How to Tame Your Monkeys

“I am burdened with ‘the monkey mind’ — the thoughts that swing from limb to limb, stopping only to scratch themselves, spit, and howl.”- Elizabeth Gilbert

I am sure you have heard the term “monkey mind” before, yes?

What does that actually mean?

“Monkey Mind” is a Buddhist term meaning whimsical, confusing, and uncontrollable.

To someone who is trying to focus on a task or a goal they are working towards, a monkey mind can be a very dangerous thing.

According to the experts, the average person has over 50,000 thoughts per day.

Yes, you read that right…50 thousand!

You are only consciously aware of a small percentage of these thoughts. The rest of them, are churning around in your subconscious mind all day, and yes, all night long.

They are the monkeys. And we are not talking about four guys who sing, play, dance, and goof off on an old TV sitcom show.

These monkeys, the thoughts in your head, are constantly there to distract you from whatever you are doing. They make up stories, they act as your inner critic, and they can cause stress and anxiety.

And monkeys have a terrible case of FOMO – the fear of missing out. When something comes into view, they have to go check it out because they don’t want to miss out on something that may be fun.

Picture it like this, in the jungle that is your brain, there is a constant party going on.? All the monkeys are jumping from tree to tree, making a racket with their grunts and howls and when they see something new, they start jumping up and down and pounding their chests and going crazy with excitement.

Yup…that is your brain on any given day. And the monkeys don’t sleep. They are going 24/7 365 days a year.

It can be maddening, especially when you are trying to focus and get something done.

The reality is your subconscious, where the monkeys live, runs your life.

You may have some conscious thoughts and think you have everything under control, but your subconscious is always turned on and your monkeys are always on the lookout to create fun and mischief.

So, how do you get your monkeys under control so you can focus and get what you want to get done?

You need to tame your monkeys.

The monkeys are hanging out in your subconscious jungle keeping a watch for anything that may be going on around you that you are not paying attention to because you are focused on your task. They are out there taunting you, teasing you.

If something new comes into their view – the phone rings, an email notification chimes, someone walks into your office, a bird flies by your window, etc. – the monkeys jump into action and pull your focus from whatever you were working on.

The key to taming your monkeys is becoming conscious of them. They are there, make no mistake and they are not going anywhere. We all have them.

We try to push them away, push them down, and THAT is a big mistake.

Monkeys want attention. They want to be seen. When you acknowledge your monkeys, and give them some space, they will leave you alone so you can focus again.

Taming your monkeys begins with understanding that they are there, and their mission is not necessarily always a bad one.

Have you ever been totally focused on something and all of a sudden, a thought comes into your mind, seemingly out of nowhere, with some great idea for you to pursue?

Or maybe you were sound asleep, and you woke up, with a great new idea or the answer to a problem you had spent hours the day before working on.

That’s the monkeys in action. The ideas may be great, but the monkey's timing is not so stellar. They don’t care what you are doing, whether it is focusing on a task or in a deep sleep – the monkeys will interrupt you to relay their brilliant news!

Here are a few tips on how to tame your monkey mind and allow you to keep your focus longer to be more productive.

1. Acknowledge your monkeys. When your monkeys want attention, they really want attention.? They will quickly derail you from whatever it is you are focusing on if you don’t acknowledge them. When one of those thoughts pops into your brain at an inopportune time, acknowledge it for what it is – a distraction from what you are focusing on. Identify if the interruption is a valid one – emergencies happen so the interruption may be valid. If it is not an emergency, but valid, see the next tip.
2. Have paper and pen at the ready. If the monkey (the thought) has merit, meaning it is a good idea that came up at a bad time, write it down.? Writing it down will get it out of your head and quiet the monkey. If you wake up in the middle of the night, always have a pad and pen by your bed so you can do the same thing. This will help you get back to sleep!
3. Set boundaries. Build focus time into your day. Use a kitchen timer to keep you on track and focused. Set the timer for no more than 30-45 minutes max. The amount of time varies. Start by setting it to 45 minutes.? As soon as the monkeys start disrupting you, you know you have gone over your focus limit. Now you have your focus max time. If you work around others, let them know when you are in focus time and that you will be happy to chat with them when you are done.
4. Be present – pay attention. An old Zen proverb states “When you are walking, walk. When you are eating, eat.” Be present and focused on one thing at a time. One focus, one goal.
5. Reduce known distractions. If you know your phone lighting up out of the corner of your eye is a distraction, move it out of eyesight. If you work in an office where you have a door, close your door during focus time. Turn off the beeps and dings and chimes that are a constant distraction. Every time a notification sound goes off, your monkeys go on high alert!
6. Take a break. The human brain can only focus for a certain amount of time before you begin to lose focus and the monkeys take over.? If you allow yourself to work until you reach the tipping point, your monkeys will come out in full force, and it is not so easy to get them back under control. Set your timer about 5 minutes short of your max focus time. When the timer goes off, no matter where you are in your task, take a break for 5-10 minutes and let the monkeys roam free. Then it will be easier to resume your task with full focus for the next timeframe.

Always remember that you own the monkeys. It is up to you to control them.?

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