How to Turn Off That Monkey Mind and Really Get Things Done

Do you ever wonder why works feels so challenging, almost like you’ve got a monkey mind, even when you’re clearly motivated to do your work?

An overactive or “monkey mind” refers to a constant stream of racing thoughts that make it difficult to focus, stay present, or complete tasks efficiently. When your mind jumps from idea to idea, productivity feels harder not because you lack discipline, but because your mental energy is scattered.

In this article, you’ll learn how to think about work in a more sustainable and supportive way. You’ll also learn more about what the monkey mindset is and how you can get things done with less stress and more ease by improving your productivity mindset.

It’s important to note that this approach is about doing your work with purpose and meaning, rather than simply crossing tasks off a to-do list.

Key Takeaways

Table of Contents

What is a productivity mindset?

A productivity mindset is how you think about, relate to, and approach existing and new productivity tools, techniques, tips, systems, and methods in your professional work.

You can think of it as the foundation for how you go about your work. Your projects, assignments, tasks, and to-dos are all influenced by your relationship towards productivity.

How your productivity mindset influences the way you work

Your productivity mindset contains a wealth of information. At it’s heart, it’s an amalgam of your existing thoughts, expectations, experiences, and internal narratives.

For instance, if you think daily planning is a difficult task, then you’ll be more likely to find planning as a challenging or potentially frustrating task to complete.

As a productivity coach, I think your productivity mindset lays the foundation on which your daily systems, tools, and routines should be built, not the other way around.

How a productivity mindset differs from productivity hacks

A productivity mindset is different from productivity hacks because it influences how you go about your work.

A productivity tip or hack is simply a method or approach towards solving a specific problem or challenge. An example of this would be time blocking or using a decision-matrix in your work.

Productivity mindsets are more nuanced. They are what you naturally think about or relate to your workload and routines day-in and day-out in your work.

That’s why blindly choosing the latest productivity hack or tip from your social media feed often backfires. You most likely haven’t considered whether or not your mindset accurately aligns with the tool at hand.

Why mindset matters for sustainable productivity

Your mindset is a valuable tool you can use to your advantage in your work. The only problem is that most people don’t think about it in this way. A growth mindset can help you protect professional boundaries at the office, inspire you to do consistent work, and better manage your emotions.

One way to think of mindset is like a continuous umbrella productivity tool you can use at every moment in your professional life. Instead of simply relying on a specific productivity tool, you can use your mindset to direct, support, and nourish your professional development.

What is a monkey mind or overactive mind?

A monkey mind is when you have an overactive, over-stimulated, or distracted mind. Having a monkey mind makes it difficult to be productive because you’re literally leaping from one idea to another. Or, you simply have too many thoughts spinning around your head at one time.

In my line of work, I find the monkey mind is a common theme for high-achieving entrepreneurs, small business owners, executives, and professionals. You want to be productive serving clients and customers. But you unintentionally find yourself paralyzed or confused as to what to do next.

This may manifest as taking no action whatsoever because you’re feeling overwhelmed. It may also manifest as busy work, working on low-value and non-urgent tasks, like checking email or organizing supplies. You may find you need help managing overthinking at work.

What causes an overactive mind at work?

So what causes an overactive mind at work in the first place? I think it boils down to today’s digital connectivity and 24/7 non-stop cycle world. From portable digital devices to never-ending feeds, there are always external requests, information, and details pushed towards us.

This can be especially challenging if you’re a high-performer because, 1) you not only want to stay on top of what’s current, but, 2) you want to perform your best work for those in your immediate sphere and people of influence. That can create a dizzying combination of trying to keep your head above water at all times. And that can be a recipe for disaster.

How does an overactive mind affect your productivity?

An overactive mind can affect your productivity in a few key ways. For starters you may experience:

• Difficulty focusing. You find it challenging to stay present and accessible for even the simplest of tasks.
• Frequent task switching and mental fatigue. You jump from project to project, wearing yourself out in the process.
• Feeling busy but ineffective in your work. You work on tasks, but not those tasks that move the needle forward.

Why does an overactive mind make work feel harder than it should?

An overactive mind can make work feel harder than it should because you’re constantly wrestling with your thoughts.

