Hara Hachi Bu

Saturation: When no more of something can be absorbed. Full. Beyond the point regarded as necessary or desirable.

Technology has enabled us to flood ourselves with information, edification, entertainment, knowledge, and connections at the touch of a button.

For as amazing as this is, it has its downside. Within a month of Zoom becoming the number one mode of communication for work and connection with family and friends, Zoom fatigue became, and continues to be, a real issue.

Societally speaking, those who can connect to the internet in an uninhibited fashion do inundate themselves for the most part. So many are engorged, congested, and, speaking for myself, overwhelmed. Think about it — we actively gloat about binge-watching a new series.

Our cups are running over, beyond capacity, beyond bounty, into a realm of overconsumption. And we have no one to blame but ourselves.

Slowly but surely, we are waking to this fact. The movie The Social Dilemma hits upon it (and the Machiavellian drive behind keeping us saturated.)

Let’s be real: Saturation is rarely the desired state of being for long periods. I have found one of the most damaging effects of social media saturation is that I no longer wish to contribute as I once did because I look around and think — someone has already said that, done that, or offers it as a service.

That doesn’t mean that I don’t hold value in what I have to contribute. I do. My awareness of this saturation means I need to find a way to contribute and be seen, heard, and understood amidst the fray.

I mean, honestly–here I am myself — contributing to the fray!

(As I was tooling about, I noted that Bridgette Petrino wrote about this very topic back in 2017. If we thought things were saturated then — where are we at now in terms of overload?)

In a world where a tik tok video can go viral and hold millions of viewers captive for an average of 24–48 hours-max — how can we possibly make a lasting impact?

My approach is based on the Japanese principle of hara hachi bu — stop indulging when you are 80% full.

I practice first stepping away from the deluge. (Bridgette Petrino is herself advocating 30 days off Facebook.) Rather than listen to someone else’s life hack, I explore the dilemma by asking myself questions and listening more intently to what my body is saying. Then my mind. (Because all too often, I allow my mind to override my body’s innate wisdom.) Then, I moderately move forward.

I learned many years ago; my body is brilliant — such wisdom!

Here are examples of what I did today while crafting this article:

Is the screen in front of me pulsing too brightly, and my eyes feeling fatigued? When I listen to my eyes — I unplug, walk away from the computer, stretch, and avoid a potential headache.

Has my breath become more shallow as I experience a feeling of defeat perusing the torrent of brilliant articles — thinking my voice couldn’t possibly stand out? Again, I unplug. But I take my actions further. I go for a walk and purposefully breathe in the fresh air. I wring out the wisdom buried deep in my psyche of Martha Graham: “…there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique, and if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium; and be lost.“ (If I still feel jammed up or inhibited after the walk, then I ask a friend, family member, or someone I trust to validate me and put that myth to rest.)

Am I worrying with my fingers (forefingers dragging over my thumbs) as I experience the conflict of having something to say and conversely questioning whether it’s worth it to send it out into the ether when so few people will see it (and-ha!-absorb it)? I notice the pattern of my fingers and gently stop. Then channel that excess energy into typing my words. I also choose to post it anyway — Trusting that my job, my calling, is inherently tied to the act of creating. Therefore, regardless of the inundation, I must continue my pursuits and hold fast to the notion that people who need and want to absorb my work will. If I never put it out there — no absorption whatsoever, healthy or otherwise, can occur.

We must, and here I will preach: 

WE MUST BECOME MORE SELF AWARE. 

We can actually listen/feel/observe the level of saturation, and it’s in the message our bodies send us. 

We must start listening to the signals and heeding them.

In a world where so many seek wisdom from outside — I encourage you (and as I write, I am also reminding myself) to tune into the intelligent messaging coming from inside.

It begins by noticing when we have had enough and creating space to experience the feelings before being full. Then, take mindful, disciplined action to move through and, if necessary, alter the experience at hand.

I leave you with this haiku to consider:

I have had enough.
I’m full and need to digest.
Nourishment needs space.

This article originally appeared on Medium.