- Do you find it difficult to shut off the constant chatter of the mind when you need to focus, meditate, read, or study?
- Is it difficult to shut off your mind when you need to rest or sleep?
- Do you find lack of concentration and distracting thoughts overwhelming when you try to concentrate, meditate, or follow any personal growth or spiritual growth technique?
Someone has recently asked me the following question:
“I was just wondering if it was common for people to get “worse” before they get better.”
“I’ve been doing so much reading and have started meditating and doing affirmations. I feel that I have been having a harder time shutting my mind off and almost feel a bit overwhelmed.”
“Is this a normal part of the process? And when can I expect things to improve?”
When starting practicing meditation, affirmations or other inner growth methods, people sometimes seem to experience more acutely their lack of control over their mind.
They feel more strongly about the lack of concentration and are unable to shut the mind off.
This is quite common; you should be patient and strong enough not to give up.
Why The Mind Does not Want to Shut Down
Why does this happen?
- You are trying to change deep-rooted habits, but this evokes inner resistance.
- You are trying to change your thinking patterns but the mind does not accept this change.
- The mind does not want you to calm itself down, nor shut itself off.
- Both the body and the mind refuse to calm down, and this creates resistance and difficulties in shutting off the nonstop thinking of the mind.
When on the path of spiritual growth or self-improvement, people become more sensitive and aware of distractions and obstacles, which tend to stand out more clearly and might even grow out of proportion. This makes one feel that things are getting worse.
When your focus is not strong enough, any attempt to focus the mind awakens inner resistance.
External distractions and obstacles do not disappear overnight just because you are on the path of inner growth. On the contrary, you often become more sensitive and aware of them.
This, of course, makes shutting the mind off more difficult and makes you feel you are not making any progress.
Ordinarily, most people are unaware of the endless stream of thoughts passing through the mind.
It is only when trying to concentrate or meditate that you become aware of the many thoughts passing through your mind.
At these times, you also become aware of how weak your focus is and how it is almost impossible to shut down the chatter of the mind.
Benefits of Shutting Off the Mind
The remedy and solution are to stay patient, show more self-discipline and resolve, and continue meditating, affirming or visualizing.
In time, you will become less aware and less disturbed by external distractions and your mind’s resistance.
Shutting off the mind is a skill you can gain, but this requires some inner work on your part.
Shutting off the mind means calming down the nonstop chatter of your mind. It does not mean becoming unconscious or sleeping.
When you develop this ability, you expand your awareness and can see life in a broader sense. Your intuition and mind become sharper, and it becomes easier to shake off worries and fears.
Constant thinking throughout the day wastes a lot of energy and time on unimportant matters, distracts your attention, weakens your focus, and increases the possibility of making mistakes.
Learning to shut off the mind protects you from all this and brings calmness, composure, self-control, and mental mastery into your life.
Remember, shutting off your mind does not weaken it; on the contrary, it strengthens it and makes it a better tool.
