In a world drowning in data, we often focus on output: what we create, what we post, and what we achieve. But what about the input?
The sheer volume of information, entertainment, and distraction thrown at us every second is unprecedented. We are constantly consuming—from social media feeds and 24/7 news cycles to endless streaming options and notifications. This constant stream of digital input is the invisible force shaping our mental landscape, our energy levels, and even our sense of self-worth.
If we want clear thought, focus, and genuine self-improvement, we can no longer afford to treat our minds like a passive dumping ground for whatever the internet throws our way. It’s time to practice Input Hygiene.
What Is Input Hygiene?
Think of it this way: You wouldn’t eat junk food all day and expect to feel energized and healthy. The same principle applies to your mind. Input Hygiene is the conscious, deliberate process of curating what you allow into your attention. It’s about protecting your mental space from low-quality, toxic, or simply overwhelming information.
Why It Matters Now More Than Ever
Combating Digital Fatigue: That feeling of mental exhaustion isn’t just from work; it’s often from the relentless cognitive load of processing endless, uncurated information. Reducing noise frees up energy for things that actually matter.
Protecting Your Baseline Happiness: Constant exposure to curated “highlight reels” on social media or sensationalized news narratives can warp your sense of reality and hijack your mood. Filtering your input helps you maintain a healthy, balanced perspective.
Cultivating Deep Focus: Your brain is constantly being trained to handle tiny, rapid bursts of information (the scroll). Improving your Input Hygiene retrains your attention span, allowing you to engage in deeper work, reading, and thought.
Three Simple Steps to Better Input Hygiene
1. Audit Your Information Sources
Take a mental inventory of everything you consume on a typical day. Where is the majority of your input coming from?
Identify the “Junk Food”: What sources consistently leave you feeling anxious, jealous, or simply drained? Unfollow, mute, or block them. Your news feed is not a moral obligation.
Seek “Nutritious Food”: Actively seek out sources that inspire you, teach you a new skill, or provide balanced, well-researched perspectives. Think: books, long-form articles, thoughtful podcasts, or accounts that genuinely add value.
2. Implement “Digital Intermittence”
Just as intermittent fasting gives your body a break, digital intermittence gives your mind a break.
The First and Last Hour: Commit to making the first hour after waking up and the last hour before bed device-free. Don’t start your day reacting to the world’s demands or end it scrolling. Use this time for reflection, reading, or planning.
Scheduled Checks: Instead of checking email or social media whenever a notification pops up, schedule three specific times a day (e.g., 9 AM, 1 PM, 5 PM) to engage with them. In between, the apps are closed.
3. Control Your Defaults
We often fall into poor habits because they are the path of least resistance. Change the default setting of your devices and environment to support better choices.
Silence the Notifications: Turn off non-essential push notifications for everything except direct calls and texts.
Move the Apps: Remove distracting apps (like social media or games) from your home screen and put them in a folder buried on a third screen. The slight friction makes you think twice before opening them.
Make Knowledge Accessible: Put a physical book, a notebook, or a hobby project right next to your couch or bedside table. Make the healthy input the easier choice.
The Takeaway: Your mind is the engine of your life, and the quality of your output is entirely dependent on the quality of your fuel. Start treating your attention with the respect it deserves. Start practicing Input Hygiene today.
It is no secret that physical fitness and nutrition can improve overall wellness, yet so many people let it slide to the background. Maybe we just need an occasional reminder of the benefits a healthy lifestyle can provide. Not everyone is constantly aware of the need for exercise and quality food. One way to combat this is repetitive reminders. Take the time to read a few blogs every week that discuss the subject of health. Try replacing one out of five audiobooks with a fitness podcast or book. Personally, I know I need to replenish my motivation daily. A busy lifestyle and being around video gamers and people who eat mountains of junk food contribute to my loss of discipline. What are your challenges?
There are so many positive aspects to a healthy lifestyle it’s hard to focus on just one. For today we will continue a 3 part blog on happiness and discuss how fitness and nutrition can specifically contribute directly to your well being and overall joy. Do you often feel anxious or lack confidence? Do you normally feel tired and sluggish or depressed? Do you think you need to be medicated? You can surely find a medical professional to agree with you. I’m not a fan of medication and I would like to recommend another option. Take a good look at your habits, do some reading and research and try helping yourself out with a little self discipline.
Regular physical activity increases the production of endorphins, which are often referred to as the body’s “feel-good” chemicals. Endorphins naturally improve your mood and alleviate a lot of aches and pains that can come about from just not moving around enough. I was a long distance runner for many years and even now I still like to go out for a 2 or 3 mile run when I have a chance. I can attest that the positive effects of a good run extend beyond the immediate euphoria. Running and other physical activity also release neurotransmitters which are known to reduce stress.
