How Your Mental Diet Shapes Health: Overstimulation, Attention, and Creating Space

Welcome back to Medicine with Meaning! In this episode, Dr. Julie Taw delves into a topic that often goes unnoticed in the fast pace of modern life—our “mental diet.” We explore how our daily consumption of information, noise, notifications, and emotional energy can nourish or dysregulate our nervous systems just as much as the food we eat. Dr. Taw unpacks the impact of digital overload, constant stimulation, and the challenge of finding presence amidst endless distractions. Together, we examine the subtle ways our environment shapes our mood, sleep, and stress levels, and Dr. Taw shares gentle, realistic strategies for reclaiming our attention, protecting our wellbeing, and reconnecting with ourselves. Whether you’re feeling frazzled by your devices or simply curious about how to bring more calm to your days, this conversation offers thoughtful reflections and actionable steps toward a steadier, more mindful life.

00:00 Understanding the mental diet concept

05:08 Impact of constant digital stimulation

09:26 Managing sensory input and news consumption

11:11 Feeling time accelerate with phones

13:49 Perceptions of time as a child

19:09 Practicing mindfulness with social media

20:38 Getting lost in the algorithm

23:32 The distraction of social media

27:17 Struggling with social media habits

31:25 Mindful media consumption discussion

34:17 Identifying nervous system dysregulation

38:50 Mental and emotional load explained

43:12 Family TV vs. Phone Distraction

46:26 Managing the wellbeing ecosystem

48:32 Balancing technology and wellness

54:04 Offering a free nervous system guide

55:21 Closing remarks and farewell

Show Website - https://medicinewithmeaning.com/

Dr. Julie Taw's Clinic Website - https://julietawmd.com/

Free Guide - https://go.julietawmd.com/reset

Dr. Julie Taw's Instagram - @julie.taw.md

Media/Podcast Partner: TopHealth - www.tophealth.care

“Disclaimer: Informational only. Not medical advice. Consult your doctor for guidance.”

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Our brains and our nervous system are never really designed for this level of nonstop stimulation. Every notification, every interruption. The nervous system has to respond to that. When it's happening all day long, without much recovery, the nervous system can start to stay in this more chronically activated state. They're more anxious, more irritable, more scattered, or even more tired. I'm Dr. Julie Ta, and I'm so glad you're here. Over the past few episodes, we've been talking about the different ways our bodies communicate with us through stress signals, energy shifts, nervous system strain, and emotional overwhelm. Today I want to explore something we don't talk about nearly enough. Our mental diet. Most people think about diet only in terms of food, but every day we are also consuming information, noise, headlines, notifications, social media, conversations, and emotional energy. And just like food, what we repeatedly consume mentally can either nourish us or dregulate us. So today we're going to talk about how overstimulation affects the nervous system, why protecting your attention matters for your health, and how small shifts in your environment can create more steadiness and clarity.

SPEAKER_00 2:12

Let's dive in. Dr. Julie, so nice to see you again, and I'm happy to have this conversation with you and pick your brain a little bit about this topic that is so relevant to today's world. So I'd like to start by asking you when you use the phrase mental diet, what does that actually mean?

SPEAKER_01 2:35

So when I use the phrase mental diet, I'm really talking about everything we take in mentally and emotionally throughout the day. So not just food, but information, conversations around us, certainly social media, the news, um, even background noise, living in a living in New York City that is ever present for me. Um what else? I'm also talking about emotional tension, perhaps the pace of life, really all of it. So our nervous systems are constantly taking in signals from the world around us. And just like food, we can either nourish ourselves or it can be depleting. And what we consume mentally can also affect how we feel physically, emotionally, and mentally. I think a lot of people today are trying to heal while living in environments that keep their nervous system in a constant state of input and stimulation. People don't fully realize how much that affects them until they finally experience perhaps a little more quiet or spaciousness.

SPEAKER_00 4:10

I guess it's not only what we're aware of, right? But like you mentioned, living in New York, that it's busy and noisy and always something happening, even if we've learned not to pay attention to it consciously, it's it's input, right? It's there all the time.

