Mind Monkeys

What typically happens after you’ve had a long day?  All you want to do is go to sleep at 8 pm (!)…… you finally crawl into bed then what else happens…… YOU CAN’T SLEEP!

• You toss and turn
• Your mind starts going a mile a minute
• You think about this and that 
• You toss and turn some more
• You’re getting more exhausted thinking about how exhausted you are and how you still can’t sleep!

Right?!  We have all been there!

So, what do you do?  What causes this to happen?  

Have you ever heard the phrase “Mind Monkeys”??

When our bodies constantly live in a state of exhaustion, our minds lose clarity and start to get cluttered with monkeys and we feel like we just need a break! You begin operating off of fumes!

Sometimes we get so busy with agendas and things to do that we often forget about personal rest and personal care. We forget about the importance of sleep and making sure our bodies get proper nourishment.  We forget that it’s okay to say NO to things that fill our schedules, things that we don’t necessarily need to attend or do. We pack our days full and constantly are on the go that it’s no wonder our bodies don’t know when we want it to sleep! Not to mention, our minds just cannot rest.

I’m sure right now with the busy holiday season, everyone is feeling a little more anxious than normal, more restless, scattered, and under some extra pressure to get X, Y, & Z done.

Not only does being super busy quickly lead to exhaustion, but so do the mind monkeys or mind chatter when we let our minds steer us into getting caught up in the situation which leads to worry, fear, anxiety…..instead of finding rest and clarity in the moment.

It’s like the monkey is moving from branch to branch, thought to thought.

Of these thoughts, there’s usually a mix of happy, sad, depressing, uplifting, or even negative self-talk chit chat happening.

So what’s the first step in controlling mind monkeys?

Besides stopping for a moment and taking 3 deep breaths, you need to shift your awareness into what you’re currently facing or feeling (you know, the current monkey!).

If you feel stressed out, what is causing that? If you’re irritable, what is causing that?  If you don’t feel well, what is causing that?

Is it someone else’s schedule that you’re trying to please & you don’t even really want to go! Is it running late and are now stuck in traffic, you know, because that always happens!? It is worry about something you cannot control?  Is it negative self-talk that makes you lose self-confidence? Is it one thought that leads to another and another which you then realize are the “What-if” scenarios that have you worried?  

Before you know it, this thought has taken over.  However, when you stop and slow down for a moment and really try to understand what is your current stressor/monkey, you’ll notice a sense of peace comes over you, a sense of calmness.  You’ll find clarity in the moment that changes how you feel and look at the situation.  

Instead of letting the monkey invite his friends over, you start to learn how to quiet your mind, thus quieting your situation which ultimately leads to total self-care! 

So during this busy time of year, take time to slow down, calm the mind chatter and really enjoy each day of the holiday season. Don’t worry about your to-do list, everything will get done.  Don’t forget that each day and moment is a gift that deserves your full attention! 

Sometimes things are just out of our personal control where it’s often our human nature to feel like it’s our situation.

Remember “Not my circus, not my monkey!”