Calming the Monkey Mind

Are you feeling restless as you are always planning your future or thinking of your past mistakes?

Or

Are you having a multitude of thoughts while focusing on a task at hand?

If yes, then your mind is a classic example of a Monkey Mind which is a Buddhist concept. The Monkey mind is a state of restlessness and unstable mind which is compared to a monkey swinging from one branch to another. In our fast-paced and busy life, it disrupts our work as we lack control over our thoughts. For example, I mostly re-read lines of a story as my mind drifts to the problems of the day.

Hence, here are some characteristics of a monkey mind.

1. Impatience
2. Anxiousness and unsettled feeling
3. Wandering thoughts
4. Bouncing from one thought to another
5. Overthinking about the past and future
6. Mental Fatigue
7. Unable to focus on the present moment

How to regulate our Monkey Mind?

The following methods can be used to settle our mind chatter.

1. Positive Affirmations:
   Positive Affirmations help a person to identify their negative thoughts and rewire them into positive ones. For example, if a child thinks he cannot pass an exam, then he/she won’t work harder for the exam. Nonetheless, if the same child thinks positively about how to crack the exam, then he will be diligent in his efforts to achieve his goal. Hence, do not manifest negative thoughts. They can be replaced by positive affirmations like ‘I am valuable,’ and ‘I can do it.’

2. Meditation & Breathing:
   Meditation helps you to focus on the present moment through mindful breathing practices. According to Eckhart Tolle, “Being aware of breath forces you into the present moment – the key to all inner transformations.” Hence, conscious breathing stops your mind from overthinking.

3. Practice Mindfulness during an Activity:
   You need to practice mindfulness by paying attention to the present moment on purpose. If your thoughts wander, you need to pull back your attention to the task at hand like mindful walking, mindful eating, etc. The benefits of practicing mindfulness are mental clarity, self-control, and improved concentration.

4. Take a Break:
   According to Anne Lamott, “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you”. Therefore, taking a nap, having a cup of coffee, or going out into nature for a walk will restore your energy to work better.

5. Practice Self-Care:
   Turning self-care practices such as good sleep, healthy nutrition, and mindfulness exercises into a routine will have calming effects on your mind. This mindful routine manages stress effectively and develops skills to handle difficult situations at home or work.

Final Thoughts
Hence, creating good mindfulness practices helps people to feel calmer and more aware of their emotions. This helps to articulate their emotions freely. Moreover, practicing these steps daily will become second nature to you when needed.

-Haritha Atluri is an educator in phonics, and language, and a passionate education writer with 9 years of experience. She specializes in adult communication and children’s phonics.