Today on the show we talk about acceptance - of each other, the moment we’re in, the challenges we face and how to embrace change to make us more resilient. 

This episode is a cornerstone of all the work we do at monkey minds and truly helps us be at our best when we remember to accept instead of avoid. That doesn’t mean this work is easy or that finding the ability to accept is all that’s needed. Its a complicated process and we know you’ll benefit from not only hearing about how we approach and handle it but also how it can make your day that much better. 

Bryan and Jeff tackle some of the other emotions and explain the "color wheel" theory of emotion understanding. We delve into why understanding your emotions is so important so that we can understand what our fantastic brains are trying to tell us. The emphasis remains, use your emotion, don't be used by it. 

We invite two guests into the studio for a special look into how we use mindfulness everyday to grow our skills and tap into our Monkey Mind. We break down the acronym GAME (Game, Activity, Mindfulness, Excited) to highlight different ways every day can be mindful and meaningful. Tune in to hear some suggestions on how to bring mindfulness into your home and hear some of our favorites that make focusing our Monkey Minds extra special.  

Bryan and Jeff get emotional. We break down why emotions are important, where they come from, why we have them and then...what to do with them. All of our emotions are helpful and can make our ability to respond to stressful moments stronger, if we can help our Monkey Mind to listen. From identifying our Emotion Mind to the steps of the RAIN skill, this episode covers a huge amount of current research and ways to talk about your emotions in a healthy, productive way that helps you understand how to use your emotion and not be used by them.  

Bryan and Jeff talk about being response-able, being able to choose your response to a moment by using the STOP skill. No skill is easy to use when you're stressed and practicing with STOP is essential. The guys offer thoughts on how to practice across your day and how to make STOP a part of every day to support your Monkey Mind.  

Bryan and Jeff dive into the PLEASE skills. Getting your day started and off on the right foot is one of the hardest things we all have to do. The PLEASE skills offer a structure that allows you to plan ahead, be proactive, and get ready for the day so that your monkey mind can be as focused on the present moment as it can be. 

Our first Episode! Jeff and Bryan talk about why they chose the name "Monkey Minds". We cover why our name is also the most important part of what we do, how to make this part of your everyday life, and introduce you to game ideas to make improving your monkey mind fun and possible!