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Intentional Living: Navigating Fasting and Mindfulness in the Digital Age

 

How to consider an intentional life.

This week my spouse and I are engaged in a one hundred twenty hour fast mimicking diet. So you don’t have to do the math 120 hours is equal to five-days. You’re welcome.

We fast occasionally for long periods for different reasons. I decided to fast for five days because I’ve had some digestive issues lately and I want to get control over my life. My spouse fasts more often than I do, he does it because he wants to optimize his health outcomes. While we have different motivations we work together to have a positive experience while we live with the challenge.

Full disclosure, we conduct a modified fast based on the macronutrients provided by the information on the Prolon Fasting Mimicking diet website. Essentially we eat a very low-calorie diet (800 calories) and we DIY the diet because I like saving money. It would be easier to buy diet foods, but I can’t see doing that because buying something I can create violates my sense of order in my life.

The result beyond feeling a little hungry is that I must slow down a bit during a fast because it’s hard to go fast when you have consumed less energy. By ‘going fast’ I mean being ‘me’, over thinking, taking on ten tasks that may or may not get finished, jumping from one crazy concept to another completely unrelated concept in the span of a few minutes, and doing a bit of research to better understand what I’m thinking about.

Slowing down has been a fantastic benefit for me so far this week. Slowing down helped me notice that I’ve been consuming social media in a way that isn’t helpful. To be honest it’s not my feed that’s terrible, it’s the comments section. Even the most innocuous posts have vitriol in the comments. I was telling my spouse that the algorithm has trained people to be awful so they can gain traction on social media.

In terms of intention, I don’t think the algorithm was supposed to train the humans, it was supposed to be the other way around. No doubt it was highly biased from the beginning. I think of it like measuring twice, cutting once, or garbage in garbage out. If the algorithm starts biased by the time it arrives to the public it’s so corrupt it can’t be fixed. Now all I can consider is the bad attitude the developers must have in their hearts.

Noticing the terrible feedback in the comments section has spurred me to be more intentional about my social media consumption. I admit I get a boost from the garbage people say in the comments section, I get a jolt with people's spot-on evaluation of our society (because they reflected my perspective) or I get a bit angry or frustrated because they reflect a perspective that violates my ideas.

Ugh, being a person during this age can be a real crap shoot. Even more reason to be intentional most of the time. Now that I have recognized that reading the comment section is harmful to me, I can be intentional in avoiding the comment section. I still want to look at really adorable pets. I still want to see mature ladies get their hair done. I like looking at art or watching Instagram posts about etymology, but I won’t read the comments.

I find I have the same addiction to the comments section as I do the news. I realize I have little power to affect the outcome of our current culture. But I’m a voyeur regardless because it gives me an emotional boost. I’m sure there are scientific reasons why I would want to read about the horrible state of the world or read the mean comments people make on social media accounts, but I don’t need an excuse to stop doing something that I believe is bad for me. I only need to have the intention to stop harming myself.

These are the steps I will take this week to eliminate the self-harm I’m causing myself-

·       I will create a morning routine that includes reading either fiction or non-fiction.

·       I will not look at the comments on social media or news feeds.

·       I’ll not read the news, at least for a while until I can gain perspective.

·       Instead of using YouTube to block sounds from my work environment, I’ll listen to soundscapes. My favorite is from “MyNoise” called “Medieval Village”.



·       I’ll journal so I can sort out my feelings. I aim to have feelings about actual life not life on the internet.

·       I’ll go outside more so I can imbue my heart with calm.

·       I’ll exercise regularly.

That’s all I can think to do to help me as I build my intention muscle. Winter is always a lazy time for me and as spring approaches I see that I’m feeling better and more ambitious; I’m going to lean into this feeling so I have a productive spring, summer, and fall.

Intention requires effort similar to fasting. I must ignore slight discomfort to acquire a result. I want that for myself. I want to approach my existence with results in the forefront of my mind. Not every result is monumental. For example, there are times when I realize I’ve not worked towards having well-manicured fingernails. I’m intentional in resolving this. I work on my fingernails, and after a small effort, I’m super happy with my results. Doing my nails can be meditative. Doing my nails leaves me feeling fancy, which is fun for me. It’s a small action with great results.

Sometimes I must do a task that requires a lot of effort if I want great results, for example, writing a book. That is also satisfying for me, but if I’m not in a place where I can use the skill of intention to give myself a manicure, I definitely won’t be in a mindset that allows me to write a book. On the path of intention, small tasks with great results lead to a boulevard of larger more complex tasks that can be accomplished, if I have my intentions in order.

If you feel as though you would like to build your intention muscle but don’t know where to start I suggest you conduct a visualization exercise. Visualizing the life you want can be a great way to understand how to walk your path and have the results you desire. I have a workbook with a companion podcast and a YouTube channel with visualization exercises that may be helpful.  “Your Future Self: A Time Travelers Manifestation Workbook for Intentional Well Being”

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