Anxiety is our body’s way of saying, “Hey, I’m experiencing too much stress all at once.” This happens to the best of us. But when that feeling of being “always on alert” becomes background noise that doesn’t go away, that’s when it’s time to seek help. Mindfulness developed through regular meditation has growing acceptance as a practice to help lessen the effect of anxiety on your life.

Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us. Leading expert Jon Kabat-Zinn describes it as “awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally,” adding: “in the service of self-understanding and wisdom.”

When you become aware of the present moment, you gain access to resources you may not have realized were with you all along—a stillness at your core. An awareness of what you need and don’t need in your life that’s with you all the time. You may not be able to change your situation, but mindfulness practice offers the space to change your response to your situation. By creating space between yourself and what you’re experiencing, your anxiety can soften.

If you get too used to stress always being there, it can gradually grow, creating a stress “habit” that is detrimental to your health and well-being. Consequently, when you get caught up in patterns of reactivity, you create more distress in your life. Therefore, it’s so important to clearly understand the difference between reacting with unawareness and responding with mindfulness.

In essence, practicing mindfulness is a process of learning to trust and stay with feelings of discomfort rather than trying to escape from or analyze them. This often leads to a remarkable shift in perspective; time and again your feelings will show you everything you need to know about them—and something you need to know for your own well-being.

To learn more about how a regular meditation practice can help you overcome anxiety, contact me. We can schedule a free phone consultation to explore how you might benefit from therapy. 

Source: Adapted from an article in Mindful Magazine