How can we use meditation for anxiety? According to Oxford Dictionary anxiety is “a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome.”
Remember to always seek professional help if your anxiety is preventing you from carrying out daily basic activities.
First, we have to ask ourselves how anxiety is preventing us from living better lives. Most of us don’t realise how much anxiety we carry around with us and step one is becoming aware that it’s there so we can then remove it.
There are subtle ways in which anxiety dulls our daily lives. Here are a few examples:
Physically
Depending on the severity of anxiety it can manifest as physical symptoms such as fatigue and headaches, for example.
Healthline goes into more detail on the physical symptoms of anxiety and how we can figure out if we are experiencing anxiety or something else. If your body is taking the brunt of your anxiety then try some of these self-care ideas to feel more relaxed.
Social Isolation
When we’re anxious we tend to overthink and worry about what new people would think of us. Sometimes we even hold ourselves back from going out with friends because of the fear of being judged or rejected. This prevents us from making new connections and honing our social skills.
Negative Self-Talk
Another thing we’re over critical of when we experience anxiety is ourselves. We hold ourselves to unrealistic standards which leads to negative self-talk when we’re unable to live up to these standards.
It’s a cycle where we continually doubt our abilties and start developing a low self-esteem. If you’re feeling low at the moment then maybe it’s time to feel better by not trying at all, so give it a click for some relief.
Avoiding Situations
We tend to avoid situations that we feel may trigger us. So instead of working on reducing our anxiety we try to live in a bubble where there’s no anxiety-inducing factors.
Unfortunately, a life worth living will always have “difficult” situations. These situations help us grow as humans and grant us opportunities to achieve the impossible.
These are just a few examples of how anxiety can prevent us from living beautiful lives. Now that we know how much we’re being held back let’s discuss how meditation can help reduce this anxiety.
Meditation to Reduce Anxiety
Contrary to popular belief, not all types or methods of meditation are religious. In fact, the method I practice which I will discuss further below has nothing to do with religion. Therefore regardless of what you believe you can still practice meditation for a better life.
A study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research found that participants who practiced meditation showed significant reductions in symptoms of anxiety and depression. The study also found that meditation led to changes in brain activity associated with emotional regulation.
According to Very Well Mind “Meditation used in the treatment of anxiety disorders typically takes the form of mindfulness-based meditation. This type of meditation has its roots in the mindfulness movement started by Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of the mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) approach.” Both mindfulness and meditation are two different practices but can be joined to form one whole practice.
There are an abundance of other types of meditation that have anxiety-reducing benefits. I’ve dabbled in different forms of meditation since I was in my late teen years but I’ve never been able to be consistent.
Recently, however, I’ve been using the “Waking Up” app created by Sam Harris. This type of meditation also involves mindfulness and I found that since using it I’ve actually been keen to go back for more. Personally, I’d recommend it.
Of course, you do not “have” to use what I use. In fact, I encourage you to do more research and choose a meditation to practice based on a well-researched and informed decision.
My intention behind this blog post is to give you a little nudge towards the limitless opportunities that meditation can offer.
Life Without Anxiety
The truth is that life will always throw situations at us where our immediate reaction might be to worry incessantly about what could happen or go wrong. The difference is that with meditation we will be able to stop the irrational thoughts in their tracks.
Meditation can be practiced literally anywhere because, in my understanding, it’s a way of being. Once we are able to control our anxious thoughts we will prevent the anxious feelings from arising.
With reduced anxiety we will be able to:
- Say yes to more opportunities
- Make braver decisions
- Experience more meaningful connections
- Enjoy the present moment
- Have more focus and involvement in what we do
- Live in peace with who we are
- Make better choices due to a clear head
- Give more thought towards new projects and ideas
So please do try it my fellow readers. You may find that over time you’ll be a calmer, happier and more productive person.
Comment below your favourite type of meditation and don’t forget to join our community by signing up with email. Until next time, take care of yourself.
XOXO
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