Over the past few months I’ve become increasingly aware of input. Specifically, the power of input. I’m not talking about technology here. Instead, I’m referring to everything that’s entering into my mind and body.
Here’s a typical day of what I consume:
7:30am–wake to the sound of my alarm, the sight of my phone which often begins with scrolling
8:00am–next input is the taste of coffee and my daily bread, the Word of God
8:30am–I switch to output for a bit as I journal before breakfast (real food) and more scrolling
9:00am–non-stop input begins: reading emails, checking messages, more coffee, listening to music or podcasts, eating lunch, attending meetings, another round of emails
By 4:00pm I’m ready to focus on output. These things help me process what I’ve taken in and release it. Talking on the phone to a friend or going for a walk or to a yoga class are my preferences. Some days I do other creative activities, like a puzzle, cooking, or baking something. On other days, my output is ministry, like writing blogs or sermons, or teaching a workshop.
6:00pm–Input again, in the form of dinner, streaming, and scrolling
What We Can Control
My output is carefully curated–a list of things that bring me much joy. But my input, not as much. Some things I control, but others just happen. It’s so easy to go through a day, week, or even month without thinking too deeply about input.
I’m becoming more and more sensitive to input, especially when there’s so much I can’t control.
For example, I can’t control the billboards I see as I drive through town, the ads that pop up online, the songs and commercials that play on every screen, through every speaker. Although I do control what groceries I buy, I don’t choose what BOGO offers Publix has when I shop. Although I choose when I scroll and who I follow, I don’t control what they post. And even though I control which news outlets I’m consuming, I don’t control the stories that (I believe) are important to know.
With all of this nonstop battering to my body and mind–and nervous system–I find myself becoming more selective about my daily input.
The Power of Input
I recently went on a silence and fasting retreat. In other words, I ceased as much input as possible. Here, I saw tangibly and in a very short amount of time the effect all this input has had on me, just by getting rid of it for a few days.
Let’s start with my body. During this retreat I nourished through only water, juices, broth, and coffee. I drank hot lemon water with ginger, miso soup, and coconut water. Hydrating, nourishing liquids that provided much needed nutrients and nothing extra. I spent time walking slowly through the forest, breathing deeply and intentionally, resting my body, bathing in epsom salts, cold plunging in the bay, and stretching to the prayer of Psalm 91. I was satisfied. Even without food, the intentionality of input even in just 48 hours lingered for days. I felt stronger, cleaner, healthier, and more energized.
The effect was similar on my mind. I didn’t listen to any music, podcasts, or watch any shows. I didn’t even have my phone–truly, I left it in my room and didn’t look at any screens for 48 hours. No computer, no tablet, no phone, no TV. No noise except that of the natural world. I also didn’t speak or use my voice. I journaled, read a book, colored, and watched the birds. My input was not made by an algorithm; not beyond my control. I fed my mind only exactly what I wanted to and nothing more. My mind felt clearer, more focused. I was able to deal with some of the more challenging topics I previously felt ill-equipped to dive into. In the silence, I could invite myself to be vulnerable with myself and observe the pain I had been ignoring. Again, the gentleness and hope and love I felt lasted even after breaking my fast.
If this 48 hours of intentional input can have such a lasting effect, how easy it must be to “reset” my body and mind when I’m feeling weary of all the input! If only God created a weekly day of rest that was a biblical command to cease all striving, work, and perhaps even input, for our overall health and flourishing.
Oh, wait… He did.
An Invitation to Honor the Sabbath
Simply put, that’s what Sabbath is: a weekly day of rest, rejuvenation, and reorienting toward God. A reset. An input detox.
I’ve written about Sabbath a lot, so I won’t spend much time on it here. Instead, I invite you to honor the Sabbath with me for at least one week this month. Pick any day that works best for you (usually Friday or Saturday for me, but Sunday is also a common choice). Decide to not work, check emails or social media, do housework or pay bills, or accomplish anything on your to-do list. Cease output, and be intentional about input.
The focus of this year’s Sabbaths for me: input detox. I often fast and go without technology on my weekly Sabbath anyway. What would it look like to be more intentional about what I let in on those days? I’m not sure it’s realistic for me to think every week can be without sound, but there are many ways I can be intentional about input on Sabbath:
- Nourishing foods
- Creative hobbies
- Gentle body movement
- Watching shows and movies that inspire me
- Spending time with people who encourage me
Are you beginning to recognize the power of input in your life?
What enters your body and mind impacts far more than we realize. But there’s hope, because we can control far more input than we realize, too.