Monkey Mind

I completed the CBT course for GAD and am doing quite well. Each time I begin to worry excessively I leave the worry to Worry Time. I am more able to problem solve and challenge my worrisome thoughts. Accepting uncertainty is slightly easier than it used to be but still a frightening thing - the not knowing! All in all it is going well.

However, since stopping all the constant worrying another problem which I had previously been aware of has been further highlited to me. I have terrible concentration and mental discipline! My mind is more peaceful (joy!) but I have found that, after of years of giving in to compulsions and thinking what my mind tells me I must, I have almost no concentration. Before I had the constant worries going over and over in mind like a tape playing over and over but when my mind is free of that such as at the moment I still have jumping thoughts and no discipline. My mind does still gravitate to worries, fears and often negativity. I manage to postpone the worrying but my mind is still jumping around with doubts etc.. How do I tame my "Monkey Mind" as it is called? The constant chattering. How do I learn to concentrate after years of not doing? Any tips please? I am using mindful awareness at the moment. I have recently been trying to think in practical terms and not to allow my mind to wonder too much i.e. focus on what I am doing right now. When this works I feel good. It enables me to concentrate on what I am doing while preventing the worrisome thoughts, fears and negative thinking etc..

I put rosemary in the lasagne...

Whenever I go on a strict diet I always loose my mind. I think the energy from the little food I do eat goes elsewhere and completely bypasses my brain. So low on energy I do silly things from the lack of concentration. I am cooking lasagne, something I have done countless times, and I have just put rosemary in it! It should be basil and oregano. It tastes good actually, but that's not the point. I've not had a good week this last week with starving myself stupid. I think I need to accept that my ass is bigger than I want it to be. It works for J-Lo but then I don't have her face. I have done very well at work this past year and have been rewarded for it. I don't want to jeoparise this by having no energy and consequently lack the concentration I need. Progression at work has done wonders for my self esteem over recent weeks. My new found concentration and less anxiety is largly down to eating correctly. I know that only a foolish airhead would wave that away for a smaller behind.

Let's go eat that lasagne.