Is Your Inner Algorithm Still Working for You?

A few weeks ago, I noticed something had changed.

Not in me.

On my social media.

Although I haven’t drunk alcohol for years, my feed had gradually become filled with videos explaining what alcohol does to your body.

Then came ultra-processed foods.

Artificial sweeteners.

Microplastics.

Seed oils.

Another warning.

Another “toxic” ingredient.

Another expert telling me what I should avoid.

Now don’t get me wrong, I care deeply about my health.

But I realised something.

I’m far more interested in learning how to live well than constantly being reminded what might slowly be harming me.

There was nothing wrong with any individual video.

The problem was the combined effect.

It felt like carrying a backpack filled with tiny stones.

Each one was light enough on its own.

Together, they became heavy.

It was a low-level hum of negativity that I hadn’t even noticed until one day, I did.

That got me thinking.

Social media has an algorithm.

It learns from what we pause on.

What we click.

What we watch.

What we search for.

The more attention we give something, the more of it appears.

Then I recalled something I studied some time ago.

Our brains do something remarkably similar.

Deep within the brain sits something called the Reticular Activating System, or RAS.

Think of it as your brain’s filtering system.

Every second we’re surrounded by an incredible amount of information.

If our brain tried to process all of it, we’d be completely overwhelmed.

Instead, the RAS quietly asks one question:

“What matters most?”

Once it thinks it knows the answer, it starts helping us notice those things.

It’s why, after buying a new car, you suddenly see the same model everywhere.

It’s why an expectant parent suddenly notices every pushchair and baby bump.

It’s why, after deciding to train for a marathon, runners seem to appear on every street.

The world hasn’t changed.

Your filter has.

Your RAS isn’t trying to control you.

It’s trying to help you.

But here’s the challenge.

It doesn’t know the difference between what helps you grow and what simply captures your attention.

It only learns from repetition.

If we repeatedly focus on problems…

We’ll become better at noticing problems.

If we constantly worry about what people think…

We’ll notice every sideways glance and every awkward silence.

If we tell ourselves opportunities don’t come our way…

Our brain will collect evidence to support that story.

Equally…

If we become curious

If we start looking for moments of kindness

If we begin noticing progress instead of perfection

Our brain starts finding those too.

The world often reflects the questions we’re asking.

And this is where I realised something else.

This is exactly why I created PIER.

Not because it changes the world around us.

Because it helps us change what we’re paying attention to.

Pause

Notice.

Without judgement.

What’s filling your mind lately?

What’s your internal algorithm becoming trained to notice?

Inhale

Create a little space.

Become curious instead of immediately reacting.

Ask yourself whether what’s capturing your attention is actually helping you.

Exhale

Let go.

Not because those things don’t exist.

But because not everything deserves unlimited space in your mind.

Realign

Choose your focus intentionally.

Maybe that’s your health.

Your relationships.

Your creativity.

Your recovery.

Your peace.

Or simply the next small step forward.

Because where attention goes, awareness grows.

And awareness shapes behaviour.

The beautiful thing about the RAS is that it isn’t fixed.

Just as social media algorithms learn from what we engage with.

Our brains continue learning too.

Which means we can gently retrain them.

Not by pretending life is perfect.

Not by ignoring difficult realities.

But by consciously deciding what deserves our attention.

Perhaps that’s one of the greatest forms of self-awareness.

Noticing that our inner algorithm has quietly changed.

And having the courage to update it.

So here’s something to reflect on.

If your mind has become exceptionally good at noticing something, was that a conscious choice?

Or has your inner algorithm simply been learning in the background?

And if you could retrain it to notice one thing more often, what would you choose?

Awareness changes what’s possible, and it always starts with You ✨

Sue 💛