Sometimes, you find yourself just looking at your work, not comprehending anything. The wandering mind refuses to be reined in - it simply can’t be controlled. Does this sound familiar? Well! This isn’t a unique problem or something to worry about. It happens to all of us at some point or the other when we are too bogged down with work and life.
Research says that we are all born with the same power to utilize our mind. So the mind is the most powerful tool to elevate or degrade ourselves. Remember, the mind is our best friend - if we can control it; and our worst enemy - when it dictates terms.
We may have a short attention span, but that doesn’t mean we can’t control our mind and put it on track. A controlled mind channelizes one's entire mental energy towards a particular task. With no mind control, we can’t concentrate on work and hence the pressure mounts. Here are 4 tips to help you control your mind.
- What distracts you? Identifying distractive thoughts is the most important way of controlling the mind. Figure out why you’re not able to focus or pay attention, and what keeps your mind pre-occupied. Give yourself time to identify these thoughts and write them down. After you’re through with writing them, view them objectively to know why these are disturbing and harmful for you. Encourage self talk to overcome this. Once you start doing this regularly, you’ll know how to eliminate these thoughts from your mind.
- Weed out petty negativity: The best way to practice this is to make watertight compartments for your mind. I know it’s easier said than done, but this is a sure shot way to overcome distraction. Say, you’ve a personal problem that constantly distracts you from your work; you need to solve the problem first, before you begin work. Similarly, if you’ve a problem with your supervisor, don’t keep it to yourself. Talk it out or if that doesn’t help, approach a higher authority for a solution. It’s difficult to control a mind in discord. After the discussion, if it's satisfactory, tell yourself that you’ll not allow anger/negativity to bother you.
- Know yourself well: To keep your mind in control, you need to know yourself thoroughly. You’ve to be aware of who you are and what your goals are. Then you can control your mind to follow you, otherwise, you’ll blindly follow an indisciplined mind and in the end, go nowhere.
- Meditate: Remember, meditation is for the mind, what food is to the body. It helps in a holistic way, re-energizing you and thereby helping you control your mind. Learn to relax and meditate even while working. Close your eyes for a while and try concentrating on an object. If you can concentrate for some time, you’ll be the master of your mind very soon.
