How to Manage Anxiety with Mindfulness
Anxiety and worry impact us all, especially during times of stress. However, for some, anxiety can be debilitating. Anxiety is one of the most common mental health issues impacting about 6-18% of people worldwide.
If you suffer from anxiety, you are aware that some of the most common symptoms are worry, agitation and nervousness. Anxiety can impact both mind body.
When we worry, our thoughts automatically take us into the past or the future. We may ruminate on past experiences or find ourselves worrying about the future. Although, planning for our future in it of itself is not wrong. However, when we stay stuck in the future or the past for prolonged periods, we can find ourselves in a state of depression or anxiety.
Mindfulness practice helps us bring about the complete opposite. The focus of mindfulness practice is on the present moment. It helps us to attune to our experiences even if they are difficult.
How can mindfulness reduce my anxiety?
Mindfulness is a mental state that allows us to be aware of our present live experiences. We approach mindfulness with a non-judgmental stance by practicing compassion, curiosity, acceptance of yourself, and the people around you. When we are in a state of mindfulness, it allows us to focus on the following areas.
· Sensations
· Thoughts
· Bodily states
· Our surroundings
· Emotions
For example, if you are experiencing a difficult emotion, being present helps you to be open and accept your emotions and thoughts without judgment. This allows you to identify and process your thoughts and emotions more naturally.
When confronted with anxiety, being aware of the present moment or practicing mindfulness allows you to access resources you may not have noticed when you are consumed with fear or worry. Although, mindfulness may not change your situation, it gives you the ability to change your response to your situation.
How can mindfulness calm my anxious feelings?
1. Mindfulness helps you sit with your difficult feelings. When we practice mindfulness, we learn to accept our feelings without judgment. This means that we neither analyze nor suppress them. It allows us to identify and acknowledge our worries, and difficult emotions from the past or present.
2. Mindfulness allows you to explore underlying causes of worry. By not allowing your thoughts to focus on the future or the past, you can gain insight into the cause of your current triggers.
3. Mindfulness helps create space around your anxiety. A natural shift takes place once you begin to identify the underlying causes of your anxiety. Practicing mindfulness keeps your anxiety from being all consuming.
If you suffer from worry and anxiety, you know that it’s not enough to simply be told to stop worrying. This can only cause further stress and frustration to build. The goal is to replace worry and anxiety.
Although the concept of mindfulness sounds simple, it takes intentionality to learn a new way of being present with yourself. Here are some key components to help you succeed in practicing mindfulness.
1. Breath is key-Learning to breath correctly is important. It’s important to learn to pay attention to the sound of your breath and be able to breath in and out slowly and deeply. Deep breathing also slows down your body’s stress response by calming your nervous system.
2. Awareness is essential-Anxiety often involves distraction and avoidance. However, practicing awareness allows us to be in the present moment. We’re able to connect to the sensations in our bodies, our thoughts, feelings, and our surroundings.
3. Acceptance-Acceptance is key to mindfulness. It is a no judgement zone. Practicing mindfulness means that you accept your experiences for what they are without labeling them. Not focusing on what things should or could be like.
How to incorporate mindfulness into your day to day?
Bringing your attention can be practice at any moment. Here is a quick grounding exercise you can use on the go.
IDENTIFY:
· 5 things you can see
· 4 things you can feel
· 3 things you can hear
· 2 things you can smell
· 1 thing you can touch
To conclude, remember that mindfulness is one of the many additional techniques to use to reduce anxiety and worry. If you are experiencing extreme anxiety don’t hesitate to reach out to us.