SPEAKER_01 4:27

Yeah, I I think people who live in noisy cities have to kind of learn to tune out some of that noise. Um, but it is ever present. Like for instance, I I was w walking it in Central Park earlier this morning, and um there was the siren going, and then above me was the helicopters, and then there was birds chirping, you know. It was like, whoa, you know, sensory overload. And I was trying to just tune into the birds chirping. Um, and you know, that is load on our nervous system. And um, you know, if you're aware of it, I think, you know, it can be a bit jarring to hear all of that. But even if it's just in the background, our our nervous systems are, you know, picking things up and it may be unconscious. And it's just, again, you know, the the more load you have on your nervous system, just the more strain. And especially when you don't allow for recovery or, you know, a time where there is no sensory input to just like whew, um, allow our nervous system to rest or be at ease or not to be sensing all the time.

SPEAKER_00 5:46

And how does that how how does all of that uh affect the nervous system physiologically?

SPEAKER_01 5:54

Well, our brains and our nervous system were were never really designed for this level of nonstop stimulation. So, you know, every notification, every interruption, or every um emotionally charged headline, the nervous system has to respond to that. And one or two things here and there, you know, may not be s such a big deal. But when it's happening all day long without much recovery, the nervous system can start to stay in this more chronically activated state. People may feel that they're more anxious, more irritable, more scattered, or even more tired, um, or this, you know, tired but wired um feeling at the same time. And I think one of the biggest issues is that there's just so little space now for people to just, you know, sit sit in quiet. And um, you know, when you're moving from one form of input, you know, to another form of input all day long without giving the nervous system time to settle or reset, you know, it puts us in that sort of sympathetic overload. You know, it's like our nervous system is constantly activated. Um, you know, maybe not overt fight or flight, but it's just it's like it's it's uh on guard or bracing or just you know not at ease.

SPEAKER_00 7:43

I was thinking that on top of that, on top of the all the information that we're constantly receiving, the noises and everything that you just mentioned, we're loaded on caffeine and sugar, which I think that it just amplifies all of that stimulation, external stimulation, right? And so why do so many people underestimate the impact that digital load news cycles and constant notifications can have on moon sleep and stress levels?

SPEAKER_01 8:18

I think because it's become so normal. Most people don't even realize how much input they're absorbing in a day because it's just woven into modern life now. It's like, you know, we don't know how to be without our phones you know in our face, or you know, even standing in line, we gotta bring out our phone. It's just u ubiquitous. You know, we're we're constantly checking our phones. Um and then uh, you know, certainly social media has become a major input for us. Um it's funny, I don't even watch television anymore because I just w watch my social media because it's it's become entertainment for me. Um and you know, the list goes on. So our emails, our texts now, um the news, you know, um I think uh you know that that is something many of us consume to certainly stay current. Um and then, you know, even podcasts, right, which I think are a great thing, obviously. But I've noticed that, gosh, I I don't even I haven't even gone for a walk without listening to something. And maybe I'll try that next time to just, you know, go out and um just be present, you know, with myself. And so um there's just a longer and longer list of input into our minds. And, you know, each thing may be small on its own, but it's just the accumulation of all of it that our nervous system is constantly experiencing. And so many people think they're just tired or distracted or unmotivated when really their nervous system hasn't had enough time to be quiet or recover, you know, from all of that sensory input. And I also think we underestimate how much emotional energy we absorb from what we consume. You know, for instance, for me, I have to be very mindful of my consumption of news. You know, most of it is just bad news, usually, or news that is worrisome or stresses me out. And so, you know, based on your nervous system, well, I just I'll talk about myself. Based on my own nervous system, sometimes I need to just put a pause on consuming news because I've already been a little overstimulated or I'm experiencing some personal stress, and I just can't take more load onto my nervous system. Um so, you know, because we live in this 24-7 news cycle or social media constantly going, you know, it creates like this urgency and certainly, you know, fear, comparison. You know, I think social media um does that to us. And, you know, it just creates a lot of pressure in in modern life. And so our body, our nervous system is constantly responding to that too.

SPEAKER_00 11:57

Yeah, and I think um I I've been talking about this with different people because I I I find it that people are feeling like time is accelerating, like, oh my gosh, it's already May, like we're mid, we're halfway through the year. And a lot of it I think has to do with the fact that we're on the on our phones all the time. Because, like you were saying, if we're waiting in line for something, we get our phones out, and then we just time passes by so fast when you're on your phone. But if you were to wait for 15 minutes in line without looking at anything, you feel like it's eternal. So we've also become impatient to waiting to commuting. We it's like we need to be distracted from time all the time all the time. Yeah, that's redundant.

