Anxiety is one of the most common mental health issues in the world. However, it can be incredibly difficult to manage. In this post, we'll share some tips for managing your anxiety using mindfulness techniques that can help you learn to manage anxious thoughts and feelings so that you can live a more fulfilling life!
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a psychological process of bringing one's attention to experiences occurring in the present moment, which can be developed through meditation and other training.
According to Jon Kabat-Zinn (founder of Mindfulness-based stress reduction), mindfulness means "paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally."
Mindfulness involves paying attention to whatever it is you're experiencing at that moment. This can include feelings like bodily sensations or emotions; thoughts such as worries or plans; sights and sounds around you; smells that come in contact with your nose—literally anything that enters consciousness! It's important not to force yourself into paying more attention than feeling comfortable because forcing something usually results in tension rather than relaxation. Mindfulness is all about facing any experience you have as it is, without adding suffering to the experience by judging it, adding a story about it, trying to control it, or running away from it (easier said than done, I know!).
How Does Mindfulness Help with Anxiety?
Mindfulness is about becoming aware of your experiences, thoughts, and feelings, without judging them. It can help you take a step back from anxiety, making more space around it. That space allows you to recognize that the anxiety is normal and temporary; it’s okay for there to be moments of discomfort in life – everyone experiences this at different times.
It can also help you learn how to accept what is happening without struggling against it or trying to make things go away as quickly as possible (which often leads us into even more anxiety).
In fact, research has shown that mindfulness-based therapies can reduce both general levels of stress and symptoms associated with common mental health problems like depression and anxiety
Just a Few Minutes at a Time Can Help!
Practicing mindfulness regularly helps retrain your brain. Like any skill, it takes patience and repetition.
Fit it into your day whenever and wherever you can, even if it’s just 10 seconds of noticing your breath before you do a task
Practicing often, even if just for a few seconds, is more beneficial than sitting down once a week to meditate for an hour.
Keep up with it! Try this simple mindfulness exercise often throughout the day: pause whatever you're doing. Sit down if you aren't already, and take a deep, slow breath all the way down into your belly. Slowly let it out, and let your body sink into your seat. Try as best you can to let all of your muscles relax, and just focus on the feeling of your body softening. Then turn your attention back to what you were doing before the exercise.
Be aware of your breath
Being aware of your breath is one of the best mindfulness techniques to start with. You can do it anywhere, at any time. How we breathe affects our physiology, which sends messages to the brain that can either make us more anxious, or more relaxed. Anxiety affects our breathing- we tend to breathe fast and shallowly when stressed, tense, or anxious. Purposely adjusting our breathing can help ease the anxious mind.
Try this exercise: Take a deep, slow breath all the way down into your belly and slowly let is out through your mouth as if you are trying to fog up a window. The slower the exhale is, the better (as long as you are not feeling tense or struggling for air). Continue breathing this way, and practice just focusing all your attention on your torso expanding and contracting as you breathe. Your mind will naturally get distracted, and that’s ok! Just keep gently bringing your attention back to the slow-breathing sensations.
Be aware of your thoughts
When you have an anxious thought, it’s important to remember that thoughts are just thoughts. They don’t always have power over you! Watching thoughts and letting them go can be one of the most powerful mindfulness techniques for well-being.
It can be scary when we start experiencing uncomfortable emotions, especially if the feelings are new or intense. But these feelings aren't permanent—they will pass with time and practice. When faced with an unpleasant anxious thought, it's helpful to remember that thoughts don't have any power in themselves. When it comes to anxiety, these thoughts are just your brain’s way of trying to keep you safe. So instead of trying to fight your anxious thoughts or push them away (which often worsens anxiety), you can gently allow them to pass while focusing on something else like your breathing, or talking with someone who makes you feel safe and comforted.
