Productivity Tip: Turn Off That Monkey Mind (Overactive Mind)

How to Turn Off that Monkey MindDo you sometimes have a monkey mind?

A monkey mind is when you have an overactive, over-stimulated, or distracted mind.

It can be difficult to be productive when you’re quickly leaping from one idea or thought to another.

Perhaps you have too many ideas or thoughts spinning around your head at one time.

in this post, I offer some tips to help you calm down and get out of that monkey mindset.

Get information out of your head.

Trying to juggle multiple ideas or thoughts in your head can be taxing.

Instead of juggling, collect and contain information to give your mind a break.

Write or type, draw a picture or doodle, or even talk out what’s on your mind.

Sometimes things look different in a another medium and you might just come up with a solution to your problems when working “outside” of your head.

Take 5.

Take a few minutes to relax and compose yourself.

Turn off your cell phone, put your computer to sleep, turn down the lights, put on some soft music, and pull down the shades.

You may choose to sit quietly or even meditate. However you go about it, rest and relax, so you can regroup.

Work on a repetitive, hands-on activity.

Repetition can be calming. Repetition can be calming. Repetition can be calming…I think you get the idea!

Any repetitive, hands-on activity that you can do on auto-pilot can help calm your mind.

Have a stack of laundry that needs to be folded? Kitchen floor need a sweep?

You could even go for a drive, knit, crochet, sew, lift weights…try getting into any activity that gets out of your head, and back into your body.

Play!

What activity takes you to a different state of mind? Do you like to sing, laugh, listen to music, play with your dog, fly a kite, play a musical instrument, juggle, dance or paint?

Take some time to do something that you enjoy doing. You’ll mentally switch gears and will give your mind a break from your concerns.

How about you? Do you get monkey mind every now and then? How do you calm down your mind? Join the conversation and leave a comment below! 

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About the Author

Rashelle

Rashelle Isip is a New York City-based productivity consultant who helps successful entrepreneurs and business owners manage their time and energy so they can reduce stress, work less, and make more money in their businesses. She has been featured in Fast Company, Forbes, NBC News, The Washington Post, NPR, and The Atlantic. Get her free guide, 5 Unexpected Things You Need to Organize a Work Notebook, by clicking here.

4 Comments

  1. marissafh

    LoL! yes, I take a 5 and crochet to zone out for a while. Only problem is that the 5 turns into one more round, one more row … Conversely, when my brain wants to ‘work’ and figure out something, I also turn to crochet and follow a pattern for a new project.

    Reply
    • theorderexpert

      Glad you liked the post! I haven’t crocheted in awhile but I also do like that hand/mind connection. Of course the best part is that you end up producing something without even “thinking” about it. Thanks for stopping by the blog and for your comment!

      Reply

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