How To Practice Mindfulness For Anxiety

After the pandemic, I noticed that it had brought me so much anxiety. More than ever, I was seriously struggling. Anxiety is so mentally exhausting and affects almost every aspect of my life as a mom, wife, friend, and businesswoman.

The feeling of dread, unexplainable fear, and uneasiness can be disruptive to my day, leading to restlessness and many other unpleasant side effects. It can evoke feelings of agitation, distress, and worry. It induces physical symptoms like dizziness, sweating, and muscle tension.

The bottom line: It’s distressing, upsetting, and totally exhausting. And the stats below make it even more so.

According to American Psychological Association (APA), anxiety is “an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes like increased blood pressure.” And, according to statistics, it is estimated that 264 million adults around the globe experience anxiety. (World Health Organization, 2017) and that an estimated 31% of all adults are said to experience an anxiety disorder at some point in their life. (Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 2020).

How To Practice Mindfulness For Anxiety

The start or increase of your risk of having anxiety may have begun as a result of lifestyle and possibly

environmental factors. For example, health condition, sleep issues, relationship problems, work or school troubles. or general unhappiness. The good thing is that anxiety symptoms can be relieved, and one of the ways to do this is by practicing mindfulness.

Since anxiety can take a toll on you both mentally and physically, it is important to know how to deal with it. According to Healthline, it’s about turning down the volume in your mind by coming back to the body. It can help you focus on the present moment and soften your reactivity.

Mindfulness involves practicing guided imagery, breathing methods and other relaxing practices, helping you relax your mind and body. To help alleviate your anxiety and staying in the present, explore these mindfulness practices that might help you.

Setting an intention.

It would be best to have something to remind you of your purpose, and setting an intention works best for

this. Yoga instructors encourage doing this before starting your day. When an important task gives you anxiety, remind yourself why you need to go through the process. If it’s a promotion interview, find it within yourself to focus on the main reason why you pursued it. 

An intention can be simple, it doesn’t have to be hard. It can be as little as “I will make it through this day without getting mad or yelling at anyone.” Don’t overcomplicate it because then you won’t use it or want to do it.

Doing guided meditation.

Doing meditation practices is one of my favorite mindfulness exercises. It helps in processing thoughts and emotions with more acceptance. It improves sleep, lessen feeling burnout, depression, and helps with high blood pressure and gives you more clarity and focus. As anxiety can make us feel like we’re losing control, meditating strengthens our mind and body connection. And you can try guided mindfulness meditation programs online like Youtube and some apps.

The guided meditations from Peloton really help me to remember to breathe, and I use them often. They help my head slow down and not worry as much as I usually do. They help get me through the roughest parts of the day, even when it feel impossible.

Going for a walk.

Whether it’s a short jaunt or a stroll in the park, going for a walk can really help you ground yourself. There’s

something about just being in the moment, without much of a care in the world, and being one with the outside world while you let your mind wander. 

My favorite kind of walk, when it’s cooler here in Arizona, is to take Louie and Romeo for a 20 minute walk around the neighborhood. It’s a win win because we get outside and get some exercise, and they get tired by the time we get home so they rest!

Opening your attention to the present moment.

You might have heard it said many times and in many ways that opening your attention and focusing on the present moment is the key to enjoying life. Paying attention is not easy nowadays with all the distractions around us. We are used to anticipating what will happen in the future, the worst case scenario, and thinking ahead to be ready when something happens.

Aside from being stuck in thinking about the future and events in the past also boggles your focus. When you get cornered with the what-ifs and maybes, you ultimately feel worn out and exhausted. So stay in the moment. Use mindfulness-based stress reduction by finding the perfect balance of cultivating a sense of presence and reflecting on the past and future. Make an effort to notice anxious thoughts and consider why you may be feeling that way.

Focus on your breathing.

Having negative thoughts affects your focus. To help yourself, focus on your breathing. Close your eyes,

take a deep breath, and settle on a comfortable sitting position. You can learn different techniques for this. Try deep and controlled breathing or shallow to be present. It works in relieving stress and frustrations.

I have had to work so hard on remembering and learning to breathe as I have a tendency to hold my breath when things get hard or overwhelming. I have found though, that when you breathe, it helps relax your body and ends up helping the tension and tough feelings go away. Breathing makes things easier and the more you can tune into doing it, the better off you will be.

Podcasts For Mindfulness

Mindfulness for Beginners

Mindfulness for Beginners is a great way to enter the world of mindfulness without becoming overwhelmed. The host understands that getting started can be daunting, and guides you through with expert help. It is a very spirituality motivated podcast, and will build a solid mindfulness foundation.

Daily Meditation Podcast

Set your life up with 30 minutes each morning. The Daily Meditation Podcast is full of amazing tips, tricks, and motivation to help you thrive. This podcast helps to guide you through self-reflection on topics like empathy, courage, and anxiety.  You can listen any time, but it is the BEST way to start your morning with simple mindfulness exercises.

Tara Bach

Learning how to listen to yourself and what you’re feeling can make a world of difference your life. The host of this podcast, Tara Bach, talks a lot about mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, human behaviour and emotion, and so much more. If mindfulness with a touch if science is your thing, this is the podcast for you.

Untangle

Untangle is a weekly meditation podcast to help you support your mental health. It is all about resetting your nervous system and using mindfulness exercises to lead a better life. On this podcast, listen to neurologists, psychologists, and more.

Our Mindful Nature (formerly The Mindful Minute)

Our Mindful Nature offers helpful and accessible mindfulness techniques in the form of fascinating episodes. It doesn’t take long to take time for your self, settle on in, and be mindful. I love that this podcast is all about taking time, even 5 minutes, to connect and ground yourself. So, if you’re a busy person, this is the podcast for you!

Ease your anxiety with these tips.

There are a number of mindfulness techniques that can help people anxious feelings and generalized anxiety disorder. Mindful breathing, body scan, and mindful of thoughts and feelings are only a few of the most popular techniques that help with stress and anxiety. While these techniques do take some practice to get used to, they can be very helpful in managing symptoms of anxiety on a daily basis. For people who suffer from generalized anxiety disorder, mindfulness can be an essential tool for helping to manage the condition. In conclusion, mindfulness is a valuable tool that can help reduce stress and anxiety levels in people of all ages in daily life.