SPEAKER_01 12:43

That that's a beautiful reflection. Um, yeah, especially for people in midlife, it's like, whoa, you want to slow life down. I I want to slow life down. Um, yeah, I don't want to rush through life. And I you're so right when we're constantly um, you know, receiving information or um on our phones, we're not present with ourselves, our our our thoughts. We're also um not pausing, not um uh the idea of just even being bored, right? But boredom slows down time, I think. And so thank you for sharing that nugget. Uh I I definitely feel like time is passing very quickly for me. And you're right, it's already May. And um yeah, there's this idea of just really savoring and and be the only the only way to do that is being in the present moment. And you can't do that when you're on your device or you're you're consuming information. You're you know, you're there's inputting. But in order to be present, you really just have to be with yourself. Yeah. Hmm. That's been on my mind this particular week. Like, my God, it just time is flying by. And um, yeah, in middle age, you really feel that. You just want the second half to be really slow.

SPEAKER_00 14:35

And it's interesting because I've I've spoken to my niece and nephew who are kids, and I asked them, do you find it that time is going by fast, or do you feel it like it's slow? Because I remember when I was a kid, for me, time was so slow. Like just a day at school was like a live a lifetime. Everything happened in one day at school. But I've I thought they were gonna say, oh, it's slow. Because I I've heard that time accelerates as you, your perception of time accelerates as you grow up. But they were saying that no, it's really fast. It's going really fast for them as well. So my conclusion was that it has to be our devices because time flies when you're on social media. Time flies where you're look watching a video. But if you were to put your phone away and sit down for 15 minutes, it's like people have a hard time meditating for 15 minutes because they feel time. They feel how lengthy 15 minutes are. But if you're on your phone, those 15 minutes pass by so quickly, and their 15 minutes turn into an hour and no time. That's so interesting.

SPEAKER_01 15:45

I haven't had a chance to speak to young people and ask that question or little kids. But I remember myself, like, you know, time just felt so long as a child, and summers were just like, oh, so nice and long. And now summer is like in a flash. And summer's my favorite time. And so um, I'm that's gonna be an experiment this summer. You know, how can I slow down time? And it's, you know, probably yeah, spending less time on my device, devices. I have more than one device, right? Um, and you know, I'm not I don't want to like bad mouth technology and our you know, amazing cell phone, smartphones, you know, they they've they're amazing tools that have really um you know been so useful, but it is um a distraction and it it and it's entertainment and it's everything in one you know little device, and you want to consume it mindfully. Just like we talk about mindful eating or um and um you know eating in a way that nourishes us, definitely we want to be mindful about our attention. I mean, mindfulness is really about our attention, but we we want to um consume uh well let me back up it. We want to place our attention in a mindful way and um uh allow in you know w whatever information or um sound or noise mindfully. I mean, I I guess in New York City I can't always control that, but I can certainly um control my time on my devices.

SPEAKER_00 17:49

Yeah. Like it's about choosing, right? It's about choosing and choosing what is helpful, what is healthy, what is helping you, because you mentioned eating, and I I feel like it's the same way if you're not mindful, like food is a neutral thing and we need it, but if you don't really choose consciously what what you want to eat, how you want to nurture your body, you can go to an extreme that it's harmful to your health.

SPEAKER_01 18:21

Well, yeah, I mean th there's certainly um mindless eating, right? Like you just kind of it's automatic, you know, you're not really thinking about it, and that can be harmful. And so it's a good analogy, and I love that word about choice. Um sometimes I feel for myself like I definitely feel addicted at times, and I, you know, full disclosure, where like it just draws me in, and then you know, an hour has gone by and it's just oh so frustrating. I I get frustrated myself, like, why did I do that so unconsciously? And I think that's the thing. You just want to be more conscious about it. Like, okay, I'm gonna spend 15 minutes on my device doing, you know, whatever X or Y. And there you have choice. And so you have to bring your your consciousness and an intention to it. But I think so many of us, I I'll just speak for myself, that I get there are times where I get unconscious about it. You know, I just kind of like get on my device, you know, don't set a timer or just let it control me, then I it almost feels like then I don't I'm not making a choice. I know that I don't know if that makes sense, but yeah, um I want more more choice around it.

