Do you ever feel like your thoughts are running like the ticker board at the stock exchange? Everything from your grocery list, work tasks, home to do’s, holiday travels, worries about your kids, your spouse, and so on are running through your head. I know this sensation well. I like to call it monkey brain. My thoughts jump from one thing to the next and it’s like driving in a hail storm.
The Freeze Response
Monkey brain can set me into 1 of 2 modes; the freeze response or flight of the bumble bee. I find the freeze response to be rather ironic. Despite having a list of “to dos” a mile long, I can get stuck at hesitation station. I don’t know where to start. I’m in overwhelm. I can waste a day trying to decide what to do first versus taking action.
Flight of the Bumble Bee
Photo by Tara Winstead from Pexels
The flight of the bumble bee is my other response to monkey brain. I attempt to multitask beyond my abilities which usually results in me doing a lot of tasks at about 50%. I find that those of us that work from home experience this often. As your home and work life collide you struggle to see the boundary between the two and the result is attempting to do it all. You are about to sit down and write that work email but then you decide to start a load of laundry on your way to the sink to load the dirty dishes all while making that work call you kept forgetting the past two days. Sound familiar?
I’ve witnessed this in my clients as well. I sense them getting stuck on the launch pad. They feel overwhelmed by all the things they want to change or do that they don’t know where to start. They can’t move forward and they feel like a failure for doing nothing. This monkey brain phenomenon manifests itself in many of us and it can keep us up at night or distract from tasks during the day.
Whether it applies to your work, your home life, or your physical health, monkey brain can make it difficult to move forward. It can feel paralyzing or chaotic. But, you can redirect that brain energy to offer you motivation and inspiration. All those thoughts, ideas and worries can either be a manifestation of anxiety or you can funnel that creative energy to work FOR you instead of against.
It’s all about implementing that funnel. As my clients know, it is a combination of many tools that include exercise, meditation, and the like, to help move and release that busy energy. But, at times you need something more tangible to pull you out of the chaos. I make myself follow these steps so that I can redirect my energy in a more efficient way.
The Steps
Step 1: Write it Out. As I’ve mentioned, journaling helps me release stress and find answers to questions that float in my mind. But when it comes to actionable tasks, I make lists. I write down all the “to dos.” Long term, short term, busy work, deep work, all of it goes on the list. Write it all down and feel the weight lift from your shoulders. You’re no longer trying to carrying it all in your head hoping that you don’t forget something.
I know what you’re thinking. You see the list and feel even more overwhelmed. You think “nope, it’s too much”. But I like to tell people it’s like looking at a huge chocolate cake and expecting to eat the whole thing in one sitting. The idea sounds “delicious…but nauseating at best.” But, you aren’t going to try and eat it all at once. And that’s where you get to step 2.
Step 2: Break it down. Take that delicious cake and start to slice it into individual slices. With your list, this means organizing items based on their priority and due date. What do you want to accomplish today? What do you want to do by the end of this week or month? Prioritizing your “to do’s” takes a lot of the guesswork out of choosing where to start. Place the items in your planner based on when you want them done by.
Now many of you may already have your lists made and your deadlines highlighted but still struggle with monkey brain derailing your focus. This is where step 3 comes in. It takes the daunting list and transfers them into actionable steps.
Step 3: Schedule it. Write down when you are going to work on each task. Pick a day and time, and allow for the time necessary to complete these tasks. This means making dates and appointments with yourself. It’s not a deadline, it’s a commitment of your attention. Set a reminder or alarm on your phone and treat it as you would a scheduled meeting. You have an appointment to sit down with no distractions or other busy work to commit your focus to that one task. Set your phone to silent, close your email, this time slot is just for this one task. You schedule your doctor’s visits, haircuts, pedicures, etc. Why not schedule a time slot in your day to do the things that loom on your to do list? Or more importantly to take time for what really brings you joy and allows your creativity to flow.
Do I really make multiple appointments throughout the day for all of my to do’s? That’s completely up to you. This may sound too structured. But the point is to commit your time, energy and focus to one thing on your to do list and stay accountable to yourself by setting a date and time. For some it’s just about setting time slots for “to dos” that they tend to forget or avoid. Now let’s be clear, flexibility is key, because life happens and as often is the case, life can throw a wrench in your plans. But scheduling it offers you that accountability and reminder that grounds you in one obligation at a time versus trying to juggle it all. See it as a little guide wire that helps you keep balance but gives you the freedom to move through your day with ease.
Deep work vs. Fractured Time
I can accomplish so much more when I add these appointments for deep work to my day. I recently read in “The Book of Coaching for Extraordinary Coaches” about how we work in deep work mode and a fractured time mode. ” Fractured time mode is when you work in small bursts. You focus on something for a very short time before quickly moving on to something else.” Many of us tend to operate in fractured time mode. But we all need the deep work mode as well. “Deep work facilitates fractured time work. Deep work happens when you get to have a period of uninterrupted time to focus on a single task or activity.” In order to have that deep work you have to schedule it.
Monkey brain arises when we don’t shift to deep work mode. Our minds need that calm singular focus. The creative energy in your brain just needs a funnel to propel you forward. This all sounds so simplistic, and it is. But often the solutions we are needing aren’t very complex. Sometimes it just takes a bit of structure and simplicity to set your mind back on track. Follow the steps above to escape your monkey brain and bring calm to the chaos.
P.S. How I can Help
Now sometimes you have changes you want to make in your life and your career that are even bigger than that chocolate cake. We’re talking an entire smorgasbord. Are some of your goals more broad, like “eat healthier”, “grow my business”, “find a new job” or “exercise more”? The goals are so expansive that you don’t know how to carry out the 2nd step of breaking it down into manageable steps? That’s where a coach can help. A coach can act as a sounding board and help guide you towards understanding what your next step is. It’s YOUR goal, YOUR gut instinct of what works for you, I just offer the guide wire. I can offer accountability when you need motivation and a thinking cap when what you’re doing isn’t working. If this resonates for you, reach out for a free initial consultation.