Have you ever observed how you have numerous thoughts in your mind right now? Is your mind chattering continuously without any reason? If yes, then – Say hello to The Monkey Mind Concept! Let’s dive in to know what exactly Monkey Mind is!!
The human mind is constantly wandering. Even in your sleep, your mind is filled with thousands of thoughts that lead to your dreams.
Do you ever wish to know how to stop this unnecessary chatter in your mind?
If yes, you must first know that the more you try to stop this chattering, the more it will increase. This will also make you more restless.
Hence, you have to learn to live in harmony with it. The key is to befriend your monkey mind and not make it your enemy.
Whatever you consider it, it will give you the same in return.
Thus, if you start considering it as your friend, it will become your friend. If you consider it your enemy, it will defeat you.
A little confused? Let me help you understand the Monkey Mind better.
The Monkey Mind Concept: 7 Simple Solutions to Control Yours Now
“Monkey Mind” is something that leads you to restlessness, anxiety, increased stress levels, and inability to focus and concentrate on your task.
It is the same as a monkey jumping from one tree to another. Your mind cannot stick to one thing. It constantly jumps from one thought to another thought simultaneously without any reason.
You may ask if the Monkey Mind is good or bad. Is it harmful or not?
Well, let’s find out!
What are the Problems Caused by a Monkey Mind?
Having a monkey mind has become quite common today. Social media distractions, access to multiple gadgets, and the constant urge to indulge in online entertainment have only amplified the human mind to wander more and more.
Here is how a Monkey Mind affects your wellbeing:
- It disturbs your sleep
- It makes you restless
- It makes you anxious
- It decreases your mental clarity
- It leads you to poor decision-making
- It reduces your focus and concentrate
- It prevents you from being in the moment
- It makes you dependent on instant pleasure
- It harms your mental health and quality of life
- It keeps you away from the things that matter most
Now that you know how a monkey mind impacts your health and well-being, let’s learn how to control it.
7 Solutions to Control Your Monkey Mind
Here are 7 simple lifestyle changes that will help you control your monkey mind in the most effective ways possible:
1. Try to be Mindful
Learn to be more mindful by becoming more aware of your thoughts and ask yourself…
- How am I feeling at this moment?
- What am I doing?
- What am I thinking?
- Why am I doing this?
By asking yourself these questions you try to stay mindful when there’s any internal or external trigger in your behavior.
2. Take Breaks
Take short breaks when you feel stressed or restless. Grab a cup of coffee, go out for some fresh air, or take a nap.
Most importantly, keep your gadgets away and spend time gazing at the beauty of nature. These breaks will calm your mind.
Use this time to indulge in conscious breathing and notice your abdominal movements as you inhale and exhale.
3. Journal
A Monkey mind is usually the result of a cluttered mind. One of the best ways to declutter your mind, let your thoughts flow, and ease your wandering mind is to write.
Write down your thoughts and feelings to express yourself. Indulge in journaling.
- It will clear your mind.
- It will help you gain new insights.
- It will help you to organize your thoughts.
- It will help you to express your emotions freely.
- It will give you a sense of control over your thoughts.
- It will help you overcome your stress and anxiety.
4. Find Your Sanctuary
Discover or create a space for yourself to cultivate a calm mind. It may be a park nearby, a worship place, a place to meditate or write, your backyard, a place near a lake, or going out on a walk.
For me, this place is my room, even though I share it with my brother. My alone time in my space is my most cherished place for me time.
Do what you like, go to places that make you feel peaceful. The purpose is to feel relaxed. Spend quality time with yourself to live in the present.
5. Do Deep Work
“Deep Work” refers to concentrating on a single task without any other distractions.
Deep work is your conscious choice to stay focused on your given task for some time. It requires your presence of mind and your concentration on one task without multitasking.
6. Engage in an Activity that Puts You in a State of “FLOW”
When you’re fully engaged in your tasks, you are less likely to allow a random thought to clog your flow of work. This helps in keeping the momentum of the work.
