Are you in a constant state of stress, possibly without even realizing it? Could be due to that endless chatter in your head. Time to tame the monkey mind.

Hey, you are not alone. Most of us have some repetitive thoughts going on in our minds most of the time. It’s a state often called “monkey mind.”

Some say this metaphor came from Buddha, others claim it is of Chinese or Hindu origin. Wherever it began, the term monkey mind does a good job of summing up incessant and racing thoughts.

This mental chatter could be causing worry, anxiety, distraction, lack of creativity, and other negative emotions. There are ways to tame these beasts and gain control over your mind.

6 Monkey Mind Taming Tips

1 Strike a Pose: You probably aren’t surprised to see yoga on this list. Why does practicing yoga have a calming effect on the mind? The intentional breathing done while practicing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which lowers blood pressure and  heart rate, and slows breathing. Calmer body, calmer mind. Try these yoga poses for instant calm.

2 Get Om: Another usual suspect on getting centered. Sick of the meditation revolution yet? As we’ve said here before, there are many ways to meditate beyond the crossed-legged om-chanting posture. Try guided meditation or get yourself to a meditation studio. And I love this list of fun ways to meditate, especially number two.

3 Do What You are Doing: Sounds easy enough, right? But how ‘in the moment’ are we when folding clothes, doing dishes, making dinner, and other daily tasks? Chances are, not very. These mundane duties give us a chance to plan, contemplate, and make decisions–and fret, worry, and obsess. Eckhart Tolle, master of living in the present moment, maintains that being in the here and now is the route to peace and happiness. It may take some getting used to, but give mindful tasking a try. Need some inspo? Eckhart shares with Oprah two ways to get present.

4 Talk With the Monkeys: Okay. I admit this one sounds a little crazy. But this is an important exercise in confronting your fears. Trying to avoid problem thoughts often makes the issue seem much worse than it is. Ask yourself what it is that’s truly bothering you or that you can’t quit thinking about. What’s the worst that will happen if this thought happens in real life? Can you handle that? Most likely, you can. It’s amazing how addressing fear can abate worrisome thoughts.

5 Step Away From the Device: Yes, the cell phone, tablet, or laptop. What’s the big deal? Manoush Zomorodi, host of WNYC’s New Tech City podcast, found that less screen time can free up mind space. Through her seven day Bored and Brilliant campaign, Zomorodi put participants through daily tasks aimed at awakening awareness. The biggest take away from the campaign: people felt less distracted and more inspired when they stopped multitasking and allowed their minds less distraction.

6 Gaze in the Right Direction: You may be surprised to learn that what we look at and for how long affects how focused or distracted we are. Duke University researchers studied monkeys’ eyes (I know, again with the monkeys) for links to the brain’s focus. The study distracted monkeys from a task by showing them pictures of other monkeys. By monitoring brain activity, scientist found that a set of neurons were only active when the monkeys were trying to do two things at once, complete a task while being distracted by pictures. The neuron sets were inactive when the monkeys were doing just one task at a time. The theory goes that when humans are trying to pay attention to two different things, it triggers a “conflict” circuit in a region of the brain called the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC). The dACC is part of a larger brain structure that controls rational thought and emotions. Moral of the story, try concentrating your focus on one thing at a time for better productivity and peace of mind.

Quieting the noisy mind is something we all deal with. Do you have other tips to taming your inner monkeys?

Related on EcoSalon

The Many Benefits of Meditation for Your Mind and Body

Refuse to Worry (And How to be More Useful for Your Friends)

Positive Thinking: Health Benefits of PMA

Image of monkeys via Shutterstock

The post 6 Monkey Mind Taming Tips appeared first on EcoSalon.

Daily fear can be a major stumbling block to an abundant life. Here’s how to stop worrying and enjoy every moment.

When the tune Don’t Worry Be Happy comes on, you can’t help but smile at the thought of not having to worry because everything will actually be alright. But after the song comes to an end you’re back to thinking about all the nasty fears that could come true in the future. Fear sets in and you become a worrywart once again. But what if the song could actually be your reality? Here’s how to stop worrying and start living.