SPEAKER_00 19:54

Um you you mentioned something really interesting. Now that we're speaking about this, I realize that it's a very good way to practice mindfulness. For those who have a hard time meditating or who don't know how to practice their mindfulness, may maybe in this area, in in how we consume or how we take in information or how we use our devices, we can practice practice mindfulness. I I was thinking as you were speaking that sometimes I'll go and look for something on TikTok. Like I have something in mind that I want to look for, maybe a recipe. I I don't know, whatever it is. And then I know that I'm looking for a specific thing, but then I realize, I don't know how long it's been, that I'm like looking at something else completely. I you know, you started looking at a recipe, and all of a sudden you're just I don't know, learning about what's happening with the birds in Peru. And you don't even realize how you got there. So that's the part where it's so easy, it's so tricky, it's just designed to take you to many places. So just being aware of like this is what I want to do and focus on that, right? Or if or sometimes you can say it like you mentioned a timer, right? Oh, I'm gonna set up a timer just to do to dive deep into whatever comes up in social media, but I know that I have this time for entertainment, and that's it.

SPEAKER_01 21:23

Yeah, it's good you mentioned that because I think that happens to all of us. It's like this little, you know, wormhole we go down, and it's it's it's almost um yeah, you you just get lost in it, and it's fun and it's entertaining. I guess that's what the algorithm is about. It just kind of feeds you things that it knows that you you have interest in. And um it it it is sometimes literally, you know, hard to s stop. Um and uh I love what you said about, you know. Really being present so that you don't get sucked up into the algorithm and say, I came here just to do this, and I now have what I looked for, and I'm going to stop. And you know, really almost have to like be super present, otherwise you're just gonna be taken for the ride. And it's a fun ride, right? So it's it's it's hard to stop. Um yeah, that's definitely happened to me for sure. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:31

And just before I ask you the next question, because you know I always like to know about your personal experience. Um I I want to say that it it kind of happens to me when I go down to the kitchen as well. Sometimes I need to get something from the kitchen, or I just want to drink water, and then I find myself eating all the dates or something. So it's like that wasn't what I was coming for, but I've lost my focus and just started doing something else automatically. So I think that translates as well.

SPEAKER_01 23:02

Yeah, well, you know, I I I think it's partly due to the fact that we have become easily distractable, you know, with that. Or, you know, we just have so much in our brain at one time that it's hard to focus on the task at hand. And that's what we're talking about today is, you know, w when you have that mental overload, um, you lose your focus. And so no, please go ahead. Yeah, no, it's it's it's good that you're bringing it up. Um that happens to me frequently, and you know, sometimes you're just worried, oh my gosh, is it, you know, my middle-aged brain? Um, but it's good to know it happens in young brains as well. And you know, some it's something to think about. Like, are we all becoming just a bit absent-minded, you know, where we're just not fully present with ourselves and we're all kind of losing our attention.

SPEAKER_00 24:09

Yeah. Well, this is a bit deeper, but what came up to me is like, what are we trying to avoid? But I guess that's a different question.

SPEAKER_01 24:18

Well, yeah. Yeah, it's it's a form of escape, you know? Um it's a distraction. It's like when when you were talking about how you would just go from kind of um, I imagine you're watching your reels, or you know, you're on your TikTok and you're just going from one place to another, and all of a sudden it's like, well, how how did I get here? And it's just, there's just like so many shiny objects, you know, and it's just it's too exciting for our brains, you know. And uh yeah, I I think I I think that that is um a good point to make, and that it's hard to sit with ourselves now more than ever. It it always I think is hard for us as humans to sit with ourselves and our thoughts. And um we we've become even further removed from that. But that's a a disconnection that we don't want to well, I'll just say for myself, you know, that is a form of disconnection. And um I want to be fully present and I want to be mindful, and um yeah, it does bring up a a deeper question, right? And that's that's why it's so seductive. Because it's so entertaining, so many shiny objects, and then we're distracted from ourselves.

