2nd January, 2023
In an era of information overload and passive consumption, our brains can often feel overwhelmed and overworked, cluttered with random thoughts and countless images we’ve seen whilst mindlessly scrolling social media. The mental burnout is real! Mind gardening, a concept that embraces the practices of gardening - taking care of your mind that involves cultivating your curiosity (the seeds), growing your knowledge (the trees), and producing new thoughts (the fruits), in order to create a more mindful approach to the way we engage with the world around us and the content we consume.
''So plant your own gardens and decorate your own soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.''
Instead of letting weeds grow in your mind garden, you need to be intentional about the content you consume, and decide what to plant in your mind, and what’s not serving you. That can mean curating your feed on social media, spending more time with people with whom you have great conversations, or choosing to spend an evening reading a good book instead of watching a TV show.
To grow your knowledge and produce your own ideas – instead of just passively consuming other people’s ideas, you need to engage with what inspires you and what feels close to your heart. Connect those ideas together.. And trace them on to a piece of paper in the form of a journal, type it up on a computer, post across your social media platforms as a caption or poem! It doesn’t really matter what format you choose, as long as you make sure you’re not just a collector, but also a creator.
Why is it important to maintain your mind garden? Maintaining your mind garden will allow you to have a more mindful approach to the way you engage with the world around you. It puts you back in control of the ideas that live in your mind, and can help reduce the sense of overwhelm we have in today’s hectic environment. Mind gardening means that you get to make sense of the world and contribute your own original ideas – yes, things are chaotic, but you can still create your own little haven of creativity and mindfulness.
''You don’t always need to be at your most productive and creative. It’s okay to take a break. Just like seasons, your energy levels will change and fluctuate, and soon enough Spring will be back again.. Listen to your body and work with it...''
