Are you always worried, nervous or uneasy because of past or future events? If yes, chances are you can be struggling with anxiety. There are some circumstances that someone gets anxious. Meanwhile, being anxious is not a malady but a normal apprehension that is associated with future concerns. However, if worry dominates your mental state and actions, it’s anxiety.
Some individuals’ anxiety is overwhelming and unpredictable, which can take through panic attacks or tidal wave reactions. Anxiety can negatively affect our relationships, career, and social life. Fortunately, meditation can help with your anxiety.
What does science say?
Based on the MBSR or Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn during the 70s at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, tens of thousands of individuals completed the 8-week MBSR workshop. Besides lowering stress, the research found that MBSR also has physical and mental health benefits, including better depression, chronic pain, and anxiety management. It is evidence that meditation is beneficial in fighting depression.
Practicing meditation for anxiety
Mindfulness allows you to be more aware of your current mental and physical states. It can help to reduce fatigue and stress. Meditation can help those who are suffering from insomnia and chronic anxiety.
The first step in managing anxiety is to understand it. Then, you can determine the triggering thoughts through meditation and work in various ways with these mental patterns. Anxiety is a cognitive state which is associated with the inability to regulate emotions. According to research, consistent meditation practice can reprogram the brain’s neural pathways. With that, it can enhance the ability to control emotions.
How does it work?
Meditation is a great help for anxiety, also by using Biofeedback. Mindfulness-based therapy is highly recommended. You can have a quiet time to deeply breathe and oxygenate the system to bring a relaxation response.
According to the American Institute of stress, abdominal breathing of about 20 to 30 minutes daily can offer benefits. Thus, deep breathing can boost the oxygen supply to your brain and stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system that promotes calmness. In addition, breathing techniques can make you feel connected with your body and quiets your mind.
Meditations you can try for anxiety
The following are various meditations you can practice for anxiety. With these meditations, you can be less worried and feel more relaxed and calmer.
Managing anxiety course
You can cultivate a new view of fear.
Re-framing anxiety workout
In this type of meditation, you can seek a place of stillness by releasing tension slowly, one muscle at a time.
Bring yourself back video
You can practice this exercise to make more mental space from worrying about the things that don’t happen yet.
Worry advice
What can you do if anxiety arises in meditation?
Deep breaths workout
It is a restorative class having extra attention on the breath. It is beneficial for getting you back to a more centered and calm mind.
Mental chatter nighttime SOS
It allows you to make space for the mind to rest gently with this nighttime meditation.
Awake worrying nighttime SOS
You can ease your mind through the practice of loving-kindness technique on yourself and your loved ones.
Keep in mind that meditation is not a fast-fix strategy for anxiety but a long-term approach. Suppose you have an anxiety order or severe anxiety. In that case, you can speak to a health care specialist to discuss options and determine how meditation can be a component of the overall treatment program.
Now that you have learned how meditation helps anxiety let us know about the different types of anxiety.
Types of anxiety disorders
Anxiety disorder is a condition with general excessive fear and anxiety or worrying that can have negative emotional and behavioral consequences. The following are the types of anxiety disorders.
Generalized anxiety
Being worried about the things in daily life.
Separation anxiety
Fear of separation from a loved one or home.
Social anxiety
It involves worrying about being negatively evaluated in social situations.
Obsessive compulsive disorder
A compulsion or obsession with repeating specific rituals or behaviors.
Panic disorder
It involves panic attacks that occur without warning in any number of situations.
Types of meditation
There are many types of meditation you can practice to relieve anxiety.
Guided meditation
It is also called visualization or guided imagery. Here, you can form mental images of situations or places you find relaxing. You can use as many senses as possible like sight, smell, texture, and sound. You will be led by a teacher or a guide in this process.
Mindfulness meditation
It is based on attaining high acceptance and awareness of living in the present moment.
Mantra meditation
You will quietly repeat a calming thought, word, or phrase to avoid distracting thoughts.
Yoga
You can perform controlled breathing exercises and a series of postures for promoting a calmer mind and more flexible body. This meditation requires concentration and balance.
Transcendental meditation
It is a natural and simple technique. You can repeat an assigned mantra like a sound, word, or phrase in a specific manner.
Tai chi
It is a gentle form of Chinese martial arts. You can make a series of movements or postures in a graceful, slow way as you practice deep breathing.
Qi gong
Qi gong is a combination of relaxation, meditation, breathing exercises, and physical movement to maintain and restore balance. It is also part of Chinese traditional medicine.
Other benefits of meditation
Aside from relieving anxiety, meditation has many benefits to your health. These benefits include the following.
- Allows you to focus on the present
- Development of skills for stress management
- Improving self-awareness
- Reduces negative emotions
- Enhances tolerance and patience
- Improves tolerance and patience
- Get a new perspective on stressful situations
- It also helps to relieve tension headaches and sleep problems
- Meditation can also manage various conditions like high blood pressure, asthma, chronic pain, heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, and more.
Conclusion
To sum it up, meditation has many benefits for an individual. Aside from relieving anxiety, it can also reduce stress and offer health benefits. By practicing meditation, you can reduce your anxiety levels and attain peace of mind.