SPEAKER_00 25:50

Yeah, I wonder if we're losing our capacity to go and seek that thrill in life, like outside of our screens, just because it's become so easy to get that same effect just through watching something through a a screen. Like now you can experience life through a a screen that we don't feel the need to go out and make a friend, have a conversation, get to know someone, go look at the trees or or or learn something new outside with people just because it's become so available to us and so quick as well.

SPEAKER_01 26:29

You have to go and you know, commute or yeah, no, it it certainly takes a lot more effort now to do those things, you know, the in real life things. And you can get really comfortable, you know, siting at home with your screen and still be entertained, but that's not a full and rich life if you want to be fully human, right? Interacting with others and feeling that connection it in real life. Um it does take more effort.

SPEAKER_00 27:05

And and you you've mentioned how this affects you as well. You've shared with us, but was there a specific time in your own life when you realize your environment or information intact intake was affecting your nervous system more than you initially recognized?

SPEAKER_01 27:24

Yes, absolutely. Last week. Yeah, no, this this is a tough one for me. It is ever present, and it's something that even this conversation is so helpful for me to just for me to re-examine my consumption um uh and just you know, sensory overload and and you know, constant input into my brain. Um yeah, I mean, I just noticed like last week I I I was had a stressful, busy week, and I was just, you know, kind of wanting to rest and relax. And so what did I do? I I laid on my couch and just opened up Instagram because it just felt kind of soothing and relaxing. Like, oh my God, no, that's that's you know, not what I want to do to decompress. I mean, if you can curate your social media in a way that, you know, it just feeds you just reels and and posts that are just gonna be really calming to your nervous system, then wonderful, you know, but I I don't know how to do that for my Instagram. Maybe some people know how to do that. Um so so yeah, this is a a real work in progress for me. You know, many things are still a work in progress, but this one in particular. And you know, what I did notice was that it it didn't really calm my nervous system. It just kind of tuned me out, numbed me out for a little bit. Um, and sometimes that is useful. But what I really should have done was just maybe take a nap or just kind of you know lie there and take some deep breaths, you know, and just settle my nervous system. And um, you know, I think as high-functioning people, we just get used to, you know, constantly be in being in that mental engagement. And so I didn't really know how to just turn off for a moment. And um I think it's really important to recognize that if we want to heal and we want to calm our nervous system, sometimes we need to create more space for that. And that may mean more silence, more presence, and less stimulation of our nervous system and and allow it to really rest and not be constantly reacting. So when I'm on the Instagram, most of the time, you know, it is and and no hate on Instagram, by the way, you know, um, but that it is just constant input that I'm reacting to. And you know, sometimes it's best to just allow our nervous system to not react. And that is relaxation, right? Like you don't have to actively do a meditation or a breath work to induce the relaxation response, but just to not input, you know, into your nervous system.

SPEAKER_00 30:48

Yeah, I was gonna say that no hate to Instagram or anything by any means. Like I wouldn't want it, a world without these things either. Wow, like they're helpful, they they have so many good things to offer, and they definitely push to progress in so many ways. The thing here is doing things without our awareness or just allowing time, time, time in life to pass us by without presence, because they can remove us from the world, from our awareness of our bodies and and of our relations so quickly if you don't pay attention. But I think that it can happen with anything else as well. It's not just technology, but right now, this is our biggest challenge because it's at hand. So it's really about learning how to how how to live with these things, learning how to use these things in a way that doesn't take us away, in a way that doesn't absorb us, so that we can continue to live life more interactively outside of our screens. So it's to actually feel the ground, walk, talk to other people in in real life, and you know, listen to m music in real life or whatever it is, right? That part. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:13

And I I I love how you put that, you know, it it is um certainly um so important for us to do all the things that make us feel alive and human. And in the past we didn't have to work so hard at it. And I think all the the two of us are saying is that you want to be conscious and aware of your consumption of, you know, all the media that that we can get access to on our phone, um, and that you have control over it. And anything that you don't have control over, then you know, can become an addiction, right? That's the sort of the definition of addiction, is when, you know, um, this is a very lay version of the lay definition of addiction is just is that you've lost control over constantly seeking to have it. Um so you know, it can be like all those other things that are cla more classic addictions. Um so just bringing that up, bringing up the the fact that this can be similar form of addiction when it's not in your conscious control. And it's so much more subtle because it's it doesn't feel harmful, it's not like alcohol or drugs, but it can disconnect us from ourselves and it takes us away from doing all the other things that would you know really add to um interacting with other humans in the way that we've done for you know millennia.

