I love Snickers commercials where someone is being a monster until they bite into a Snickers candy bar. After that bite, they revert to their real selves. The idea is that hunger can make a person do some uncharacteristically bad things.

A similar fate befalls us spiritually as well. In Friday’s blog, we looked at what I call our Mental Metabolism. The thoughts we think first thing in the morning will affect our attitude and productivity throughout the day. We can intentionally choose thoughts each morning that sharpen our focus for the remainder of that day.

As the day wears on, however, we may find our thoughts lagging a bit. The demands of the day can wear down our focus and slow our productivity. When that happens, we may act kind of like the monstrous hungry personas in the Snickers commercials.

Mental Snack Breaks

What can we do throughout the day to keep our thinking productive? Since we are what we think, how can we get our thoughts back into the realm of true and productive thinking?

Allow me to suggest a couple of practices I have found helpful to refocus my thinking into more productive patterns.

Intentionally Placed Reminders.

We can surround ourselves with Bible verses or truth affirmations (from Friday’s Blog) that keep our thinking productively focused. Here are a few suggestions.

Strategically placed index cards.

Desktop backgrounds and screen savers.

Art work around our workspaces.

You can think of many others that fit your particular context. Be creative.

Scheduled Mental Snack Breaks.

A 1950s Dr. Pepper ad campaign encouraged people to have a “Pepper” each day at 10, 2, and 4. They promised a boost of energy from their beverage at those times of the day.

We can schedule reminders on our electronic devices to stop and evaluate our mental focus at particular times daily. We can all benefit from a mental readjustment from time to time.

Remember, we are what we think. Our thoughts will determine our spiritual health. We can CHOOSE what we think. Begin your day focused on God and take care to maintain that focus throughout the day.

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. – 1 Peter 1:23

Recommended Reading – The 4:8 Principle by Tommy Newberry