Stress and the monkey mind.

​Our mind can be a source of stress—especially when running in overdrive.

Left-brain activity or the part of your brain that thinks and analyzes can lead to monkey mind and chatter. That's when you find yourself thinking about one thing, but then immediately start thinking about something else, and before you know it, you've got a whole bunch of things going on in your head at once. It can feel like you're being pulled in a million different directions at once—and that's not exactly relaxing.

If this is happening to you, try these tips:

1) Focus on one thing at a time. When your mind starts to wander, refocus on the task by taking deep breaths or closing your eyes for a few seconds. This will help calm down your left brain so you can focus on the task at hand without distraction.

2) Take breaks throughout the day to do something that requires right-brain activity (like listening to music, drawing or a walk in nature). This will give your left brain time to recharge, so it won't have as much energy when it comes back later in the day.