SPEAKER_00 34:17

And you mentioned that it's subtle, so it's it's easier to um let it pass by because we're all kind of consumed in it, you know, we're all exposed to it. It's just kind of hard to recognize when it has become harmful. Um which brings me to this next question. How do you see that in your in your practice, in your clinical work? How can you know um whether a person uh whether a person's nervous system is being dysregulated by their uh overstimulation or lack of mental rest?

SPEAKER_01 35:03

Yeah, well, you know, we've talked a lot throughout the episodes um how symptoms can show up when there is nervous system dysregulation. So, you know, we've talked about how um you can get sleep issues, anxiety, fatigue, brain fog, irritability, um feeling emotionally depleted, oh, digestive symptoms. So these are all symptoms that can be due to nervous system dysregulation. And so then you'd have to ask, well, you know, why is my nervous system dysregulated? And it could be that there's a lot of stressors in your life. Um you know, that's the the most obvious. It could be that you know you're not balancing with um uh support for your nervous system, you know, through exercises like breath work or meditation, you know, that could kind of help to balance a nervous system. Um so you have to do a little bit of detective work, you know. Is your device contributing to keeping your nervous system dysregulated or unbalanced? And um, you know, that takes a lot of kind of inward looking. I'll be honest, it it hasn't come up in my um medical visits overtly, and now I'm gonna perhaps look for it more, but we do talk about the consumption of news, for instance, where you know that's pretty obvious to most people. Where, you know, when there's troubling news or stressful news, you know, people can articulate that, oh my God, I'm just feeling over overwhelmed by all bad news around me lately. You know, so that's that's obvious. And we talk about how, gosh, you know, that is contributing to stressing your nervous system. And and you know, how can you be more mindful about consuming news? Or sometimes you need to take a little hiatus just to rest your nervous system from all that input. Um, you know, I think uh in children, you know, we're very conscious as parents of like, you know, how much kids are on their devices, but we we haven't really talked about it for adults. And so, you know, I'm sure pediatricians screen for that in their history taking, you know, when they um talk to parents, but um, it's not something that I have you know asked my patients about, and and going forward, I I think I will. Um, and so conversations like this, I think, help us to be more thoughtful and mindful about you know how much we're on our phones. Um so my my point here is you know, we're we're very aware of how it impacts children, but I think we also need to be aware of how it impacts um adults. And so you really gotta, you know, check in with yourself. Are you are are you you know, are you feeling good about the amount of time you're on your phone? And if the answer is no, well then you you know you you you should kind of look into that further and um see see where there m there may be room for change. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 38:53

Yeah, I I find it that many times I'm really tired and I and I don't I don't think that I've done enough physical activity or no, sometimes I'm like I didn't do much. Why am I so tired? Like I worked and then I just can't do anything anymore. And I realized I was on my phone, I didn't rest. Like I I worked and then I wanted to decompress, and then I just spent a lot of time on my phone, and then all of a sudden I'm I'm mentally exhausted. And I think that many people feel like that. Why why do you think cognitive and emotional overload create creates such profound fatigue?

SPEAKER_01 39:36

Well, that's because mental and emotional load takes a tremendous amount of energy, and a lot of people are carrying it's it's like um, you know, open tabs um mentally and all day long. You know, the the the open tabs that you have on your computer. So, you know, you're you're constantly planning, remembering, anticipating, responding, making decisions, managing emotions. All of this, you know, takes energy. So even though you know you're s maybe not doing something physical all day, your nervous system may still be working very hard. So I also think um emotional vigilance, you know, worrying about something or you know, thinking about um the pain of others, um, you know, especially someone close in your life, is exhausting. You know, you're trying to hold everything together, um, absorbing stress from the environment around you. I think, you know, as a mother, that one's very dear to me, you know, just like my children's stress becomes my stress, and um, you know, I feel it in my physical body. Um and so, you know, all of this takes energy, almost, you know, like a f like you do a physical workout. Um so people don't recognize that you know it it takes energy to support our nervous system and and and allow it to function. Um but also you know, just um energetically, on an emotional level, it's just it's it weighs us down. So that you know can cause low energy. So people often think, you know, why am I so tired? I didn't even do that much today. But mentally and emotionally, you know, their system may have been running nonstop all day long, you know, you're just unaware of it.

