Meditation: One Approach to Taming Anxiety
The fast-paced, hectic world we live in is fraught with situations that can cause us to feel an unhealthy amount of stress. This stress sometimes develops into, or manifests itself as, worries and fears, leading to feelings of anxiety.
Have you fallen into this frustrating path? I have!!
If so, it's comforting to know that you can ease feelings of anxiety by understanding your worries and fears and taking action to get to the root of them. One of the techniques that I use myself and teach my clients is meditation.
Meditation is a basic self-help technique that can get you in better touch with yourself. It has also been shown to relieve stress, relax the body, and calm the mind. However, meditation is NOT a miracle cure and there are some people, especially those with a history of trauma or disassociation who should only try meditation with a trained professional. That being said, most often it is a useful technique to keep in your anxiety toolkit.
Getting to the Root of Your Anxiety
Anxiety is a scary thing because it's your body's reaction to a fearful situation, except anxiety can form when there's no perceived threat. You may even fall into a pattern where you're afraid of the fear itself, so you avoid situations that have brought out anxiety in the past.
However, you'll soon find that avoiding life does nothing to help you solve your challenges. You can enjoy much better results by figuring out the real causes of your feelings of anxiety. Working with a therapist, coach or other healer may help you understand these feelings. Another way to get to the root of your feelings is by practicing meditation.
Starting Out With Meditation
There are different ways you can approach a meditative practice. You can start by just picking a time every day when you can calmly be alone without distractions. Not that you can’t meditate with distractions but as you begin you will likely get less discouraged if you have a few moments of quiet. Begin your meditation by taking deep breaths and focusing only on each breath as it goes in and out.
On a particularly stressful day, you might have more difficulty focusing on your breath. The thoughts of whatever is stressing you may keep getting in the way. When this happens, acknowledge the thought and then go back to concentrating on your breath. Do NOT aim to have a certain experience, just allow whatever is present to be there. Trust that you can handle uncomfortable feelings.
As you pay attention your mind, begin purposefully taking notice of your thoughts. All you must do is notice them, label them and then return your attention to your breath again. If any thoughts make you uncomfortable or tense, relax your muscles and then focus on your breath again.
Try not to stress yourself out further by getting frustrated with the meditation process. As you continue to practice, it will get easier, and you may even find yourself looking forward to your mindfulness sessions.
Maintaining Your Practice
Meditating will help you become fully aware of the present moment. Remind yourself to spend a portion of every day in the present so you're not burdened by past and future stress. With regular practice, you'll be able to expand the amounts of time that you stay in the present.
By continuing to meditate on a consistent basis, you'll begin to notice your true self. You can discover a lot about your life by maintaining awareness of the present moment. You'll also notice the way your body reacts to stress and anxiety and can take measures to counteract it.
When Meditation Isn't Enough
Although meditating can go a long way toward easing your feelings of anxiety, sometimes meditation practice alone may not be your complete solution. In these situations, don't hesitate to ask for help. There are many treatment options that include other natural methods, counseling services, and lifestyle adjustments.
Be proactive about creating a life where you are able to tolerate any fears or worries, and start meditating today so you can look forward to a bright future!
If you would like to get some guidance around meditation, I want to invite you to check out my program called Be the Boss of Your Worry: A 30-Day Journey to Reclaim Peace of Mind. You can try out a sample meditation HERE.
About Jennifer Bronsnick, MSW, LCSW
Jennifer Bronsnick is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker & Anxiety Treatment Specialist. She supports women and teen girls who struggle with anxiety, self-doubt & perfectionism tap into their innate resilience, get to the root of their fears and implement custom healing strategies so that they can experience peace of mind, more self-confidence and be liberated from the suffering that living with anxiety causes. Jennifer uses a variety of treatment modalities including Human Design, Mindfulness-Based Therapy, Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis + Health Coaching, Energy Psychology tools, Heartmath and more! She believe that everyone's experience of anxiety is unique and the solution should be customized to the client’s needs and desires.