Monkey Mind: Shifting the Habit of Feeling Distracted Throughout the Day : zen habits

We are constantly distracted throughout the day. Without focusing on anything with a calm, relaxed mind, we keep jumping from messages, to-do lists, social media, and email.
Constantly jumping and busy minds keep us stressed out and unfocused. This mind in this state can be termed as a 'Monkey Mind'.

• The Mind is not an enemy, which needs to be killed, but something to befriend.
• Creating a calm space inside us can help calm the monkey down. Like a toddler throwing tantrums, you need to calm down the surroundings and minimize activity to keep the noise down.
• Reducing distractions can help calm our Mind. We normally have a thousand things to check or look after throughout the day, be it email, notifications, etc. all of which keep the Monkey Mind jumping.
• We are rushing too fast, most of the day. We need to slow down, pause and get quieter in between our never-ending daily routine.

1. Meditate in the morning, starting with just 2 minutes.
2. Provide yourself intentional space for your focused activities, blocking the time slots.
3. Turn off as many distractions from your entire day, while turning on your awareness towards them.
4. Do not judge or condemn your mind, and keep witnessing what it is doing.
5. Slow down, relax your muscles, and take some deep breaths to calm yourself.
6. Take frequent short breaks, putting space between two activities.