Whenever I feel overwhelmed with my thoughts, I like to paint.
Here are some ways to help you stay in flow:
- Give your complete attention to what you are doing.
- Focus on activities that are difficult to perform. Example: Making a Mandala.
- Make your activity goal-oriented.
7. Serve Others
Did you know a Monkey Mind is ego-centric?
This is also why you should not be involved in this loop as you start thinking only about yourself. It makes you selfish.
Thus, make genuine efforts to serve others. Be present in the act of contributing. Stay dedicated and disciplined to your moral values that have left a positive impact on your life.
4 Science-Backed Methods to Control Your Monkey Mind
Now, while you know the simple practices that will help you control your monkey mind, here are 4 scientific ways to do the same.
- NLP Technique and CBT Technique
- Practicing Acceptance
- Color, Count, Recite, Run
- “Defuse” the rhetoric
1. NLP Technique and CBT Technique
NLP stands for Neuro-Linguistic Programming. It is a pseudoscientific approach to handling communication, personal development, and psychotherapy.
In simple words, NLP is a way to change your thoughts, ideas, and behavioral patterns to help you achieve your dreams and goals.
Swish Pattern is an NLP technique that helps you swap your negative thoughts with positive ones by imagining better.
For example: let’s say you feel “I’m not good enough.” In this technique, you replace this negative thought with a positive one. So instead of thinking “I’m not good enough,” you imagine yourself as “I can do it”, “I will do it”, or “I am good”.
This will help you see things more positively and make you feel better about yourself.
Also, you can take charge of your thoughts and feel less stressed and worried.
CBT stands for Cognitive Behavior Therapy. It is the go-to therapy suggested by psychologists when it comes to reducing your negative thoughts.
There are two levels in CBT:
- First, you identify your thoughts and acknowledge the words use when you are feeling negative. Then, you process their impact on your mind and how you can reframe these words.
- In the second step, you shift the behavioral patterns that led to this negativity and improve your actions consciously to match your positive thoughts.
Both NLP and CBT are really good at clearing up your mental clutter and challenging your negative thinking.
Thus, understanding your thoughts, words, and actions is key to making these techniques work effectively.
2. Practice Acceptance
Practicing acceptance during monkey mind means letting your thoughts flow without judgment, knowing they’re temporary.
- Accept the present moment without judging it.
- Let your thoughts flow, don’t stop them.
- Watch your thoughts and feelings without deciding if they’re good or bad.
- Know that these thoughts will not last forever.
- Be focused on what’s happening right now.
- Be kind to yourself, especially when things are tough.
- Understand that all thoughts are part of life’s ups and downs.
- Be able to handle life’s changes and challenges calmly.
By focusing on the present moment without labeling your thoughts, you can handle challenges calmly and promote inner peace.
3. Color, Count, Recite, Run
This technique can be used in a very simple way in various situations. Here’s how you can do that:
- Color
Start by assigning different colors to your thoughts or tasks based on their importance, urgency, or category.
For example, you can use red for urgent tasks, green for important ones, and blue for less critical ones.
- Count
Number your thoughts or tasks accordingly to keep track of them.
Begin with the first thought or task and count them as you move through your list.
This numbering system will help you maintain focus and ensure that you address each without skipping anything.
- Recite
Verbally recite(remember) the information or instructions related to your tasks.
This could involve repeating key points, important details, or steps in a process.
- Run
Mentally run through the actions or steps required to complete each task.
Visualize yourself completing each task from start to finish.
This mental rehearsal will help you prepare to accomplish your goals.
The “Color, Count, Recite, Run” technique will help you manage a monkey mind by providing, organizing, focusing, and memorizing through visualizing tasks, prioritizing thoughts, reducing your stress,and promoting a sense of control.
4. “Defuse” the rhetoric
This technique is all about managing those overwhelming thoughts and emotions by creating distance from them and reducing their intensity.
