Martinez Kristine T.

BEED 1-F
Activity 6

Mins Matters Most

Introduction
Among the many challenges arising from the
coronavirus is the impact of isolation on our mental well-being.
Confinement, diminished social contact and worries about the
world present internal stressors for many of us as we are forced
to spend more time with ourselves, exposed to the tumultuous
nature of our complicated minds. For others, this period may
also present itself as a blessing in disguise. Much of the outside
stimulation that normally captivates us is taken away. With
isolation comes a slowed-down pace of life, a simpler existence
freed from the constant push and pull of our social
commitments, desires, plan and obligations.
Body
We may not realize the extent to which our thoughts affect
our feelings and influence our sense of wellbeing. Spending
too much of our time in negative states of mind-spanning
everyday worry, fixation, self-focus, ambivalence, agitation
and restless desire-we are chased throughout the day by our
busy thoughts. We become captive to the voice in our head
that constantly judges, speculates, complains, compares,
dislikes, and condemns. Most of our thinking is repetitive and
often useless. Whether reliving the past or rehearsing possible
futures, we are caught up in the ceaseless meanderings of our
unruly minds. Our addiction to ‘thinking’ gives us a false sense
of pleasure. The medical field has only touched the surface in
documenting the benefits of meditation that traditions of the
East have promoted for centuries. For instance, in book
Altered Traits, Goleman and Davidson explore cutting-edge
research on meditation, examining how it has the capacity to
transform our mind, body and brain stays just as busy when
we’re under some from of mental strain. In other words you
minds’ ‘default mode’ switches on, even when we’re not
doing anything particular that requires effort or focus. This
default mode continually rescripts a storyline in which we
each take centre , replaying particularly upsetting or favorite
arts over and over. When researchers at Harvard University
asked thousands of people to report on their mood and
mental focus at several random points throughout the day,
they concluded that “a wandering mind is an unhappy mind”.

Conclusion
By dedicating the time to explore your mind, you will begin to
see that much of life’s suffering is unnecessary, self-created
and avoidable. Understanding how you thoughts create
reality is one of the most valuable insights you can attain.
Through the wholesome acceptance of the mind, it is possible
to transform reality and cultivate a more positive way of
existing in this world.