1. Understand that we have a monkey mind. It is a Buddhist concept that describes a state of restlessness, capriciousness, and lack of control in one’s thoughts.
A monkey mind is like mo
nkeys and trees—it jumps from one thought to another incessantly. It often stops at certain thoughts before it jumps to another thought. This stop is what we call ‘worry.’ When we worry, we should know that worrying is a natural part of the thought’s process, but it requires awareness to stop it.
2. Step back and look at the bigger picture. I like to compare worrying to a plant. The more we water it, the more it grows. Worrying can drag us in—the more we worry, the more the situation becomes disturbing. A valuable solution is to take ourselves out of the situation and look at it from a different angle. See it objectively from an altered lens. When you do so, you’ll realize that the problem doesn’t require much worry.
3. Know that worrying won’t help in any way. Worrying can’t solve any problem. As Glenn Turner wrote, ‘Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but it gets you nowhere.’ Remember all the times you worried in the past and try to investigate if your worry has helped in any way. Reflect on your present moment to see that worrying is only a waste of mental energy.
4. You’re not in control of everything. The reason why we worry is because we need to feel a sense of control over things. We hope to control the outcome, so we won’t have to face unwanted results. Know that what’s meant to happen will fall into place. Uncertainty isn’t terrifying. Befriend it and know it is a natural, smooth energy that only brings us the best.
5. Focus on the present. How we deal with our present determines our past and our future. That said, we can use our present moment to focus on what’s happening ‘now.’ When we practice mindfulness, we actually help with the realization of things falling into place. Things flow easier when we don’t push them to happen.
upliftconnect.com, Elayne Youssef