Try this exercise:
Sit down, close your eyes, and just let your thoughts flow- do not attempt to stop them or make them change in any way. Imagine you are sitting in a movie theatre. See a blank screen in front of you and let yourself get comfortable in your seat. Each time a thought, image, or memory arises in your mind, see it appearing on the movie screen. If it’s a verbal thought (for example, “I need to remember to take the trash out later”), see the thought written on the screen as a subtitle, and then let it fade away. If the thought comes in the form of an image and/or memory, see it projected up on the screen visually, and let it fade away. If the image or memory comes with sounds, hear the sounds coming through the movie theatre speakers. Continue to watch these thoughts arise and fade on the movie screen, and don’t worry if you get distracted. Any time your mind strays away, gently come back to your seat in the movie theatre and start again.
Practice being kind and compassionate with yourself
If you’re like most of us, you might have parts of yourself that you don’t like. You might even have a strong inner critic. Being kind towards these parts can help take us out of the fight, flight, or freeze mode. Self-compassion helps settle the nervous system and reduce some of the extra layers of suffering that we add to the pain of our experiences.
A lot of people have a hard time practicing self-compassion, and if you’re one of those people, that’s ok. It takes time to undo years of conditioning. It’s worth continuing to practice self-compassion even if you’re struggling.
Kindness is an antidote for harsh self-critical thoughts about having anxiety in the first place—like “I shouldn't have this many panic attacks! Something must be wrong with me! Everyone will think I'm nuts." When we're kinder towards ourselves during times when our brains are acting up (which is inevitable) then those thoughts become less influential on how we see ourselves as individuals and ultimately how others see us as well.
Try this exercise:
let yourself reflect on something that has made you anxious recently (or if you’re feeling anxious right now, just notice that). Now try and see the part of yourself that is feeling this anxiety. Maybe it’s a younger version of you. Or maybe you can see the anxiety itself as a person (sometimes a parent or caretaker who was anxious who passed these tendencies on to you). Now notice that “you” are separate from this part, and try to extend some caring and compassion towards this part. See the pain that this part is in, and direct the following phrases towards it: “May you be free from suffering. I care about your pain and difficulty.” Repeat these phrases silently to yourself and practice developing this sense of care towards this part of you. Notice how this feels different from feeling antagonistic towards this part of you.
Be Mindful of Anxiety Itself
Here are some tips:
Anxiety is not you! It is a passing phenomenon.
Practice letting go of the stories you tell yourself about the anxiety, and just allow it to be there without struggling or trying to make it go away.
If you find yourself struggling with your anxiety, try breaking it down into smaller pieces. Notice one aspect of the anxiety, such as a tight chest, upset stomach, tingling limbs, racing mind, etc, and try to just focus on this one part of your experience and tolerate it without trying to change it. Yes, it’s uncomfortable, but it won’t hurt you. Fighting it makes it worse.
Try to see anxiety as a friend who is just trying to help you. Practice letting it sit there next to you and just be.
Ask yourself, “If I can’t force anxiety to disappear, then who do I want to be in the face of this challenge?” For example, I want to be brave, kind, productive, joyous, etc. Focus on engaging with who you want to be rather than trying to fight the anxiety.
Take Action!
The first step to coping with anxiety is to be aware of it, and mindfulness can help you do that. Once you can recognize what’s causing your feelings, then you can take the next steps toward managing them. It may take time for mindfulness techniques to have an effect on your body and mind—but don’t give up! The important thing is that these techniques do work, especially in the long run. You can learn to thrive even in the face of anxiety!
Begin Online Anxiety Treatment in North Carolina
Practicing mindfulness is much easier said than done. Our team of caring therapists would be honored to support you in taking action to address and cope with anxiety. We are happy to offer support from our Asheville, NC-based practice and across North Carolina. To start your therapy journey, please follow these simple steps:
Meet with a caring therapist
Start addressing anxiety and being more mindful of your thoughts
Other Services Offered with Strive On Counseling
As Asheville therapists, we understand that every individual has a unique set of mental health needs. This is why we are happy to offer many forms of therapy in addition to anxiety treatment. More specifically, our services include individual counseling, anxiety treatment, EMDR trauma therapy, therapy for men’s issues, mindfulness, Buddhist counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy, teletherapy / online therapy. Some other resources we offer include guided meditations, supplements, a list of books and other useful resources, and online courses. If you would like more information about any of these services, please reach out today, and start doing therapy in North Carolina!