Anxious? Here's How Meditation Can Help And How To Do It

Anxiety is more common than most people think. It’s the number one mental health condition across the globe, affecting millions of people. 

Because anxiety is so common and impacts so many people, it makes sense that there are multiple treatment options. Thankfully, anxiety is often easy to manage with the right treatment techniques. 

Therapy is one of the best ways to get to the root cause of anxiety and treat it effectively. However, finding ways to cope with it at home between sessions can also make it easier to manage your symptoms and move forward. 

Meditation is one of the best ways to do that on your own. 

If you’re anxious, meditation is a great way to manage your symptoms and bring your anxiety down quickly. However, meditation has been stereotyped for so long that you might not know how to do it. Let’s take a closer look at why it’s effective and how you can make the most of the practice. 

Why Is Meditation Helpful for Anxiety?

Meditation isn’t some kind of sleep state. In fact, it’s just the opposite. 

While meditating, you’re fully present in the moment. One of the ways anxiety feeds on your fear is by forcing you to think about the past or causing you to worry about the “what ifs” of the future. 

When you meditate, you stay in the here and now in a deep state of relaxation. 

Anxiety can also make your thoughts feel jumbled and random. It can be difficult to pin down one concrete thought when all of them are racing so rapidly. As you meditate, you’ll find it easier to calm those thoughts and stay focused on one thing. That can help to eliminate many of the “what ifs” in the moment and make it easier to see the reality of any given situation. 

Mindfulness-Based Meditation

In more recent years, people have started to turn to mindfulness as an effective way to combat anxiety. When combining it with meditation, you’ll see even greater benefits. Practicing mindfulness means practicing awareness. 

By putting the two together, you’ll not only stay in the present, but you’ll also become more in tune with your thoughts and your body, and it will be easier to fight back against negative thoughts or fears threatening to take control. 

How to Meditate Effectively

Again, many people don’t see meditation as a viable option because it’s been stereotyped so many times over the years.
However, you don’t need to give in to those stereotypes to utilize meditation the right way. 

Don’t get caught up in thinking you need to perform some kind of chant or sit in a specific position. Instead, meditation is about finding a quiet space to clear your mind and relax your thoughts. Your goal should be to reduce the stress that’s causing your anxiety. 

Give yourself some time specifically for your meditation practice. The last thing you want is to feel rushed through it. When you’re meditating specifically for anxiety, close your eyes and become aware of your breathing. Acknowledge any thoughts that enter your mind, but let them pass by rather than trying to hold onto them. 

Be aware of your body’s natural movements and responses. Pay attention to how you feel with every passing second. 

When you’re so focused on that feeling, as well as your breathing, it’s harder for your anxious thoughts to find their footing, so they won’t linger and become so jumbled in your mind. 

Meditation takes practice. Sitting in silence and focusing on your breathing is a good place to start, but it can even take time to feel comfortable with that. Keep trying, and don’t pressure yourself into meditating the “right” way. 

If you want to learn more about meditation or you’re interested in talking to a mental health professional to get to the bottom of your anxiety, don’t hesitate to contact me. Anxiety hypnotherapy can be a great way to get this under control.