One of the biggest struggles many of us seem to have in common is dealing with our monkey mind. It’s the 50 million thoughts constantly competing for our attention. Our ego gets really good at distracting us from peace and relaxation, especially when we have practiced many troubling or worrisome thoughts for a long time. Overthinking can cause stress, unnecessary worry, and regrets. When we occupy much of our time replaying the past and worrying about the future, we can miss the peace in the present.
Often meditation teachers offer tools on how to slow down the monkey mind. For some, sitting still in silence can be tough for a beginner. Until you have practiced ways to quiet the mind, you can easily get frustrated with your monkey mind. It can take a little time to let go and simply observe your thoughts without entering a conversation with yourself with each one.
I often hear from clients how challenging sitting in meditation and quieting their mind is for them. The cool thing to know is that there are so many avenues to quiet the mind other than sitting in silence. Sitting in silence is very beneficial, but I’ve learned you certainly don’t have to beat yourself up because you haven’t mastered it.
What works well for one, may not flow for the next. I find with myself that I turn to many different tools to help my own monkey mind. Sitting in meditation doesn’t happen every day. Often I find that place of peace when I’m in my practice of writing. I also change up what I’m doing depending on how I’m feeling that day.
I also can slow down my monkey mind when I am engaged in painting, pottery, walking, yoga, and simply being in nature. You can implement walking meditation if you need some movement in slowing down your mind. There are no rules in what works for you. Give yourself permission and space to try a few things out that resonate with you.
For some it may be a quiet cup of coffee on their porch. Perhaps it’s baking or a round of golf. The key is getting lost in what you’re doing. When you focus on things you enjoy, you can find yourself more present and learn to take a break from the 50 million thoughts running through your mind each day. The more you practice, the better you get! Eventually you may even find yourself with the ability to sit in silence and meditation longer.
The idea is to work your way into quieting the monkey mind. When you do stumble on activities that slow down your thinking and bring you relief, those are going to be the things you want to hone in on initially. Staying with those things may be enough for you, but if you are seeking a deeper connection with yourself and hearing that inner voice, keep at it. That is the key we often leave behind. When things don’t happen for us fast enough, we often drop it and accept that it doesn’t work when perhaps you didn’t give it enough time or patience.
I believe that, given time, “can’t” is often replaced with “can.” It may take quite a while, but all things can be possible. When you can slow down your monkey mind, you can create the space to focus on what brings you peace and joy. I highly encourage you to frequently find time to quiet your mind. Not only can it bring you more peace, but it often helps enhance the things you do in daily life. You can approach situations from a calmer and more grounded place when you feel clearer and more balanced. Slowing down many of our distracting thoughts helps us focus more clearly.