All of us must be aware that the environment influences our thoughts and that what we see, feel, and hear can profoundly impact how we behave and think. When you’re surrounded by nice things all the time, you tend to overlook unpleasant aspects of life. The same applies to people; if someone is always encouraging, you tend to develop a positive attitude, whereas if they are constantly criticizing and belittling you, you will also start to adopt that attitude.
Likewise is the case with our spiritual condition. Our actions can be influenced by the environment which surrounds us. A few extra minutes in front of a computer screen, browsing through an endless line of electronic screens where music and images are constantly present in our field of view, will make us sick to the stomach, just like being constantly exposed to noise would negatively affect our hearing.
How Can Surroundings Have a Huge Impact on Our Thought?
Sight
The first thing we see is the environment that surrounds us. Many people are blind to the fact that images surrounding them can harm their state of mind. If you have ever been inside a crowded shopping mall, you know how it negatively affects you. When too many distractions surround you, your mind will be affected to such an extent that it will easily start thinking unhealthy thoughts or conducive to your peace of mind.
Hearing
Just as sights affect us, sounds around us can be equally effective in influencing our thoughts and actions. The sounds coming from a noisy environment like a street will make you feel distracted and irritated. But the same is not true about a peaceful environment with pleasant sounds like calm music, birds chirping, etc.
Touch
Touch is another factor that can affect our moods instantly, even if we are not aware of it at first glance. Your body will react if you pass by a place with constant pressure. How people touch each other unconsciously has a very powerful influence on how we think and act. We must remember that people are always touching each other and colliding with them whenever we walk around in public places like malls, busy streets, restaurants, etc.
Smells
Even not-so-pleasant smells can have an impact on our minds and thoughts. That is especially true when you are in a closed space. Some people associate good memories with specific smells and bad memories with others. In other words, even if we don’t realize it at first, smells can impact our moods and consequently affect our thoughts.
Taste
Our mind also has an intimate relationship with tastes since we are always tasting something or the other throughout the day. We take a lot of things in our mouths without realizing that it affects us. The way we eat, the snacks we choose, and how much we eat all influence our state of mind and, consequently, how our mind thinks.
Touching
While most people know this link between touch and mood, they forget it when they are inside a crowded place or an office or even walking down an empty street on their way home from work in quiet hours. We don’t realize how close people are walking to us and how we are rubbing against each other.
Conclusion:
These six elements of the environment that surround us daily are factors that can affect our state of mind in one way or another. Our bodies constantly react to what surrounds us, and it’s always worth taking note of this aspect. For example, you may feel good when it rains, even if you had a bad experience with rain the day before. That change in the weather can impact your thinking and, subsequently, your actions.