How To Stop Worrying in 6 Easy Steps

1. Create a worry period.

The best way to learn how to stop worrying is to contain the damage. Set a certain time period aside for worrying. From 5:00-5:30 pm everyday you’re allowed to run through your list of worries. Worry about whatever is on your mind but after your worry period is up, move on. If another worry comes up after your worry period, put it off until your next worry period.

2. Ask yourself: “Is the problem solvable?”

Let’s get realistic here. Is your problem solvable or is it something that just cycles through your head, driving you crazy? Though we like to think that we’re working toward a goal by worrying, in reality, worrying and problem solving are two totally different things. If you’re a chronic worrier then you’ll find that the vast majority of your worries are things you can’t solve–so why waste the energy?

3. Feel your emotions.

Worry is just another way of suppressing your emotions so you don’t have to feel them. But the truth is emotions are not always rational. In fact, they’re messy just like life. Feel your emotions and stop trying to organize them.

4. Accept uncertainty.

Worrying is an attempt to predict the future and prevent unpleasant surprises, but in reality it can do neither. If you want to learn how to stop worry, you’ve got to be willing to ride the waves of life. While goal setting is important, understand that not everything is going to turn out the way you planned. And that’s OK. It’s not what happens to you in life that matters but the way you react to it.

5. What is the evidence that your thought is true?

In the whirl of thoughts that cycle through your mind, how many of your worries could actually happen? Is there a more positive and realistic way that you could look at the situation? Learning how to stop worrying starts by not allowing yourself to get worked up about improbabilities.

6. What would you say to a friend who had your same worry?

We tend to treat ourselves worse than we would treat anyone else. What if your friend were to have the same worry? How would you respond to them? Would you think they were being crazy to even have the thought? Likely, the answer is yes. In the end, our worries and thoughts can be so irrational that if anyone else were thinking this way we would tell them to calm down, take a breath, and get real. Give yourself the same advice.

Related on EcoSalon:
Overcome: Fear Has No Home Here
Are Women Too Fearful These Days?
Why Not Taking Risks is Holding You Back

Image: hang_in_there

The post How To Stop Worrying In 6 Easy Steps appeared first on EcoSalon.

Be conscious of your wishes.

Some precious people in my life are in extreme pain right now. Three friends are sorting through the natural disaster that breaking up brings on. And after a traumatic and poignantly one-in-a-million accident, one of my beloveds is literally patching together a new body and life. I cry with them in cafes and on the phone. I write letters I know they’re too weary to respond to. I think about them throughout every day. I ache, actively. Concerned.

But I do not worry for them. Can’t do it. Won’t do it. Refuse to. Not because I trust in a benevolent universe to carry them (which I do), and not because I’m disassociated (I’m anything but). I don’t let myself worry for them because I think it’s not only futile, but it’s obstructive. Worry only gets in the way of good intentions, energy, solutions. It’s toxic.

WORRY vs. CONCERN
Energetically, there is a critical difference.

worry: to torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts; fret.
concern: to relate to; be connected with; be of interest or importance to; affect.

Worry obstructs possibility. Concern is pro-active.
Worry weighs things down. Concern can rise to the occasion.
Worry is wistful. Concern is penetrating.
Worry tangles. Concern peels back the layers.
Worry gossips. Concern enrolls.

Worry is the conjoined twin of anxiety. Of course concern can be riddled with anxiety, but it’s strong enough to turn anxiety into a constructive force.

The darkest, gnawing side of worry is this: it’s an illusory form of control that we might cling to in order to feel important and goodly. Yep, “goodly”, not “Godly.” As in, I’m a good manager, friend, mother, citizen, leader…if I express my love, smarts, interest by…worrying.

HOW TO TRANSFORM YOUR WORRY FOR OTHERS INTO POSITIVITY…
SO YOU CAN TRULY BE OF SERVICE

Stand outside of the story.
Every fearful expectation has a big “story” behind it. The trauma, the drama, the pain, the plot. Worry feeds on the gruesome details. It replays the potential saga in your head. It validates all the reasons things could go wrong by drudging up the past again and again. Worry is cleverly building a case as to why you should worry (you’re a better person if you do, you’re “on top of the details” it’s the sympathetic thing to do, things have gone wrong so many times before, it’s only logical to…worry. And on it goes.)

