Mind chatter - 3 things you need to know for more success

Thoughts, a voice in your head, monkey brain, or mind chatter. We call it many things, but it’s all the same. It is the conversation or monolog we are having with ourselves inside our head. What you need to know about that mind chatter is this:​

• it’s there,
• it rules your life and
• you can manage it.

Let me break that down further.

MIND CHATTER is there:
We all have thoughts; the majority of them are unconscious. It is the thoughts we are oblivious to, that often lead to experiencing our lives in ways we don’t want.
 
For example, many of us don’t realize that via our inner thoughts, we have been convincing ourselves that we can’t handle our overwhelming responsibilities, appointments and to do’s.
 
Yet, if you stopped and paid attention to your thoughts you might hear your mind repeating similar phrases like a broken record:

• I’m never going to make it through this day.
• I have way too much to do.
• I’ll never get done this.
• There is no way I can handle this.
• I’ll be lucky to get through half of this.

The thoughts we have been thinking automatically have been inducing the sense we have of pressure, strain, and anxiety. 

MIND CHATTER rules your life:
What you think about creates your experience of life. Or…what you expect, you get. It is those unconscious expectations that you are setting for yourself that make you feel the way you do.
 
In the example above, your unconscious thoughts of overwhelm gave you the experience of feeling incompetent in handling your day. When you have those repeating thoughts in your mind that are reminding you that you can’t handle it, you create your sense of overwhelm. That draws your attention to notice everything that goes wrong, every second “stolen” from you and each extra task added to your list. 

You can manage your MIND CHATTER:
​When you become more aware of your thoughts, you can choose what you are thinking. Those different thoughts shift your experience.
 
Once more, using the example above, you could begin to manage your thoughts about your day. Instead of the catastrophic thoughts that you have about your overwhelming day, you can catch yourself going down that path and turn a different way.
 
By choosing instead to think about your ability to handle things and to be alert for opportunities, you change your experience.

• I can handle my day.
• I am good at prioritizing.
• I will set a manageable list of what I can accomplish today.
• I will look for tiny moments of time found through the day.
• Even though it feels awkward, I will set boundaries with my team creating pockets of deep work time.

When you become more conscious of your inner thoughts and then shift them, you also find you experience your day differently. You didn’t necessarily change anything going on outside of you; you shifted your thought about what was going on outside of you. The tasks, meetings, and duties are still there; they just have less power over you. Shifting your mind chatter leave you feeling more in control and on top of the priority projects; not everything, but you know that it’s the true priorities that matter at the end of the day. ​

​The tools to managing your thoughts:

• Breathing
  • Take a deep breath. That will bring you back to the present moment and more aware of what you are thinking.
• Meditation
  • The practice of sitting still for a few moments a day trains your brain to be less automatic and racing. Instead, you cultivate a sense of groundedness. Practicing the skill of not reacting to every impulse that jumps out at you lets you be less reactive and more responsive throughout your day.
• Journaling
  • By taking a few movements each day to journal your thoughts, you become more aware of irrational believes, unhelpful views and thought patterns.

Watch this video to get a better understanding of how you can change your mind chatter.

​Developing an awareness of your mind chatter helps you to manage it. When you manage your thoughts, you manage your life. It is by handling  your inner world that you create the experience in the outer world that you desire. Remember, what you need to know about that mind chatter is this: it’s there, it rules your life, and you can manage it.

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