannot remember or recall what you were watching. One or two images or videos may stick with you but if you have just spent 30 minutes swiping and only recall one or two images then you were out of it for the most part.

THE SWITCH OFF EFFECT

Essentially your brain goes from active to passive. It is a state where you switch off your attention from the world in front and let yourselves drift. Like a nap, if used in right proportion this switching off effect can be used for beneficial reasons.

The switching off effect is also beneficially used in anger management when we are instructed to count from one to ten before reacting. Such activities which gives us a moment to cool off or switch off from the present emotional turbulence are used in a positive direction.

THE DOPAMINE IMBALANCE

The chemical which hooks us in is known as dopamine. It is a feel good hormone released by our body when we relax or do something which gives us pleasure. Dopamine gives us the emotional boost and makes us feel that we have achieved something. It tells us to like the activity and to want more of it. We enjoy the experience and spend more time doing the activity which produces dopamine which in turn re-enforces the behaviour.

In turn, the activities requiring an effort, which demands attention and focus does not release dopamine so readily. Hence we dislike doing those activities. Example given a choice between plain and simple meal and a delicacy, most people will not choose the plain everyday food. Similarly, our brain orients itself towards dopamine releasing activities which gives us quick gratification and struggles to focus on long term goals.

DEVALUATION OF PLEASURES

Pleasures are great but the always on instant kind devalues the pleasure. Over a time, the easy access and the total control waters down the impact and we stop receiving the same boost from the activity. Have you ever wondered why the concept of TV channels is still popular? In the day and age we are in, we can get the content and shows that we want any time. However there is an element of chance and the lack of control when we consume content via TV channels vs always watching our own favourite collection of shows.

This element of surprise and the hope of encountering new things keeps us hooked and reduces the chance of pleasure devaluation.

LOWER ATTENTION SPAN

Another downside of excessive consumption of mental junk food is lowering of our attention span. Brain gives up easily the tasks it finds bothersome and our ability to put in long hours or even consume digital content needing longer attention reduces. This prevents us from going deeper in to any subject matter

FIGHTING THE STRESS

For quickly relieving stress or for once in a while dopamine boost, such activity or content can be used and can give good results. Any excessive consumption obviously has several downsides. The challenge is in recognizing the consumption pattern, the time you dedicate daily for social media or shorts and being able to regulate it down if necessary. Choosing healthier stress relieving habits and behavioural patterns produces much greater positive results in the long run. Therefore try to reel in the reels as much as you can.

The structure of an Onion is an interesting one. Each outer layer reveals another layer inside and pealing it reveals yet another. If we take a closer look at the world around us, we will find the same pattern repeated.

There are local level of governance then at state level and then at the national level. Then the nations come together in various global bodies and try to govern the world.

Though we are not aware of it, each cell in our body lives and has an individual existence. It works with other cells to do specific activities. They form organs and many different organs comes together to form the body. It is the silent function of our cells which supports various organs which in turn cooperate to make us functional.

We as individuals cooperate in families, families work together in local communities and communities form the society.

Recognition of this interdependence where each layer is the base and foundation of another structure is the foundation of dharma. Dharma is not a religion or the things we do. It is not a state of mind or knowledge. It is not right or wrong. It is simply the part we play in the cosmic dance.

Fire burns, water flows, seed grows and inevitable is the movement forward. Everything in this world is living by its dharma. So do you. Understand that there are layers below you and layers above you. It is your dharma to be a bridge in between.

The habit of success is very important. Once you get in to the habit of having success, it becomes easier to have more of it. Then it is possible to expand the habit of success in to different areas of the life.

Yes the goals should be big and comprehensive and fulfilling. However there is an art to achieving any objective. Whether it is life goals or work projects. Like any art there is a bit of method to it and a bit of magic.

Like a student who learns letters and then learns words before learning to form sentences, any skill should be broken down and mastered progressively.

The skill of succeeding like any other skill should be practised. Hence we should make small targets and experience success while achieving it.

Example, if you are a student who finishes their homework just before leaving for school, today you should set a goal that I’ll complete the homework before I go to bed. If you like reading, you can set the goal as I’ll read one chapter every day and finish the book.

The setting of these small targets and completing them teaches the mind to focus, plan, to be disciplined and generates the taste of success.

Remember always, it is not the goals that propel us, it is the taste of success. It is the sense of achievement and accomplishment. It is the growth and expansion, the circle of desire and fulfilment that keeps us ticking.

