Mindful Monday: Is your monkey mind driving you crazy? It just won't settle down + be quiet!
It’s the beginning of the week which means your checklist might be extra-long. Not to mention it's December which can be busier and more stressful for some.
Is your monkey mind jumping all over the place? Do you feel annoyed? If ONLY you could be focused and get some peace and quiet in your head.
But maybe you're super busy, and not sure how a mindfulness practice can fit into your life.
No worries. You can do this. And I'm going to help you!
KEEP IT SIMPLE.
This is what I do when my monkey mind is busy...
Anytime you become aware the mind has wandered off you can:
- Stop.
- Notice or acknowledge the thought. Say to yourself, “that’s interesting my mind is thinking that.” (this is a neutral statement and stops the thought in its tracks)
- Then gently bring your focus to the BREATH.
- Take one or two mindful breaths and go back to the task at hand.
The difference in this approach is you’re not trying to push the thought away. You’re simply noticing the thought and making a choice to focus on the breath instead.
You can only observe your breath in the present, not the past or future...So every time you do this you are training the mind to be present. And the thoughts that you have battled with will start to fall away because you aren’t giving them as much attention.
It works for me...try it!
Diane