As someone who has worked predominantly stressful jobs throughout his career, I can say running has been my most reliable stress relief method. As a Marine we were required to perform physical activity on a daily basis. Why are so many Marines self confident to the point of cockiness after boot camp? A big part of it is because they are in the best shape of their lives and they look good. For many people self confidence equals happiness in many applications, yet another good reason to stay in shape. As a 9-1-1 dispatcher I stopped running for a while because my sleep was all messed up from the extreme shift work. I became moody and angry, and gained 30 pounds in the first year. I started running again and wouldn’t you know things got better. My sleep became better and I lost 30 pounds in less than 2 months with the help of running and the good old Tim Ferris “slow carb” lifestyle.
My air traffic control career has had its ups and downs corresponding with the various trials of life. Running was almost a necessity in my younger career but I guess I’ve been doing this long enough where I don’t get as stressed out at work anymore, that combined with the wife and child have helped me put on some “happy pounds”. More on this in a future blog post about the dangers of maintaining the status quo. I am after all writing this blog to motivate myself as much as you. So maybe I’m not as fit as I once was but I can still run 3 miles pretty easily and I will say that after a bad day a little run is far quicker and less expensive than a trip to the bar.
Another positive aspect of the physical activity that I experience with running is a certain increase in mental resilience. In my current job I’m required to maintain a high level of focus making a lot of quick and successive time based decisions, kind of like your favorite 6v6 high stakes pvp video game match or being a raid leader with a bunch of noobs. Actually my job is more like playing 3 dimensional tetris where all the pieces move at different speeds and there is at least a 5 percent chance that a piece will do something completely random and unexpected. It is more stressful than a video game, however, because there are real people and real danger involved and everything I do is highly scrutinized. So I am very aware of when my mental reflexes start to fall off even slightly. I notice it with every passing year. I notice it if I eat too many carbs, don’t get enough sleep or drink poor quality coffee. Poor quality coffee for those who don’t know is coffee or espresso that has been defiled by sugar and dairy. I am very aware of the increased mental acuity after a workout. I am also aware of the increased mental endurance of someone who has practiced consistent physical endurance.
Eating a healthy diet follows as a catalyst to a happy lifestyle. A good diet gives you the energy to workout. Getting enough omega-3, vitamin d, and antioxidants have been associated with reducing depression. It is hard to go out and run when you are depressed. Your brain needs nutrients to combat poor moods. The terrible cycle your body goes through with a bombardment of processed carbs is bound to have a negative effect on your mind.So how do you fix this? How do you get out of your funk and become a happier, more productive human being? Start with baby steps.
I’m sure you’ve heard the advice that says “go to your cabinet and throw out all the processed carbs”, prompting you to go out and buy a cart full of vegetables which will rot in the fridge while you sit on the couch and order a pizza. I know some people can pull this off, but it might also be a sure way to get a divorce from your significant other who is not quite so motivated. It might also make your kids cry, a lot. Also food costs a lot of money. My advice is start small. Make or buy a salad and incorporate it into every meal for a week. When you run out of ranch, buy some vinaigrette. When you run out of chips, buy some cheese and healthy crackers, celery and peanut butter or carrots and hummus. You get the idea. I think that normal people who try to go all hard core from the get go just end up discouraged and quit early and take longer before they try again.
Your exercise program should have a similarly slow start depending on your age and how long you’ve been out of the game. If you’ve been a couch potato for five years and you go out and run 10 miles there is a good chance your runner’s high will cause you to hurt yourself. Now you are injured and discouraged and will probably be a couch potato for another year. Try running a mile instead. Can’t do it? Try running around the block. If that is too hard try walking around the block. If that is too hard you may have a condition that needs to be addressed by a professional outside the scope of this blog. If you live in rural America and your “Block” is 12 miles around, just estimate a quarter to a half a mile to start. You can even pace back and forth in your home for 400 to 800 paces to start. Alternatively you can dance to 3 catchy pop songs. See? You have tons of options!
Do push-ups, start with your knees on the floor if you have to. Do sit-ups or crunches if sit-ups are too hard. Increase on a weekly basis and pay attention to your body. If you are older with back and joint pain I recommend looking into yoga and tai chi. I would normally recommend starting with no more than 3 days a week in whatever you decide to do, and increasing intensity, distance and/or duration no more than 10% per week. Write down your goals and your progress. Keep track and stay accountable somehow with the diet and the exercise. I am not a trained fitness instructor but I’ve had a lot of experience instructing physical fitness. Figure that one out, the Marines know. In the Marine Corps if you are faster or more fit than everyone else that apparently automatically qualifies you to instruct 40 other people every day on how to stay fit.
All of this advice is just that, advice. If you are feeling more, go for it. If you run a mile and don’t even feel sore the next day, feel free to run 3 miles. If you walk around the block and can’t get out of bed the next morning, see a doctor. Just kidding, no seriously see a doctor. For the rest of you, with some consistency and time you will feel like a whole new person. Your mood should get better. You will look better, have more energy, more confidence and most importantly, feel happier. You will get out what you put into this. Remember there is a momentum to everything in life, and your physical and mental states are symbiotically related. Physical laziness begets mental laziness and vice versa. To combat this be aware that physical discipline begets mental discipline and the reverse is also true to the effect you can say that discipline encourages more discipline. For those of you who like to be fit, healthy, productive and wealthy: discipline begets happiness.
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