Instead of planning, taking action, and repeating, you end up being stuck in a loop of worry or overwhelm. There’s no release or means of escape.

Mental clutter reduces focus and clarity

When you have many different thoughts, ideas, decisions, tasks, and to-dos on your mind, you’re preoccupied with them. That can end up eating into the focus and attention you need for other tasks. This can include making decisions, delegating tasks, strategizing approaches, reviewing proposals, and drafting plans.

Working harder doesn’t fix an overactive mind

Trying to justify an overactive mind with more work only creates a bad situation. You’re hustling to get work done, which in turn switches over to doing more work. And the cycle just continues and perpetuates itself.

But when you take the time to address your mindset, whether it’s an overactive mind or other thought process, you’re starting from the ground up. You’re taking the time to plan, evaluate, and decide how you’ll take your next steps.

Misguided productivity becomes unsustainable

One thing I emphasize with my clients is that their productivity levels should support their work habits. If you solely work from a place of production for production’s sake, you’re literally missing the point of being in business or having a career.

You can look at it this way: you most likely didn’t start your business so you could be in business or just one day. And I’m guessing you didn’t begin your career to have it last for a single year. You’re in it for the long term, and hopefully succcessfully.

And this is exactly why it’s so important to have a sustainable way of living and working comfortably. You’re looking to create a supportive and solid foundation for yourself.

If you’re looking for a sustainable way to think about and approach your work, check out my Productivity Mindset Planner™. It’s designed as a daily check-in to help you shift out of overwhelm and into intentional action.

Click the button below to download the planner:

How can you shift into a more sustainable productivity mindset?

If you want to shift into a more sustainable productivity mindset, then you need to change how you go about your work.

Here are four different approaches you can try today in in your business or in your personal time:

Reduce information overload in your mind

Trying to juggle multiple ideas or thoughts in your head can be taxing. Instead of juggling, turn your focus to collecting and containing information. This will give your mind a break from processing information and will allow it to relax.

One thing you can do is to do a brain-dump, or get your thoughts onto paper. You can write in a notebook or type in a word processing document. Other more creative approaches are to draw a picture or make a doodle of what’s on your mind.

If you’re by yourself and are in a private area, you can also verbally state out loud what’s on your mind to yourself.

Sometimes challenges look different in a another medium. Who knows, you might just come up with a solution to your problems when you’re working “outside” of your head.

Take a much needed physical break from your work

When’s the last time you took a real physical break from your work? And in case you were wondering, scrolling on your phone or checking the internet don’t count. Building intentional physical breaks into your day supports sustainable productivity by giving your mind space to reset.

Take a few minutes to relax and take a true break from your work. If you’re able to, you may want to consider temporarily turning off or silencing your cell phone, putting your computer to sleep, turning down the lights, or pulling down the shades.

You can sit quietly where you are or move to another location in your workspace or office. You may choose to sit quietly or even meditate. And you could also go for a short walk outside for a change of scenery and fresh air.

However you go about it, make you’re fully removing yourself from your workspace so you can rest and relax.

Create a series of repetitive routines and rituals

Any repetitive, hands-on activity that you can do on auto-pilot can help calm your mind. The repetitive action can be both predictable, reassuring, and soothing.

So, that being said, try your hand at putting your hand and body into motion whenever you’re feeling overwhelmed.

Have a stack of files that need to be filed? Does the mail needed to be processed? How about tidying up that office supply area? If you’re at home or on a break, you could go for a drive, knit, lift weights, shred papers, or wash a window.

You need not travel far and wide or spend a lot of time coming up with a routine for yourself. Try getting into any activity that gets you out of your head, and back into your body.

A start of work and end-of-day work routine are all great ways to add some daily structure to your workflow.

Add play and creativity to your day

Adding play and creativity to your day is a fun way to mentally switch gears. Doing so gives your mind a temporary break from your most pressing concerns.

Which activities takes you to a different state of mind? Where can you fully lose or immerse yourself in an activity that brings a smile to your face? What’s something that inspires, adds creativity, or makes you feel really playful?

