Why Unconscious Consumption is Bad for Your Mental Health
I consume a lot of content per week. Books, newsletters, podcasts, tv shows. And to be clear, this is not a flex. Truthfully, it’s probably a near obsessive distraction strategy for my very busy brain. I justify to myself that it’s merely “mindful concentration,” but if I’m honest it’s probably just procrastination. I am working on my mindfulness skills, I promise. They’re just very much still a work in progress.
In my defence though, when I’m consuming, I’m normally very intentional (aside from the occasional indulgence). And there’s a big reason for this.
In my clinical practice, I repeatedly ask people to acknowledge the impact society and culture has on their mental health. Because mental health ill health does not emerge from a vacuum. People are not solely or individually responsible for their wellbeing, because we do not exist in isolation from the larger social, political, and cultural structures around us. Of course, many people are uncomfortable with this concept because it directly challenges our beliefs in individualism. I’m not going to go into depth about the why of this (because that is a whole other essay), but for a simplified explanation, it’s because this concept questions the feasibility of statements like “You’ve got the same 24hrs in a day as Beyonce.” You know, the quasi-motivational ones that influencers just love to promote.
Most people unintentionally burden themselves with all the responsibility for their struggles (because we’ve been taught too, but again, a different essay). I actively fight this in therapy, helping people to acknowledge the contextual factors which may or may not have influenced their current state of wellbeing.
For this reason, the content we consume, both actively and passively is SO IMPORTANT. It shapes and influences our worldview and therefore should not be taken lightly. I often speak to young people about this fact and ask them, “how much do you curate your consumption?” Because if you aren’t already doing this, then you should start.
So, to help with this process, I’m creating the Good Content List. I’m justifying my consumption by recycling it and putting it to wider use. These are pieces of content vetted by me as soup-for-the-soul. The process of assessment is kind of like the Bechdel Test, but for mental health. The parameters being
1) it must acknowledge the central role of characters or persons mental health in the plot line/critic/reflection
2) this must be explored with empathy and/or compassion and
3) there are no harmful tropes used to deliver drama.
Get me some Good Content
