You Are What You Consume — And It’s Messing With Your Mind

Guest Post - Nat Galloway

The other night, I came home and found my fiancée watching Love Island. It had been a relaxed day—no intense training, no major stress. Later, we were sitting outside chatting when she said:

She also had a headache—something that’s been improving recently, which made it stand out even more.

She hadn’t done anything physically or mentally taxing. But what she had done was consume hours of emotionally charged content—drama-filled TV, TikTok, and Instagram stories. And that’s when it clicked:

This wasn’t fatigue from exertion.

This was a nervous system hangover—the kind that comes after a flood of artificial dopamine and emotional overstimulation.

Your Nervous System Is Being Hijacked

Everything we consume—whether it’s food, TV, music, social media, or conversation—impacts our nervous system, particularly the dopamine system.

Dopamine is your brain’s motivation and reward chemical. It spikes with stimulation, novelty, and emotional intensity.

Modern life floods us with it:

• TikTok scrolls
  
  

• Reality TV
  
  

• Gossip and outrage online
  
  

• Porn, binge eating, shopping
  
  

• Even intense training when chasing the high
  
  

But here’s the kicker:

Every dopamine spike comes with a crash.

And the more unnatural the spike, the harder the fall.

We All Feel It—But It Can Be Amplified

Everyone experiences emotions like anxiety, sadness, and overwhelm. That’s part of being human.

But today’s media landscape—built around conflict, comparison, and overstimulation—doesn’t just reflect those emotions. It amplifies them. It repeats them. And it can trap you in them.

When your inputs consistently trigger fear, insecurity, or emotional tension, those feelings begin to dominate. Not because you’re weak, but because your nervous system is being trained to exist in fight-or-flight.

You’re not just feeling anxious.

You’re being conditioned into anxiety by what you consume.

It’s Not You. It’s Your Inputs.

After a few hours of junk content, people often feel foggy, tense, or down, and blame themselves.

• “Why can’t I focus?”
  
  

• “Why do I feel flat?”
  
  

• “Why am I overreacting?”
  
  

But this isn’t a character flaw. It’s neurochemistry. Your brain is trying to regulate after artificial stimulation, and it’s struggling.

The more you spike dopamine without recovery, the harder it is to access calm, clarity, or motivation.

Junk Content = Junk Recovery

It’s just like junk food. It feels good in the moment, but doesn’t nourish you.

When you unplug from drama-based content, your body reveals the cost:

• Anxiety
  
  

• Low mood
  
  

• Guilt
  
  

• Headaches
  
  

• Lack of focus
  
  

And worse, your brain starts to seek more stimulation just to feel normal again.

You Can’t Out-Discipline a Dysregulated Brain

At MAP, we’re committed to cultivating a strong mindset, discipline, and resilience. But none of that works when your nervous system is fried.

You can’t grind your way out of a nervous system that’s constantly overwhelmed.

If your inputs are hijacking your emotions, your outputs—your actions, thoughts, and habits—will reflect that, no matter how disciplined you are.

Even Music Proves the Point

A simple example:

When I’m driving and listening to heavy metal, I feel more tense. My shoulders tighten. If someone cuts me off, I’m ready for a scrap.

But if I’m listening to a movie soundtrack? I’m relaxed. I drive smoother. I feel more present.

Same road. Same car.

Different input, different outcome.

Try This This Week

1. Audit your dopamine sources

What are you reaching for when you’re bored, stressed, or distracted?

2. Track how you feel after

Do you feel grounded, or more anxious and foggy?

3. Replace one junk input with something restorative

Try:

• A walk without your phone
  
  

• 5 minutes of deep breathing
  
  

• Journaling
  
  

• Real conversation
  
  

• Reading something slower-paced
  
  

• Silence
  

See what leaves you feeling better, not just distracted.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve ever felt stuck in a loop—consume, crash, regret, repeat—you’re not alone.

And you’re not broken.

You’re just living in a world that trains your nervous system to never shut off.

But you can take it back.

You can choose inputs that restore instead of draining you.That ground you instead of spinning you out.

Because you are what you consume.

Not just physically, but emotionally, mentally, energetically.

Choose wisely.

You don’t have to do this alone. If your nervous system is running the show, it’s time to take back the wheel. Schedule a call at www.masterathletic.com and let’s reset your habits—one input at a time.

Nat Galloway

Coach, Master Athletic Performance