SPEAKER_00 42:04

Yeah, and and if you think about it, how how much of that energy that is being consumed by mindless scrolling or by m mindless input could be used to something that serves you more. Yes. Right? That's a good question. Like how what have you stopped doing or what have you procrastinated on that you've wanted to do?

SPEAKER_01 42:27

Yeah, and that caused more mental load, right? When you procrastinate, it's like uh yeah, I think you know, part of it is the mental stimulation, right? But part of most of it is that it takes away from other activities that may have, you know, helped you to really unwind or to, you know, there's a saying, you know, fill your cup, right? To replenish or connect with another human. You know, I was just thinking, it's it's kind of like, you know, when I when I was young, television was like the equivalent, like it kind of like took away your time, and you know, it it didn't always, you know, well uh it just took away your time, right? Um but I was just thinking, you know, at least with television, you're watching with your family, but I think with our devices, it's just for you. And it's very isolating. And I I know that's I notice that sometimes just in my own home, like we're all sitting together in the living room, but we all have our own devices and we're not interacting. Whereas if we're watching television together, we you know, we can make comments or talk about it, or at least, you know, we're we're we're all focused on the same thing. And so that isolation is also just not healthy for us. Um, but yeah, I think it takes away from other activities that can be more nourishing.

SPEAKER_00 43:58

Yeah. If you're watching television with your family, like you mentioned, you're sharing an experience because everyone, you know, you're you're having the same input. So you're kind of sharing the same experience. But when you're on your phone, it's like you're tuning out. I'll just leave my body sitting here. And everyone just leaves their body sitting together, but they're like each person is on a different channel and a different dimension. And it's not common that you share because a lot of things are not even that impactful. So it's not common that you would share what about what you're looking at, unless it's like uh an important news or a really funny meme or something really interesting. But most of it is just whatever, a lot of the same. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:46

So I'll have to say it's been kind of fun to um send things to my my son. Um for us to interact and share some common interests. Um but talking would be better. Um yeah, and and um, you know, usually it's short form content, you know, so it just kind of goes by quickly. Whereas like if you're watching a movie or even like an episode on television together, um, it gives you uh the opportunity to talk about it afterwards, you know, be because you had that shared experience. Um yeah, it's uh can be isolating when you're on a your own channel.

SPEAKER_00 45:31

No, I like that you mentioned a positive aspect of it. I I do like to send my friends, I really enjoy uh watching a funny video that reminds me of someone, and that that I know that it's gonna cost them a laugh, big, you know, laughter, because I find it that that's a way we connect. You know, I see this video that resembles our relationship, and then I send it over, and I know that when they look at it, they'll be like, ha ha. So you actually did provoke a good moment for someone else and a moment of connection even within the distance.

SPEAKER_01 46:04

Absolutely. And and that's what it is, it's it's social media, right? And so it's meant to be um interactive and and there is connection there, and there's value to that too, right? Um but I think what we're talking about is just that mindless consumption where you you're you're not interacting with anybody, you know, and that can be harmful when it's um well, w when it's not conscious and and not in your control.

SPEAKER_00 46:34

I love it. It's just leaving us with the qu question of is your social media connecting you? Is it is it social or is it isolating you? You can ask that question, right? And if it's isolating you, then okay, then it's not it's on giving you the best part of it. And we talk about the uh well-being ecosystem on every episode. So I'd like to know how protecting attention and creating supportive environments become a part of the well-being ecosystem or our well-be in general.

SPEAKER_01 47:12

Yeah, I think this is such an important part of the well-being ecosystem. As we talk about a lot, our nervous systems are constantly responding to our environment. The pace of life, the amount of noise and input, our schedules, the emotional tone around us, even how much pressure or urgency we're carrying. This is all part of our environment, which is one of the pillars of the well-being ecosystem. So protecting attention isn't about, you know, being rigid or perfectly disciplined. It's about creating conditions that help the nervous system feel safer, steadier, and less overloaded. And when we tend to, you know, that part of our ecosystem, our environment, then it allows for a healthier shift in our ecosystem. And um it's one that I think is you know isn't top and center on our minds, you know. Like perhaps we think about food and movement and you know, all of those lifestyle activities that are important for our health. This one is much subtler, but you know, we feel it and we our nervous system notices it. So um the environmental pillar is very important in the well-being ecosystem.