For instance, do you like to sing, play with your dog, listen to music, fly a kite, play an instrument, chat, dance, or paint?

Take some time to do something you enjoy doing during the weekday. It need not take hours of your time. The bonus is that you may find you you feel more rested and refreshed afterwards.

Practice being fully present in the moment

Another technique to battle monkey mind is to practice awareness of where you are at moment in time. Sure, you’re sitting in an office, on a couch, and walking through that train station, but are you really paying attention to what’s going on around you?

Take a moment to stop whatever it is you’re doing and fully take in the environment around you. What do you see, hear, or smell? Who’s nearby and what are they doing? What’s the weather or environment like where you are?

Being aware of your surroundings forces you to slow down. By purposefully observing, you train your mind to switch gears and focus on something else.

This practice can be especially useful if you’re preparing to meet with someone in person for an appointment or want to simply want to slow down your thoughts.

What’s more, practicing single-tasking can dramatically reduce mental noise and make work feel more manageable.

How can you maintain a supportive productivity mindset for the long-term?

If you want to maintain a supportive productivity mindset for the long-term, then you must be intentional in your actions.

Here’s a few key actions you can take this week to strengthen your productivity mindset:

Set clear boundaries for yourself in your work

When you’re clear on setting boundaries at work for yourself, you’re making a clear distinction in your mind as to what is and isn’t acceptable during work hours and beyond.

Try setting specific work hours for yourself in your business. At what time will you arrive and leave the office? When you will see clients or customers? When will you conduct administrative or operations work with you and your staff?

Another thing to embrace are those transitions and moments of rest between your work, such as commuting, or chatting at the water cooler at the start of the day.

You may also want to limit using your smartphone throughout the day so you’re not mindlessly scrolling through social media feeds or status updates.

Practice positive self-talk and thoughts

Your thoughts will inevitably drive your physical actions. That’s why it’s so important to be gentle and supportive when it comes to your ongoing thoughts.

Some of the most common productivity thought traps I see among clients are, “If I don’t do this task now, I’ll never get to it,” and “I’m so overwhelmed, I don’t know where to start.” Instead repeating these unhelpful thoughts, you can rewrite them so they’re more positive.

A more helpful reframe would be, “I’m not working on this task now, but I will schedule and work on it later today,” and “I’ve got a busy day today, and I choose to complete this brief task first so I can gain momentum in my work.”

Create your workday with a sustainable first approach

Lastly, it’s worth taking time to visualize a calm and sustainable workday for yourself. All too often do we imagine the worst case scenario (busy calendar, heavy workload) that we don’t stop to consider what a relaxed day looks like.

What would your work day look like if you were to run it at a sustainable pace? How would you feel while you work? What activities would you work on? How would you spend your time? Who would assist you in the process?

These are the types of questions that will help you calm that monkey mind and develop a healthy productivity mindset. When in doubt, ask yourself which daily actions will help you sustain consistent productivity levels for the long term.

FAQ: Productivity mindset

Conclusion

Productivity starts in the mind. A supportive sustainable productivity mindset can make your work load lighter, joyous, and more comfortable over the course of weeks and months.

When you choose progress over pressure, every work day becomes more manageable. You’re no longer hurrying to finish work or completing tasks as quickly as possible. You can work comfortably for the long term, and that’s what truly matters.

If this article resonated with you, my Productivity Mindset Planner™ is a simple way to practice mindful daily actions, without adding more pressure to your routine. Click the button below to download the planner:

And if calming your mind feels harder than it should, personalized productivity support can help you develop a mindset and structure that works for you.

Rashelle Isip Productivity Coach and Founder of The Order Expert®

Rashelle Isip is a New York City-based productivity coach, consultant, and founder of The Order Expert®. With over 16 years of experience, she helps entrepreneurs and executives replace the "hustle and grind" mindset with one of "ease and flow." Rashelle is a former contributing columnist for Inc.com and Lifehack.org, and has been featured in Fast Company, Forbes, NBC News, The Washington Post, and NPR. She is the author of four books, including The Order Expert’s Guide to Time Management. When not helping clients master their schedules, she enjoys scouting for practical, well-designed office supplies. Learn more at TheOrderExpert.com.

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