Here’s how it works:
1. When you notice a thought or emotion arising, simply name it without judging or analyzing it. For example, if you’re feeling anxious, you might say to yourself, “I’m sad right now” or “I’m stressed”.
2. Engage in practices like deep breathing, or focusing on your senses to bring you back to the present moment. By directing your attention away from your thoughts. I do this all the time to control my overthinking mind and it helps in the best possible way.
3. Instead of trying to control your thoughts and emotions, practice accepting them as natural aspects of your experiences. Allow them to come and go without resistance, know that they are temporary and do not define you.
4. Recognize that just because you think something doesn’t mean it’s accurate or valid.
5. Be gentle with yourself during moments of mental distress. Offer yourself the same kindness and support that you would to a friend in need, rather than criticizing or blaming yourself.
By incorporating these techniques into your daily life, you can effectively defuse the intensity of your monkey mind and cultivate a greater sense of inner peace and clarity.
Don’t Ignore Your Monkey Mind Often
When you are meditating, your mind starts chattering more than ever. Even though you may not know why these thoughts came up, you don’t need to be afraid of them.
Sometimes it just wants to convey a message about the things you miss out on, or you are afraid or worried about. These thoughts come only to remind you of things you did, or you may have to do.
Sometimes the best way to calm your monkey mind is to listen to those thoughts without any interruption. In some time, you’ll know that your mind is calm as it has conveyed your thoughts.
What are the Games Monkey Mind plays? What can you do about it?
- Starts overthinking
- Thinks of worst
- Self-criticism
- Comparing
- Avoidance
Let’s know how monkey minds play games with you.
a. Overthinking
It often thinks about the future or past. You are not in the present state of mind. This is the way your monkey mind is playing games. And overthinking makes you restless and anxious.
What can you do about it?
Try to come back to the present, practice deep breathing and focus. Keep reminding yourself that you have control over your present not on your past or future.
b.Think of the Worst
Thinking of the worst or being negative even when it’s not under your control.
Let’s Consider a scenario here: Let’s say you completed a task and you have submitted it to your boss.
You gave your 100%, you have double-checked all of it and you were satisfied and happy about it.
Despite this assurance, your monkey mind is constantly telling you that you did it wrong. Now you are sad by thinking of the worst.
What can you do about it?
Be positive, accept that fear, and think, what is the worst that can happen? Remember, even if it goes wrong, you can overcome the challenge by facing it.
c. Self-criticism
Being harsh on yourself, criticizing yourself, letting your confidence and self-esteem fall.
What do you do about it?
Practice self compassion. Treat yourself with kindness and respect. Most importantly, support yourself by stopping the blame game on you.
d. Comparing
You start comparing yourself with others and constantly thinking will make you feel superior.
What can you do about it?
Be grateful for what you have, cultivate self-awareness by indulging in self-discovery activites, and celebrate your achievements even if they are small. Respect yourself.
Stop running behind perfection. Embrace your imperfections.
e. Avoidance
Your monkey mind advises you not to do things and avoid them due to fear of failure.
However, allowing your fear of failure to overpower your sense of action will only keep you away from achieving your goals.
What can you do about it?
Divide your tasks into small parts. Instead of multitasking, go for one task at a time.
Remind yourself that if you don’t accept the challenge then you will never be able to learn or grow.
Conclusion
I hope this guide has helped you understand the monkey mind phenomenon.
I feel that somehow we all go through this monkey mind phase in our daily lives. Overthinking about my lack of progress is something I go through a lot.
But, as mentioned in this blog, I am learning to handle them one day at a time.
So, if you are suffering with a monkey mind, try these practices and see the difference they will make.
Notice how it makes you feel. I prefer journaling or painting my thoughts whenever it gets to heavy for me.
Finally, if you find the information in this blog helpful, don’t forget to share it with your friends, family and colleagues.
