I don’t know about you, but sometimes, I wish I could starve my brain of stimulation. Maybe then, I could actually turn my brain off and rest for five minutes.
But in a world of constant distraction, overstimulation, communication, and social obligations, it’s hard to find any sort of peace. In my opinion, we were not meant to be reachable and available 24/7, the way technology has allowed. And while it’s important to be informed and aware of what’s going on in the world, overloading yourself into a dissociated state is not the answer.
Perhaps that’s why so many people are “mental fasting.”
What Is Mental Fasting?
Simply put, mental fasting is exactly how it sounds: abstaining from mental stimulation.
Mental fasting is not a formal clinical term; however, it has become an increasingly used phrase in popular culture,” says Dr. Eli Kraiem, a clinical psychologist and professor in Manhattan. “Mental fasting can be defined as intentionally reducing external stimulation, information, and demands on our attention. In the same way that our bodies need periods of rest and recovery, our minds benefit tremendously from having sacred resting time as well. This is designated time for us to recharge without scrolling on our phones, consuming content, multitasking, or constantly responding to notifications on electronic devices.”
Think about it: when you first wake up in the morning, are you reaching for your phone to scroll TikTok or respond to texts? When you’re driving to work, are you listening to a podcast? When you make dinner later that night, is your TV on for background noise?
Often, we don’t even realize how little distraction-free time and energy we actually give to ourselves. It’s no wonder many of us struggle with emotional healing and burnout.
“Mental fasting can create a space for deeper emotional processing and more intentional thinking and reflection,” says Dr. Kraiem. “In today’s day, we are constantly consuming information and have fewer opportunities to notice our emotional and mental states. Periods of reduced stimulation often improve our ability to concentrate and help us modulate and regulate our emotions more effectively.”
Tips for Mental Fasting
Thankfully, because it requires less—not more—stimulation, mental fasting is incredibly simple. However, that doesn’t necessarily make it easy. For many of us, it’s become almost instinctual to reach for our phone first thing in the morning or fill the silence with music or an audiobook.
“Mental fasting does not require one to completely disconnect from their phones or other technologies. It can be done by the simple act of taking a walk without headphones or eating a meal without looking at your phone,” says Dr. Kraiem. “Other examples include creating periods of time without social media or news or sitting quietly for ten minutes, noticing the physical sensations that are happening within you.”
In and of itself, it’s a form of meditation. When you gift yourself your undivided attention, sitting still with your body and allowing emotions or feelings to surface, you become more in tune with yourself. This can help strengthen your intuition and actually process your experiences.
“The goal of mental fasting is not to stop thinking but to stop the constant overload of information at every available moment, allowing our mind the space to process, reflect, and reset,” Dr. Kraiem concludes.
The post What to Know About Mental Fasting, the Trend That Helps You Log Off and Reset appeared first on VICE.
