Why You Need a Schedule During Monk Mode

It can be difficult to determine what you should be doing throughout any given period of time and doubly true during a period of monk mode.

Many guys who go on monk mode find it difficult to structure their days in a productive and pragmatic way.

This article is going to be a brief breakdown into how to structure your period of monk mode so that you can squeeze as much juice out of this time period as possible.

If this is your first time hearing about monk mode or you’re new to it entirely, read the Complete (and Expansive) Guide to Monk Mode first.

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Why is a schedule important for Monk Mode?

If there was one word to describe monk mode it would be: disciplined.

It’s not one of those challenges you do to say “hEy GuYs, I’m On MoNk MoDe”.

It’s actually a way of life you undertake temporarily or build parts of it into your overall lifestyle in order to increase your productivity and/or increase your awareness.

Without a structured set of rules, monk mode will be one of those challenges that will either:

1. Become something you drop all-together at the first opportunity
2. Mess up your daily routines if it’s not structured

It’s something that requires a level of care and seriousness if you want to get the most out of this way of life.

Because think about it…how much of your life is already unstructured?

Monk mode is the anthesis of this way of living.

But before we get into the schedule aspect, let’s hit upon some permitted and non-permitted activities during monk mode.

Engage In and Refrain From

Since monk mode is really a way to boost productivity and to manage your mind, then it makes sense that it has to follow a clear-cut, intentional way of living.

This means only engaging in or outright banning several activities and modes of being. Depending on how deep you are going into monk mode, this will vary.

Engage In

Meditation/Contemplation/Mindfulness

Meditation and contemplation is a large cornerstone of monk mode.

In fact, that is what a majority of your free time should be structured around.

What is the benefit of this?

When you meditate for long periods of time, you access states of awareness that are inaccessible to you at most times. This can start the path to self-improvement, even long after monk mode has ended.

Monk Mode Suggestion: Build up your ability to meditate. Start with 5 minute sits multiple times a day. Bump it up to 10 minutes. Soon, you will be doing hour long sessions and that’s where the really good stuff is.

Reading Books

Reading books is one of the best ways to increase your knowledge base. There’s so much to learn about.

In addition, reading strengthens your mind because it forces you to strengthen and use multiple parts of your mind (memory recall, visualization).

Monk Mode Suggestion: Reading should be your primary form of “entertainment” during this period, mainly because it’s a low stimulation activity. If you find yourself “bored”, go pick up a book.

Purposeful Isolation

A big part of monk mode is purposeful isolation from other people.

This is because monk mode is intended to sharpen your productivity and awareness about how well you are able to manage your mind with as little outside interference as possible.

There’s a time and a place for socializing, but monk mode is not it.

Monk Mode Suggestion: Most of us have obligations to coworkers, family members, and so on. These are non-negotiable. Engage in dialogue with people as much as possible to get whatever task done. You should not go out and seek socializing. Tell your family members you are doing this monk mode protocol as well, so they can understand what’s going on.

Refrain From

Social Media and Mindless Internet Use (with a BIG caveat)

Social media is a tricky one because it’s something that has become so integrated into our lives and mode of being. For some, it is literally their livelihood, while for others it is their main way of stay in touch with people.

However, there is a danger to social media because it is a massive time waster. Monk mode attempts to remove the influence

Monk Mode Suggestion: Only use social media for business and to check in with friends and family if necessary. Other than that, no social media use. You should not be using the Internet recreationally during this time.

Sexual Activity

Sex and/or self-pleasure is a big no-no during monk mode.

Anything that brings high pleasure in the short-term is looked at with scrutiny during monk mode. Sexuality is one of those things.

Most human beings have varying levels of compulsive behavior (or excessive repression) around sex and use it as a bandaid for dealing with other issues.

During monk mode, this bandaid won’t be accessible, so you’ll need to face your problems head on.

Monk Mode Suggestion: During monk mode, the ideal is to be celibate. However, many people are in a relationship with someone else who has their own sexual desires and needs. Again, this is where communication comes into play — you need to communicate with your partner that you are doing this. It will be up to you both to decide what will happen in this area during monk mode.

Alcohol and Other Drugs

Intoxicants are another way for someone to avoid the present moment. They are an instant state change. Someone can avoid their problems for a few hours and continue down a path of endless escapism.

It should go without saying that “getting high” is not permitted during this time.

Monk Mode Suggestion: During monk mode, you shouldn’t even be in an environment where alcohol or drugs have the ability to be present (like house parties or bars) because you are avoiding social interactions for the most part. If you have alcohol and/or drugs, get rid of them. You can bring them back after your period of monk mode is finished.

My Past Monk Mode Schedule

So what does a sample monk mode schedule look like?

I institute periods of monk mode (no more than 30 days now) but when I did this for a 3-month period, here’s how it looked for me during a normal weekday:

6AM — Wake

I got out of bed immediately on most days. No lingering around.

6:15AM — Make Tea and Stretch

I stretch upon waking and wait for herbal tea to boil.

6:30AM — Meditation/Prayer

I meditated and engaged in silence for anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes. This was my first meditation of the day.

7AM — Journaling/Goal Review/Goal Setting

Journaling has been a habit of mine for almost 20 years of my life. I would usually journal in the morning about my thoughts for the upcoming day. I would also take the opportunity to set and review goals.

9:30AM – Class

I was a student during this time and I lived off campus during this period of monk mode. My first class was usually at 9am, so I would drive to it.

12:45PM — Gym

This was also my first year in fitness and I was focused on gaining muscle and improving my overall performance. I had a 5 day/week gym habit and I virtually never missed.

1:45PM — Lunch

Lunch would be a high protein, low fat, and moderate carb lunch from the school dining hall. I would purposefully avoid any sugary, salty, and oily foods. I would eat alone.

2:30PM — Classes

There would be more classes during this period.

5:00PM — Study + Meditation Session

I would return home during this time and look over the day’s notes. Afterwards, I would meditate for another session.

6:30PM — Dinner

Another high protein meal, usually chicken/lean meet, quinoa, wild rice or another good carb source, and lots of mixed vegetables.

7:30PM — Skill Development

I was focused on developing skills that would help me after college. During this period, I was pretty interested in coding, so I studied that for an hour.

8:30PM — Prep For Bed + Another Meditation Session

Everything involved in prepping for bed (brushing teeth, stretching, journaling) was done and afterwards, I would close out the day with another meditation session.

10:00PM — Bedtime

This how it looked on the weekdays during school. On weekends during monk mode, I would meditate for long periods of time, exercise, take walks, and study skills.

Everything was purposed to help me be a more effective man in the world.

Conclusion + Wrapping Up

The monk mode schedule is pretty simple. Avoid things that offer high-stimulation but no long-term reward (AKA dopamine detox), build periods of silence into your life, and engage in activities that make you a better man and person.

To implement this, you’ll need high levels of conscientious, discipline, and of course — commitment.

What’s been your experience with a strict monk mode schedule? Let us know in the comments.