Since the Covid pandemic there has been an increase in mental health problems and a lot of research around techniques to help.

One article I came across provided some interesting statistics: “According to research, the average person has approximately 60,000 thoughts per day. But what is truly concerning is that 75% of these thoughts are negative, and 95% are repetitive. Many of our negative thoughts are driven by the flight or fight part of our brain. This constant barrage of negative and repetitive thoughts can significantly impact our mental health, happiness, and overall quality of life.” (Peak Dynamics 2024)

The article then goes on to talk about ways to overcome such negativity and try to bring more balance into our lives. One of the suggested solutions is to practice mindfulness. This has become quite a ‘buzz’ word in recent years: essentially the idea is to stay in the moment, focus on what you’re doing at any given time and not think about the past or the future.

Two thousand years ago, Jesus was talking to the people of his day about their worries. He was explaining to them about how God loves us and if we trust Him, things will work out.

“So my counsel is: Don’t worry about things—food, drink, and clothes. For you already have life and a body—and they are far more important than what to eat and wear…  Will all your worries add a single moment to your life?... So don’t be anxious about tomorrow. God will take care of your tomorrow too. Live one day at a time.”  (Matthew 6:25-34TLB)

Sounds like mindfulness to me! There is plenty of life wisdom in the Bible with the added bonus of an incredible future hope. It’s worth taking a look!

Reference:

"The impact of 45,000 negative thoughts" Insights Peak Dynamics 2024 https://insights.peak-dynamics.net/post/102ia4i/the-impact-of-45-000-negative-thoughts (28 November 2024)