Deprogram Stress: Filter – Block Stress Before It Starts
Stress doesn’t start when you feel it. It starts when you let it in.
Most people wake up, grab their phone, check the news, scroll social media, see work messages and feel stressed before getting out of bed.
Facts:
- Not everything deserves your attention.
- You don’t need to process every piece of negativity thrown at you.
- Your brain wasn’t designed for unlimited inputs.
The Logic:
- Your brain has limited bandwidth.
- The more useless negativity you absorb, the more stressed you feel, even if it has nothing to do with you.
The Science:
- Studies show that high exposure to negative content raises cortisol (the stress hormone).
- The brain’s cognitive load is finite. Too much input leads to anxiety, exhaustion, and poor decision-making.
Step 1: Filter – How to block stress before it starts:
1. Set a Mental Spam Filter.
- No news before 10 AM (start your day with clarity).
- No work talk after dinner (protect your recharge time).
- No mindless scrolling at night (let your mind rest).
- Mute toxic group chats. Unfollow negativity.
2. Before engaging, ask: “Does this deserve my energy?” If not, ignore it.
If you don’t let stress in, you don’t have to fight it later.
What’s one thing you will filter out starting today?
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