I lost a battle...

This morning I lost a battle with my mind and it's attachments.

It's very frustrating, because the same thing happened just the day before. I felt then, that I wouldn't repeat the same mistake... and here I was repeating it again this morning!

One thing I've noticed is that when I first wake up, i'm at my most vulnerable mentally. I'm more easily to get frustrated, bothered, attached, desire driven. It's at these moments I need to prepare.

Ananda Online's class: Inner Peace has the advice of saying an affirmation out loud and mentally before going to bed and upon arising. That would help I'm sure. I think another thing I could do is get active once I open my eyes.

Ananda's class (Inner Peace) has several other techniques. The following is taken from the course material of the online class: Inner Peace from Ananda Online:
Techniques That Work
- When you first feel a strong emotion coming on, catch it, and divert the energy before
it takes hold of you and is impossible to shake. Reasoning doesn’t work. Reason follows
feeling, and your feeling has already turned into agitated emotion.
- Do not make decisions or even try to talk things out when you’re upset. It’s too easy to
say something regrettable. Wait until the intensity has passed, and then come back to it.
- Get calm and centered in yourself. Do some deep breathing.
- Begin tensing and relaxing your body. Energetically breathe in when you tense, breathe
out as you relax. When inhaling visualize light coming into you, and on the out-breath
expel all darkness and negativity. Do this 4-6 times.
- Leave the situation and take a walk or do something active.
- Visualize your emotion lifting upward within yourself from the heart chakra to the
spiritual eye. Clean and purify your heart, cutting off all attachments.
- Focus your gaze at the spiritual eye, and at the same time watch your breath going in
and out. Let your mind go blank for a moment, and feel that state of perfect quietude.
Now allow only positive and peaceful thoughts to enter your mind. Think of a happy
memory, a joyful experience or something you are glad about.
- For long-term solutions, avoid emotional people as much as possible. Mix with people
who are calm, uplifted, joyful, and centered. If you have to be around negative or
emotional people start being strong in your center. Be the dominant calm, peaceful
energy that can’t be swayed by their reactions. As you change you will find that others
around you change.
- Get out of self-involvement through service. Volunteer somewhere, help a friend,
phone someone who is lonely.
- Watch what you eat. Certain foods heat up the nervous system and cause negative
emotions.
- Get plenty of exercise. Exercise can ward off depression and sometimes even cure it.
Getting enough exercise helps to calm, balance, and even eliminate negative emotions.
- Sing, listen to uplifting soothing music (not rock and roll, rap or heavy metal.)
- Find and develop an uplifting hobby to channel your creative energy. Work with plants
and animals. Limit the amount of television and movies you watch. What may seem
stimulating at first quickly becomes enervating.
- Train yourself to think positively. Don’t accept negatives thoughts when they enter
your mind. Learn to speak with positive words and inflections.
- Live from your heart. Visualize your heart opening, letting go of all fear and negativity.
The more you live from your heart, the more the world will respond positively to you.
- Don’t have expectations. Give up thinking that people and the world should respond to
you the way you want. Be realistic and get yourself into perspective.