Calming Your Mind in Increments Series: Taking Ten-Minutes Every Day to Help with Gaining Mastery over Your Mind

In talking about the busy mind, also known as the monkey mind or mind chatter, you may be asking yourself, “How do I begin to gain some mastery over my mind”?One of my coaching client once stated, “my mind runs on and on and on…. like a Duracell battery”. She too felt she had little to no control over her current mind chatter, nor reactions to situations in her life. She frequently felt mental (and at times emotional) fatigued. She would wake up during the wee hours of the morning worrying about what needed to be done and thinking about unresolved issues from her job and personal life.

It’s as if mind chatter has the upper hand. It seems to rule your consciousness …and yes, even your sleep! It seems to dictate what you will maul over throughout the day. Mind chatter is common and many people find it hard to switch gears or switch it off.

Many dynamics can feed into mind chatter. Much is rooted in emotional reactions to unresolved life events and interpersonal situations. It is how you interpret real or perceived events coupled with your sense of injustice (unfairness) and/or hurt regarding the event(s). This flips the switch on for mind chatter.

For example, your boss, Chris, frequently yells at you for no apparent reason, other than s/he seems to be having too many bad days. You think to yourself, no reason to take it out on me. However, this frequently happens, creating mounting stress and pre-occupation about why this keeps happening (e.g., a sense of unfairness). You become angry and frustrated about your predicament. You fret over what you might say the next time it happens, and worry about whether you should be looking for another job.

Attending to your mind and emotional reactions is vital! Just as you need oxygen to live, you need to find your unique ways to calm the turbulence of your mind and emotions in the midst of life’s events. A calm mind yields greater clarity, direction and determination of best next steps based upon your inviting your Higher Power for direction. But you need internal space (not filled with mind chatter), which is created by a calm mind to hear, feel inspired and prompted, through your Higher Power, to take the next step.

Have you ever consider taking ten (10) minutes to calm the mind?

Ten is a great number. It is easy to remember! It’s one-sixth of an hour. It’s something very doable on a regular basis. Consider doing the following or another mind-calming activity you design for yourself:

1. Connect. You are not alone; consciously invite God/Christ to help you with your situation. Sit down in a chair or place yourself in a crossed legged position on a floor cushion; take five long, slow deep belly breathes to welcome God’s presence in your life. Release your will (and control) by surrendering it to God’s Will. You are moving yourself out of the driver seat into the passenger or back seat. Letting God be the driver. Reflect on what would be God’s Will in this situation (be specific). Say, In the name of Almighty God, what is your Will in this situation. Not my will, but Thine be done. Then be still in mind and body movements.

2. Listen. Be quiet and listen with your inner (ear) awareness, and expect an answer. It may take time for the response to reach you because you need to settle the mind. The monkey mind will want to jump around, create distractions and it will feel-like it needs to do something! Quiet the mind by moving, at this stage, into observing your breath. Do not force the breath at this point. You are no longer engaging in deep breathing. Instead you become the witness, the observer of your breath. This creates inner space for potential possibilities that are God centered (not monkey mind centered).

3. Appreciate. Visualize an image, past event or symbol around your heart that brings you inner peace, contentment and/or joy. Picture this image for a minute to create a loving, warm space within your heart and body – a space of gratitude. Gratitude and stillness creates quietness in mind, and opens us to receive divine guidance and soul awareness regarding direction and best, next steps along your life journey. Take the remaining time to sit and be fully, present and aware in heart, body and soul.

Developing a calm mind is a daily ongoing process, filled with opportunities to practice being peaceful and inner attunement in the midst of life’s adventures. Find two-to-three times per day to practice this simple, yet effective practice to calm your mind.

Mastering Life’s Adventures Questions to PonderWhat types of incidents or events trigger your busy or monkey mind?

What type of practice and affirmation calms your mind when it becomes overly busy?