“Stress happens when your mind resists what is.” ~Dan Millman
Oh how true, of course the trick is, how do you turn off your mind when things don’t go your way? When all you can think about is how angry you are, wanting to fight back, even go so far as to do something stupid and make matters worse.
The key begins with stepping back, becoming fully aware of your circumstances, taking time to see all your possibilities, and most important of all, being willing to let go of your anger and frustration each time it comes up in your mind. This is your monkey mind talking, and it isn’t you!
After all, for all intents and purposes, it is all in your mind, and your mind needs to take a break from the fear and disappointment, frustration and anger that bubbles up when ‘$hit happens.’
Look around you, breathe, imagine just for a moment that all is well… that is, notice in that fleeting moment that it is your mind letting go of the fear you feel. This tells you there is an external effect on your mind and the mind is demanding to remain in control of you, by pushing the fear back in… disrupting your life to the point it can become ongoing and feels like it is permanent.
BUT THIS STRESS NEED NOT BE PERMANENT!
So how can you take control of your stress?
The trick is to divert your mind from what is messing with it. Let’s first assume you are not in a life threatening situation at the moment, you have thoughts rising in your head from something that is or has happened and you now know that it is your monkey mind that is yakking away at you.
Whether what is externally coming at you is happening at the moment or not, the important thing for you to do is to find a place of peace and calm, where ever you are, to touch base with who you and where you really are… which isn’t the yakking of your mind and it’s constant attempt to make you upset. ‘You do not need to be at the effect of your monkey mind’ (or the external actions of others or the events of life in general). Let me repeat this, as it is so important… You do not need to be at the effect of your monkey mind!
Are you willing to be the cause of your own peaceful state of mind? If so, consider the following:
Sit comfortably (preferably in a quite place), close your eyes and listen to your breath… inhale slowly for 3-5 seconds, then hold your breath calmly for 10-15 seconds, then slowly exhale for 6-10 seconds, and repeat 10 times. This is a basic starting point for resetting your neurological system and your calming your mind.
It’s a good place to begin coming back down to earth, shutting off the chatter in your mind and then either begin to meditate for a longer period of time, or, open your eyes if you are outdoors or playing one of my HDSereneScapes® films and appreciate the beauty of the world that is out there.
It is also a good place to start a physical workout whether walking, yoga, bike riding, strength training or any other physical activity that begins to boost the endorphins your brain and body need to feel good.
Here is a good article on how physical activity, exercise, reduces stress.
If you give yourself the time and are persistent, you can significantly diminish your mind’s ability to mess with you.
Will your monkey mind come back and kick in the yakking? Of course it will, yet this is not you, nor are your troubles.
The more you begin to confront and distract your monkey mind from debilitating your life experience and disconnecting you from who you are and where you are, the more you learn to shut it off, and the better your life becomes.
Consider doing the above processes on a daily basis, even if nothing is chattering away… because this not only makes you feel better in the moment, it paves the way to providing a better quality of life when situations do trigger your monkey mind. You will find you have more say in controlling your monkey mind and making it less impacting on you life.
Improving your quality of life isn’t about what you think you need to buy, the silly crazy going on around you, or what has happened that you no longer have control over.
It is about coming from PEACE. What I like to call my basic mantra and meditation I use to live with each and every day. PEACE. Patience, Empathy, Awareness, Compassion and Enlightenment. Feel free to use it too. The world could use more of it, and isn’t that, after all, what life is all about?
