Okay, that’s kind of a funny cartoon image. As those of you who have come to know me recognize. I like humor. A lot. But actually mental noise is not necessarily a funny issue. It can, quite literally, be maddening. But the good news for suffers is that it means you are a thoughtful person. And that can be a very good thing. You just need to learn to take control of that “voice” so it is active only when you want it to be. And this is very doable.
Let’s start by agreeing what “the noise in your head” actually refers to.
Most of humanity walks around with mental noise with little notion that this is happening to them. They think it is just “normal”. You are awake (not sleeping) and so your brain is “switched on.” (i.e. the noise is on).
Throughout our day, we fall asleep. Well, not literally of course. But our minds, left unchecked, drift in and out of stories throughout the day. We relive conversations that may have happened the previous day, thoughts about some news we received about friends or family etc. The main point of being “asleep” is that though our body is one place, like the grocery store, our minds are distracted and some where lese completely.
Such “falling asleep” can happen at any time and anywhere. We might be driving or out shopping or even just sitting on the front porch. Rather than having a still mind (read on) there is a running dialogue going on that most of us never notice.
“Why did I say that to him yesterday?” “I’m so angry at myself because what I should have said was….. should have said this,…”
Your inner dialog is chattering away as you make your way through the grocery store.
“OK OK.LET IT GO. STOP THINKING ABOUT IT!“, you say to yourself when you become conscious you’ve been “sleeping” and you attempt to bring the dream-like discussion to an end. You may look around you as focusing on your senses is a great way to “wake up” and stay awake. You take a head of lettuce in your hand and look it over.
“Really, he is such a jerk,” the noise begins again as your mind returns to noise and hands release the lettuce. You move the cart automatically and head over to the dairy department. Did you even notice the brown spots on the lettuce?
In your daily “work” to stay present, try to notice the “brown spots”. Keep your mind on that lettuce and all its intricate details. Focus like this in ordinary every day happenings can be some of the best ways to stay awake throughout your day! Best yet, those brown spots don’t only anchor you in the present moment they insure you get good produce!