SPEAKER_00 48:52

And well, we do live in this world, and like you said, it it it's subtle, but it's it's subtle because it is a part of our life. Uh we carry a cell phone everywhere we go. We work on our computers. So, what are some realistic ways people can begin improving their mental diet without completely disconnecting from modern life? Yes, that's really important.

SPEAKER_01 49:21

I I think it's really important that this doesn't become another, you know, perfectionist wellness project. That, okay, everybody go on a digital detox, which yes, that would be great, you know. Um, but I I've never done it myself, so I'm not gonna ask anybody to do it. You know, people who like, you know, go without their phones for a weekend or longer. Um so the goal isn't to eliminate technology or disconnect from, you know, the media completely. It's really about helping the nervous system experience a little more spaciousness and recovery. So it may start with something very small. For instance, not checking your phone immediately when you wake up. You know, give it a little bit of time. Um turning off unnecessary notifications. I think you know, this is this is a good one. That constant pinging is so distracting and it's just like too tempting to look, right? So just turn off notifications. Um I mentioned this one earlier. Uh taking a walk without listening to something. You know, that's something I'm I'm gonna start trying. Um, what else? Maybe it's just giving yourself a few quiet minutes between tasks instead of you know filling every moment with some input. Or, I don't know, standing in line without looking at your phone. So I encourage people to just notice how certain types of content make them feel. There may be some things that leave us feeling grounded and connected, or other things that leave us feeling more depleted, anxious, or emotionally flooded. And so you just want to be more intentional about you know what we allow in to our mind, our thoughts, and this alone can make a big difference.

SPEAKER_00 51:43

And so for someone listening today, just to close off, who may be feeling mentally overstimulated or emotionally overloaded, what is one gentle shift they could make this week to feel better?

SPEAKER_01 52:00

Yeah, I would say start very gently. Um you know, never helps when we um demand drastic changes of ourselves. So this week I notice one small moment each day when you could choose a little less input. Maybe you sit quietly for a minute before reaching for your phone. Maybe you drive without listening to anything. You don't have to change your entire life overnight. It's these small moments of quiet and spaciousness that can really matter more than people realize. For sure, your nervous system will notice, and often it's those small small moments when people begin feeling more present, more connected to themselves, and a little more steady again, that can make bigger changes, right? So when you notice these small moments, it's like, oh, it's almost like a remembering this moment of quiet feels good. Let me have more of that. So starting with small moments can be impactful, is what I'm saying. So, you know, don't don't start big. Um I think that's always been my message is to start gently, start with small, doable moments. Um, and just inviting the presence, inviting quiet, inviting peace.

SPEAKER_00 54:01

Thank you, Dr. Julie. I think what's always very refreshing to me about having having a conversation with you is that it all starts with awareness. And then from there we can move on to little things and little things compound and make it more sustainable over time. And I like that gent gentleness about you that you know there's so much pressure on anything, even on being healthy, that you know, when you have the permission to just become aware and tune into yourself and and start slowly and and kind of find your own way. I I feel like that alone, it's it's more calming. You know, it's it's about learning to approach our health in that way. And that's um that's uh what I'm always left with when I talk to you, no matter what we're speaking of. So thank you so much.

SPEAKER_01 54:50

Oh, thank you for um reflecting and noting that. That that is my style, and uh I hope it resonates. Well, if today's conversation resonated with you and you've been realizing how much your environment and mental inputs may be affecting your nervous system, I actually created a resource to help you begin resetting more intentionally. You can visit my latest post on Instagram at julitaw.md and comment the word reset and I'll share the guide with you there. And if you prefer, you can also find the link directly in the show notes. Thank you for joining me for this episode of Medicine with Meaning. Your nervous system is constantly responding to the environment around you. And sometimes protecting your health begins not by adding more, but by creating more space, more quiet, and more intentionality in what you allow in. If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who may need it. And I'll see you next time.