Part 2 | How to Quiet the Monkey Mind
Part 1 Recap
In Part 1, we explored the Default Mode Network (DMN), a brain network involved in self-referential thinking (Raichle et al., 2001).
The DMN helps construct our sense of self and allows us to mentally time-travel, reflecting on the past and/or imagining the future (Goleman & Davidson, 2018).
When we are not focused on a task, this network becomes active, and the mind tends to wander. Often, these thoughts revolve around ourselves and our experiences.
Quite often, this wandering mind is where negative thought patterns arise, worries about the future, regrets about the past, or self-evaluative thinking.
When these thoughts accumulate, they can feel as though they are spiralling out of control, a phenomenon known as rumination (Vago & Zeidan, 2016).
But there is good news is...
We are not powerless against these thought patterns. With practise, we can learn to recognise when the mind has wandered and gently guide it back.
The Practice
Research suggests that a consistent meditation practise can reduce DMN activity (Garrison et al., 2015), which may be the reason why meditation reduces ruminating thoughts and behaviours and increases positive states of mind (Jain et al., 2007).
How does a meditation practice reduce rumination?
1. Notice When the Mind Has Wandered
The first step is noticing.
Noticing our own thoughts, emotions, and mental states is called meta-awareness.
Most of the time, in our daily lives, we are not aware that our mind has wandered until we are already caught in a stream of thoughts.
Practising the ability to consciously recognise when the mind has wandered and bringing it back to the present-moment is the essence of a meditation practice.
This moment of recognition is powerful. It allows us to respond rather than automatically follow the thought and get caught in the negative thought spiral.
2. Changing Our Relationship to Thoughts
Taking a mindfulness approach, rather than trying to change the content of the thought, mindfulness encourages acceptance, non-judgement, and decentring from the thought (Sverre et al., 2023).
For example, instead of thinking:
“I am anxious.”
We begin to observe:
“Anxiety is present.”
This small shift helps create distance between ourselves and the thought.
Thoughts and emotions are seen as temporary mental events, rather than fixed truths about who we are. Eventually, thoughts become less sticky.
3. Anchoring Attention in the Present Moment
Once we recognise that the mind has wandered, we can gently bring our attention back to the present moment. The aim is to sustain our attention on the anchor, practising attentional control.
Many contemplative traditions use anchors for attention, such as:
• the breath
• sensations in the body
• sounds in the environment
• the visual beauty of the world around us
These anchors help ground attention in direct sensory experience, rather than in mental narratives about the past or future.
Training the Mind
Negative thoughts may not disappear completely, but research suggests they become less frequent, and they tend to pass more quickly and with less emotional intensity (Wei et al., 2025).
Over time, this reduces the tendency for thoughts to spiral (rumination), allowing individuals to disengage from unhelpful patterns of thinking.
Final thought
The mind will always generate thoughts. That is simply what minds do.
But with awareness and practice, we can learn not to be carried away by every thought that arises.
And in doing so, the monkey mind begins to quieten.
Hope this was helpful!
Sophia
References
Garrison, K. A., Zeffiro, T. A., Scheinost, D., Constable, R. T., & Brewer, J. A. (2015). Meditation leads to reduced default mode network activity beyond an active task. Cognitive, Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience, 15(3), 712–720. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13415-015-0358-3
Goleman, D., & Davidson, R. J. (2018). Altered traits: Science reveals, how meditation changes your mind, brain, and body (First trade paperback edition). Avery, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.
Jain, S., Shapiro, S. L., Swanick, S., Roesch, S. C., Mills, P. J., Bell, I., & Schwartz, G. E. R. (2007). A randomized controlled trial of mindfulness meditation versus relaxation training: Effects on distress, positive states of mind, rumination, and distraction. Annals of Behavioral Medicine: A Publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, 33(1), 11–21. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15324796abm3301_2
Raichle, M. E., MacLeod, A. M., Snyder, A. Z., Powers, W. J., Gusnard, D. A., & Shulman, G. L. (2001). A default mode of brain function. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 98(2), 676–682. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.98.2.676
Sverre, K. T., Nissen, E. R., Farver-Vestergaard, I., Johannsen, M., & Zachariae, R. (2023). Comparing the efficacy of mindfulness-based therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy for depression in head-to-head randomized controlled trials: A systematic review and meta-analysis of equivalence. Clinical Psychology Review, 100, 102234. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2022.102234
Vago, D. R., & Zeidan, F. (2016). The brain on silent: Mind wandering, mindful awareness, and states of mental tranquility. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1373(1), 96–113. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.13171
Wei, S., Qin, W., Yu, Z., Cao, Y., & Li, P. (2025). The effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on rumination and related psychological indicators: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Psychology, 13(1), 968. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-03348-x
