Have you tried, really tried, meditating for anxiety and some relief? You don’t have to be some guru in order to meditate. You don’t have to always do it perfectly. You don’t even have to do it the same way each time. The most important thing is that you meet yourself where you are at. You must show self-compassion. You must lead the meditation with that intent. You are giving to yourself so that you may be able to give better. You will notice a change in your awareness of self if you start with this in mind.
Can Meditation Reduce Anxiety?
Meditation CAN reduce anxiety, but how long does it take for it to be effective? The answer is as simple as it is complex: You must lose yourself in order to find yourself. When you lose yourself in the meditation, the anxiety and stress will be relieved. You will be completely present. You will be completely aware of what is happening right now rather than what you are stressing over.
What Is Meditation for Anxiety?
Meditation is about mindfulness NOT mind-FULL-ness. See image by The Happiness Project:
Starting in mindfulness or conscious awareness of something, you can begin by focusing on something specific. You can focus on what is around you, a preferred topic or thought or a mantra. The important part is that you stay present or aware of yourself in the moment. Meditation is a lifestyle, not just a momentary and fleeting escape from what worries you. It’s self care at its finest. Meditation is where you bring your imperfection and your mess and you sit down and admit, “I don’t know what I’m doing.” It is not for perfection. It is not for having it all together. It is for being human, in all your vulnerability. It’s admitting you don’t have all the answers. It’s admitting you aren’t always living your truth. It’s being welcomed into the stillness, into the moment or present state of being that you start to listen to answers. That anxiety or that stress is trying to pull you apart. The mindfulness and meditation you practice is about putting yourself together again, piece by piece. In the not knowing, you wait for the Knowing to show up. In the not being whatever you want to be, you wait for the Being to present itself. In the losses, you wait for the Lessons. Underneath the anxiety and stress is a lack of stillness. You can argue for any mental health diagnosis and all would still fit the bill for a lack of stillness. It’s not negating what doctors may be telling you to do, it’s simply another way that you can destress. It starts with breathing.
Breathe
Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. One hand should be on your chest and the other on your belly. When you breathe in, your belly should get bigger. And vice versa.[1] Breathe in the positive. Breathe out the negative. Breathe in the meditative state you wish to be in. Breathe out the state you are. Breathe in the mantra you’d like to say to yourself. Breathe out its opposite. Breathe in the relaxation. Breathe out the tension (for tension relief, a body scan meditation can be utilized where you release tension using breath for each part of the body doing a full body scan until relaxed.) It’s about centering yourself. Grounding yourself. You can do it with eyes open or closed. That part doesn’t matter. You choose. Anxiety and stress will start to subside the more you lose yourself in the meaning of the moment. No longer are you about what you are doing. You are about who you are being. Chose positive terms for that being: I am light. I am empowerment. I am prosperity. I am love. Breathe that in too. This is a safe space. Meditation is a safe space where you can admit your flaws and ask the universe for help overcoming them. You come with a question, you get an answer. This helps settle yourself down because anxiety and stress often lead us to impulsivity or rash decision making skills. It helps to relieve the stress so you can deal with the stressors. It helps subside the anxiety so you can get to the root cause. In the silence, things come up. That’s what makes meditation scary for many people. It’s much harder to approach than it looks. It asks for a willingness to take the mask off; some never do. The Mayo Clinic recommends it as well in the article Meditation: A Simple, Fast Way to Reduce Stress:[2] Medical conditions worsened by stress such as depression, headaches and anxiety can also be improved by meditation. The best part? Anyone can do it!
Follow a Guided Meditation
If you find yourself having a difficult time focusing, don’t punish yourself. Gently draw yourself back. If you are prone to losing focus of the moment or positive thoughts, try a guided meditation where all you need to do is listen to a soothing voice guide you through it. There are a ton of guided meditations online. Here’s one I recommend: If meditation had a slogan, this would probably be it: Sit, Breathe, Forget Your Woes, Call the Answer Up, Breathe, Sit. That would be the sections of meditation listed as those as the steps. You start by sitting somewhere. It can be anywhere. Pick a time of day to do this consistently (or at random, up to you). Be somewhere in some room you can focus. Breathe in and out your mantras. Forget what is ailing you or triggering you to have anxiety and stress. And call the answer. What happens when clarity overcomes us? Anxiety and stress no longer do. Why is this effective? Meditation has only been scientifically studied for a few decades but, according to The Washington Post on mindfulness meditation:[3]
How Often Should You Meditate for Anxiety?
Meditation can be done daily as a preventative practice or simply every time anxiety and stress occurs. Some people meditate while they’re in their rooms for as long as they like or throughout the day in bits such as when they are waiting in traffic, watching a sunset, preparing for a speech, etc. How often can you practice meditation? The truth is as often as you’d like.
Final Thoughts
Anxiety or stress doesn’t have to control or own you. You can start today by giving it to the meditation. If you find yourself with a wandering mind, give it time. With more practice in meditation, you will be able to feel it working for you. Your questions will be answered. Your happiness will be held onto. Your negative thoughts will diminish. All you have to do is show up. Show up to the meditation and it will change your life. Rather than acting on the anxiety or stress, you learn to listen to it. And that is the best lesson of all. You get what you give, and in this case, the more you give to the meditation (of your thoughts and worries), the more it will serve you. The best part? You can customize it to work for you. You pick when, you pick where, you pick how long and to what extent. You pick what thoughts to give it, you pick how much anxiety or stress to let it cleanse. Cleanse it will. Because in that silence, or guided meditation, is your safe space. And while you may not know what you are doing sometimes in life, here you have all the power. Good luck!
More About Meditation
The 5-minute Guide to Meditation: Anywhere, Anytime The Guided Morning Meditation for Beginners (That Will Change Your Day) Meditation Can Change Your Life: The Power of Mindfulness
Featured photo credit: Cristian Newman via unsplash.com
