Maintaining a Healthy Mind

By Kerry Smith

So many women are working really hard to get their bodies into shape. They exercise, watch what they eat, and live an overall healthy lifestyle. So what might they be missing? A healthy mind.

It’s no secret that mental illness is on the rise and has been for decades. Without even considering decades of research, we can simply look back a couple of years. Rates of depression were 8.5 percent before the pandemic and have risen to a staggering 27.8 percent, by one estimate. Despite the best medications, therapies, and coping skills, many individuals still struggle with their mental health. Women, in particular, are affected.

Without adding more gloom and doom to the pile, I’d simply propose we look at what we can control and what we can’t.

Nasty genetics certainly aren’t our fault. Worldwide events? Most of those we can’t control either. Some relationships we can adjust, but individuals have their agency.

So what DO we have control over? For the most part, we can monitor what we put into our brains. We can be selective about what we watch, read, and absorb into our minds. 

Be Selective about Books

I’m a huge advocate for reading clean books. Believe it or not, they exist, despite what bestselling book lists may indicate. It might take a bit more searching to find them, but you can. 

• Join book clubs and Facebook groups. There are groups of ladies, in neighborhood book clubs or online, who are also seeking clean reads. Find those women and join them. Most social media platforms have accounts where you can find #cleanreads or a similar term. You can also Google it, browse groups in GoodReads, or simply ask a fellow bookworm who shares similar values.
• Use search features. On Amazon, you can search inside most books. Make sure you’re on the softcover or hardcover selection, and you can “look inside,” typing in words you want to avoid. Granted, you or a designated someone has to type in the cursing, but it can help a whole group of ladies if the book is full of similar junk. You’ll know up front how many instances the word appears. Toss the book off your “to be read pile” if it doesn’t meet your criteria.
• Ask. Before borrowing a book, ask about its content. Maybe it doesn’t contain much cursing but the content is something you object to. Ask a friend, search reviews online. Be a bit educated before you pick up a book you don’t know about.
• Stop. If you’re reading a book that suddenly has nasty surprises, put it down. You don’t have to read it, even if you’ve purchased it. You can return books that contain objectionable content. 

Don’t Doomscroll

I discovered the terms doomscroll and doomsurf recently, and they aptly describe what most of us are doing: scrolling through our social-media feeds and absorbing whatever algorithims choose to show us. Much of the content is not good for us and, over time, is damaging us psychologically. We are literally hurting our minds and spirits when we consume such content on a regular basis.

I now try to be on social media with specific goals. I find great content that way, and I think it’s good to stay informed of local and worldwide events. I’m definitely not saying we should ditch our phones and bury our heads in the sand. But I think it’s good to be more purposeful about what we’re seeing and learning. Set goals and learn good things. That’s a great way to use our time!

Be Selective of Authors

Whether it’s television, a podcast, Youtube, a book–any type of media, there’s an author or producer behind it. Someone or a team of someones wrote the script. Do they have values similar to yours? Is their writing adding value to your life? Do you know anything about them?

Just as you probably wouldn’t take advice from a random stranger, you shouldn’t readily accept ideas from an author who may have completely different lifestyle choices than yours. You can be inclusive and read content to learn, but the minute it goes against your core beliefs, look elsewhere. There are a billion authors, influencers, leaders, therapists, life coaches, and experts out there. Many of them are great, but some are not.

You have a say about what goes into your mind. Anyone else is a guest. You have complete control on whether you read their material or not.

Nurture a Healthy Mind

Your mind is such an incredible gift from our Heavenly Father. We often talk about how the body is such a gift, but I think we somehow skip over the mind. It’s an essential part of the amazing body.

When we put good content into our minds, we think better thoughts and do better things. It’s a natural chain reaction. Even if our brains become ill with depression, we have so much advantage if we’re consuming good content.

“Good books are as friends,” said President Gordon B. Hinckley, “willing to give to us if we are willing to make a little effort.” I often think of books as good friends, and I expect them to treat me well.

Expect the best for your mind, too. Be selective about what you put into it.

Kerry Griffin Smith is an advocate for literacy and reading uplifting material. You can find a list of clean reads on her website: MrsLadyWordsmith.com.  You are also welcome to join her Facebook book club, The Book Club Ladies, where hundreds of women are helping each other to find wholesome, engaging books.

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