Don’t let yourself be pulled onto the “set” of the unfolding drama. Stay behind the camera and go where you’re needed to shed light on things. Witnessing is an act of compassion. Whether it’s with force or a light touch, you get to call the shots on how you will show up in any difficult situation.

Keep a soft gaze.
No one needs your judgment about why they got themselves into something, or all of the things that could go wrong. Gently observe what’s going on, and stick to the facts. This is really tricky because facts can be relative. Medical test results are facts. So is someone’s immense inner strength. Choose the facts that keep you moving in a better direction. Friends in pain (and we all qualify as friends who are hurtin’) need love and optimism – critique and prognostication are big fat downers.

Let your heart be broken.
Life will devastate you if you get close enough to it. Get closer. In the cosmic fabric, your pain is mine is yours is mine… When we can share this unified space we know how to be of better service to one another – because we can better empathize.

Put a stake of devotion in the ground.
How far will you let your concern take you for a friend? (Limits are okay by the way, enlightened concern isn’t about martyrdom.) Are you willing to catch the next plane, withdraw your savings, find a lawyer, change bandages, mix herbs, listen tirelessly? Your devotion may shrink or expand as the situation unravels. But if you can declare how you intend to be truly helpful, then worry takes a backseat.

Send wishes.
This is the single most effectual way to diffuse worry and move into positivity. Worry will crop up. Don’t let it stagnate. Cleanse your worry with precise wishes.

I’m worried that he’ll stay lonely. I wish him sweet love.
I’m worried the meds won’t work. I wish her quantum healing.
I’m worried she’ll do something drastic. I wish her equilibrium.
I’m worried he’ll sink into depression. I wish him lightness.
I’m worried this will takes years. I wish for swift grace.

While you’re at it, you could do one gorgeous global wish: I wish for the end of suffering and happiness of all beings. That about covers it.

Send wishes. And more wishes. The wishes will nest in your psyche and begin to inform your concern, your words, your actions. When you’re not preoccupied with worrying, you’re free to serve, in so many ways.

Editor’s Note: Danielle LaPorte is the author of  The Fire Starter Sessions: A Soulful + Practical Guide for Creating Success on Your Own Terms. An inspirational speaker, former think tank exec, and business strategist, she is the co-author of  Your Big Beautiful Book Plan. Find Danielle on Facebook+ Twitter @daniellelaporte + at her digital temple: DanielleLaPorte.com

Image: Lifesupercharger

The post Refuse to Worry (And How to be More Useful for Your Friends) appeared first on EcoSalon.

Is the economy keeping you awake at night?

You are not alone. A recent National Sleep Foundation poll has found that one in four Americans say worries over personal finances, layoffs and the state of the economy at large are keeping them up at night.  These numbers are reflected in an increase in audiences for late night television shows.

But these aren’t the only numbers that are increasing.

Prescriptions for sleep medications have also grown, topping 56 million in 2008. Good news, I guess, for the pharmaceutical companies selling those GABA-enhancing  Z drugs (Ambien, Lunesta, Rozerem) that promote sleep, decrease anxiety or relax muscles.

While these pills may help you sleep, there’s a a long list of possible adverse reactions ranging from next-day drowsiness to memory loss and drug dependence.

According to a National Institutes of Health (NIH) analysis published in 2005, though, the assistance may not even be noticeable. The NIH study reported that Z drugs only reduced the average time it took to fall asleep by around 18 minutes. Worse yet, the total increased sleeping time was only about 28 minutes. Which should make you ask, are the adverse reactions worth it?

Well, many sleep experts advise skipping the pills and trying to fall asleep on our own. Of course, that’s easier said than done.

A good place to start is by checking out these tips from Gayle Greene, a bona fide insomniac and author of the book Insomniac. There are also a number of natural sleep aids that might do the trick. And be sure to check back here tomorrow, April 16th, for our guide to getting restful sleep – naturally.

Image: Maxintosh

The post Sleepless in America appeared first on EcoSalon.