So keep creating situations of accomplishments and enjoying the taste of success.

We become what we eat. We have heard this many times and we understand this on a physical level very much. That is healthy food leads to a better body and junk food to unhealthy. In fact the very definition of healthy / unhealthy food is based on its output. We would not call ice creams and pizzas junk food if eating those twice a day would lead to a glowing body.

The essence of this is that our body uses the food to generate energy and uses food as the raw material to repair and generate ourselves daily. Each and every cell in our body is alive and needs food to function. Many cells die and many cells are born. It all works using the energy that we receive.

Doesn’t our minds need food?

Yes it does The mind like any functioning system has a flow. It takes in some things, processes it, digests it and generates itself anew.

What is that the mind takes in?

The mind takes in input through our senses and processes it, digests it. It experiences the emotions that is evoked. It learns from it. It makes value judgements that this is good, nice and I want more of it. Or this is bad, feels wrong and lets avoid it.

Mind learns, changes, shapes itself with new priorities, patterns and beliefs. What you like today may not be your choice in a year from now. You change, your mind change. You obsess on an idea or you disregard other things entirely.

So what do you feed your mind every day? What do we teach our mind every day? Take a close look.

What emotion stays uppermost in you? What words you utter? What is the tone of your speech? What is your visceral reaction to life events, people or topics? What is your mental ambiance? Safe, positive, satisfied? Or stressed, dejected, hungry.

Observe and learn. More you observe more you strengthen the seed of self introspection. Choose thoughts that nourishes the mind and keeps it looking in the direction that you want to take it. Like with a child, be loving and yet strict. Be ready to forgive lapses because you look towards the future. Be honest so that mind doesn’t hide behind excuses.

Mind is learning and changing whether we are aware of it or not. So better we teach it the things we value and like most within oneself.

Signing off. Have a great day.

P.S, Do enjoy ice cream and Somosas once in a while.

This is a statement made by Dumbledore in Harry Potter book 7 to Harry. This statement has always intrigued me. In this scene, Harry has a mystical experience where he talks to Dumbledore who was already dead in book 6. Harry asks Dumbledore at the end of the scene if this experience he just had is real or just his imagination. It is then that Dumbledore answers thus. “Of course it’s happening inside your head, Harry, but why should that mean it’s not real?”

Lets derive couple of statements from the quote.

• Stuff happening in our head (thoughts, emotion and ideas) are just as real as the physical world outside.
• And yet not all the thoughts and feelings that is within us reflects the outside reality fully, those could be conclusions that we have cooked up ourselves.

So what constitutes reality and how we arrive at it.

Every experience we have is happening inside our head and whether we assign it the status of reality or dreams or imagination depends upon the strength of the experience. If all our senses agree including our intellect on an experience and if other people also accept it then the experience is labelled as real by our brain. It is like a committee taking vote on a proposal. More yeas gives the experience more solidity. Thus is reality born.

This also means that each one of us though living side by side in this world do carry their own reality with them. For each being what constitutes reality is subtly different. These realities clash constantly and shape each other as well.

This reality shapes our perception and what conclusions we derive from the world events. Turn on any news channel and listen to a political debate. Each spokesperson would represent their reality and we are left wondering whether all these persons are living on the same planet or not. Some say we are doing well economically and others argue that we are sliding behind. Of course, which argument a peels to us is also a reflection of our reality.

For some their favourite movie star’s hairstyle is the hottest news of the week and for some the number of sixes hit by their favourite player. For some it feels like the world has almost ended with the coming of Trump and for many the re-establishment of common sense has just begun.

We know at the level of species each species experiences the world differently. Humans, birds the fish all sense the world differently and form a totally different picture. It is also true each among us also form a similar and yet a different reality within.

This understanding of how each one of us is living in a shared and yet in a unique reality of their own is invaluable. When analysed in depth this insight can help us in countless ways. Meditate on this idea. Cultivate patients, observe yourselves and others around you. What matters to you may not matter to others and vice versa.

Mastering this understanding will help you to guide yourself as well as others towards a shared reality. As more and more people live and share a reality, more stronger and alive it becomes. Life becomes more cohesive and free flowing. On the other hand if your reality is constantly challenged and has to fight for its existence, then the mental disturbances gets increased and hunt for a stronger, more popular new reality begins.