Mindfulness for Anxiety
Mindfulness for Anxiety – Anxiety is a feeling that affects us all. Most of us will feel some level of anxiety every day. We are all different in our anxiety and what makes one person anxious, will not trouble another person. For some people, anxiety is something that they feel and manage, a natural and normal part of life, it feels more intense at times of stress but then dissipates as the circumstance recedes. For others, anxiety can be like a tsunami an overwhelming force that can take up all the space in their minds and sometimes their lives.
For some people anxiety can be so overwhelming that it is hard to separate from it, you can feel like it is not something that you are experiencing, but that you are the anxiety, and it will never go away. According to Mental Health UK Symptoms of anxiety can include.
- Racing thoughts
- Uncontrollable over-thinking
- Trouble concentrating
- Feelings of dread or panic
- Feeling Irritable
- Heightened alertness
- Trouble Sleeping
- Change in appetite
- Wanting to escape your situation or life
- Feeling as though you are not connected to yourself and what is happening around you
- Sweating
- Fast breathing
- Racing heartbeat
- Shaking
- Tiredness and lethargy
- Headaches and dizziness
- Nausea and sickness
I have at times experienced overwhelming anxiety, I have felt as though I might drown in how I feel. One of the things that has helped me deal with my anxiety is practicing mindfulness.
You might think that you have to meditate to really be mindful, but you can actually start anywhere. Here are some ideas:
- Mindfulness Exercise – when you are feeling like you are in an anxiety whirlpool try this out…. Become aware of your surroundings and the following things.
5 Things you can see. (your hands / the sky / flowers / the window / the lightshade)
4 Things you can physically feel (the floor beneath your feet / the chair beneath your hands / the feel of your jeans)
3 Things you can hear (cars outside / birds singing / a phone ringing)
2 Things you can smell (someone cooking dinner / perfume)
1 Thing you can taste (the mint or your gum / coffee /fresh air) - Pick an object that you have to hand and really study it. It might be a stone or a plant or an ornament, it doesn’t matter.
- Do an everyday activity but really pay attention to what you are doing. Perhaps the washing up or the ironing, focus on what you are doing and notice everything about the activity.
Pay attention to your body – You might want to try a body scan meditation. Headspace has a 3 minute body scan meditation that you can try here. Headspace Body Scan
You might be hoping that these exercises will quickly and permanently stop your anxiety. That may be the case, but in my experience anxiety can take a while to soothe, sometimes it can be minutes, sometimes hours, sometimes days and sometimes weeks. What I have found most important though is to continue to practice these mindfulness techniques and other habits that will disrupt and not feed my anxious mind. I have also come to accept that sometimes the anxiety will feel overwhelming for longer than I would like. Accepting this has been helpful as it is one less thing to be anxious about. The more that I have practiced ways of not feeding my anxiety and soothing my mind, the more proficient I have become and the easier it has been.
Other Blogs on managing Anxiety
If you would like to find out more about how I can help you and discuss your particular needs please Call me on 07843 813537. Please leave a message if I can’t answer your call and I’ll call you back as soon as possible. If you have any other questions or enquiries please call or send me a message by completing the online enquiry form.
