IF YOU GIVE A MONKEY MIND A THOUGHT
PACKING HELL
I hate packing for a trip! It take’s me forever and leaves me exhausted and frustrated.
It doesn’t matter if I pick out my clothes a week ahead or the day before I leave, still hate it.
I can never decide what to pack and always end up taking far more than I could possibly wear, even if I changed my clothes twice every day.
Why is it that I think I’ll want to wear a shirt that I haven’t worn in 2 years? Why do I think I need a clean pair of leggings every day while I’m gone when at home I usually wear the same pair 2 days in a row?
Noticing My Mind
When I started packing to leave town for my daughter’s college graduation, and I felt that familiar dread, I decided to investigate what was really going on. It’s certainly not the act of taking clothes out of my closet and putting them in a suitcase that turns packing into energy draining misery so it’s got to be something going on in my mind.
What is my mind telling me that’s causing my packing hell?
What if…
it rains?
my clothes aren’t dressy enough?
I get hot or cold?
I wish I’d taken a different color?
it’s like that trip last year where I took all the wrong clothes?
I could go on for days with all of my “what ifs”!
The first step in making any type of change is simply to notice. We can’t change what we don’t notice. I think many times people overlook the importance of this first step. We often rush in to change things without pausing to notice what’s causing the problem.
This has happened with me in the past regarding my packing drudgery. I’ve tried picking my clothes out a week ahead so I have time to think about it and make sure that’s what I want to take. I’ve tried having my suitcase completely packed and zipped up a day ahead so I’m not stressing out at the last minute.
Guess what…these didn’t work. I would still be awake in the middle of the night before I left debating if I should be taking the orange sweater or the black one. What’s wrong with me? Why does packing seem so easy for other people?
Making The Shift
Now that I could see where the problem was coming from, my own mind, I could figure out how to shift out the drudgery.
First, I used the 2-3 Method to ground myself in that moment; I pause and notice my 2 feet on the ground and take 3 deep belly breaths, in through nose and out through my mouth.
Next, I watch my thoughts float thru my mind and just notice what they’re saying. Then I grab one to investigate…
What if it rains?
I pack an umbrella. Problem solved, right? Nope…my mind doesn’t stop there…
Then I realize that I’m listening to my mind create a story that sounds a lot like the children’s book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff.
If it rains I’ll need an umbrella. If I need an umbrella because it’s raining then my shoes will get wet. If my shoes are going to be wet then I need to choose different shoes. If I choose different shoes then I need to choose a different dress. If I choose a different dress I need to choose different jewelry.
This goes on and on for every possible scenario; too hot, not the right color, not dressy or casual enough…
No wonder I’m completely exhausted. I’m trying to plan for an infinite number of scenarios and combination of scenarios.
Enjoy The Ride
I laughed out loud! My mind is a children’s book. I named my story, If You Give a Monkey Mind a Thought. What fun is that?!
Now that I could see what my mind was up to, I could begin to enjoy the ride a bit more…
I can’t say that my packing went from misery to pure joy but it was certainly a lot less stressful and quicker. I also didn’t try to cram my whole closet into my suitcase in preparation for all the “what ifs” because now I could see that they were just a story in my head...
If You Give a Monkey Mind a Thought
TRY THIS
Next time you’re feeling stressed (especially if it’s something that happens repeatedly):
Pause
Do the 2-3 Method: Feel your 2 feet on the ground. Take 3 deep belly breaths in thru your nose and out thru your mouth.
Notice - What’s going on? What’s causing the stress?
Name it
You don’t even have to solve the problem right now. Noticing and naming are huge!
Many times that’s all that’s needed. The stress will begin to unravel on its own just by following these steps each time you feel that same stress come up again.
Try it out and let me know what kinds of fun names you come up for the thoughts swirling around in your head.
