Meditation For Anxiety – What Are the Different Types of Meditation For Anxiety?
Meditation for anxiety can be an effective way to calm the mind and ease fearful feelings. Specifically, this type of meditation focuses on breathing techniques and mindfulness practices in order to prevent individuals from dwelling on worrying thoughts that can exacerbate stress levels.
Individuals also learn to accept difficult emotions and thoughts without being judgmental of them, helping to reduce anxiety levels and provide them with greater freedom.
Breathing Exercises
Breathing exercises are one of the best meditation techniques to combat anxiety. Simple and straightforward to implement anywhere comfortable sitting down, breathing exercises help regulate body functions while grounding you – particularly helpful when anxiety stems from fearing an uncertain future or being powerless over something that’s happened already. A recent study published in Stress and Anxiety revealed that just five minutes of mindful breathing reduced symptoms by increasing parasympathetic nervous system activity levels – making this one effective method.
This breathing exercise begins by matching how long it takes you to inhale and exhale, then gradually increasing their duration over time. For optimal results, sit in a comfortable position with closed eyes. Breathe in through your nose for five counts then out for five as you count out. With time, gradually build up to 10-count breaths.
Though you may feel slightly dizzy when first beginning this breathing exercise, take your time and practice frequently – eventually it could even last up to 20 minutes! Therapists commonly employ this breathing exercise with clients to manage anxiety.
Over time, your body will adjust to these longer cycles, making it easier for you to regulate your breathing when anxiety attacks strike and becoming an effective tool that you can rely on whenever needed to calm down.
Another key advantage of breathing exercises is their ability to strengthen focus. They train your mind to remain present in each present moment without getting distracted by worries over what could happen in the future or regrets about past choices you could have made differently.
Try this breathing exercise the next time you feel anxious. Notice the feelings of calm and contentment you experience as you complete this meditation. Once you master this breathing technique, incorporate it into your daily life to manage anxiety and stress more effectively.
Visualization
Visualization is a technique that uses your imagination to form images in your mind of things you wish for or can imagine happening, with the goal of increasing confidence and capabilities while relieving anxiety by envisioning positive outcomes. Visualization works by connecting the images you imagine to your subconscious – as this cannot distinguish between reality and fantasy, so will act upon any images regardless of whether they match reality.
Study participants who practiced guided meditation techniques with visualization reported significant decreases in anxiety compared to a control group, even by as much as 50%. Activity within regions like the anterior cingulate cortex, ventromedial prefrontal cortex and anterior insula has been linked with relief; these regions of the brain are responsible for executive function as well as managing worries effectively.
Visualization can be performed alone or with professional assistance; just make sure it takes place in a quiet place where you can focus on the image in front of you. Start by breathing deeply before visualizing a relaxing scene as vividly as possible in your mind, including sounds, smells and sights connected with what you envision – include sounds and smells as part of it if possible – until your mental image has taken form; continue breathing deeply as you enjoy this mental image!
Visualization can also help prepare you for an upcoming event or situation, for instance by visualizing yourself successfully delivering a speech or speaking to new people. Or you might imagine overcoming challenges or reaching goals, with emotions such as happiness, excitement or gratitude as part of your visualizations.
Meditation has shown some promise in treating anxiety disorders; however, current efforts have been limited. A Cochrane review of meditative therapies for anxiety found only two randomized controlled trials; therefore it would be prudent to conduct a comprehensive systematic review that included both relaxing and anxiety-specific meditation techniques.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness aims to raise awareness of what’s occurring in the present moment–feelings, physical sensations and thoughts–without resisting or trying to change what exists. Regular mindfulness practice has been found to reduce stress, anxiety and depression symptoms while improving quality of life for those dealing with these issues. One study demonstrated this fact – participants who completed an eight-week mindfulness program showed similar improvements as those treated with popular antianxiety medication escitalopram.
Mindfulness meditation requires consistent effort. You can do it on your own or with the assistance of trained mental health professionals, or as simply as focusing on breathing to bring the present moment closer. Anytime your thoughts start wandering off track simply come back to focusing on breathing again if thoughts start wandering off track. At first it may appear difficult but with practice and repetition it will become simpler over time and with regular practice.
Mindfulness meditation requires us to recognize that our thoughts and emotions don’t need to be “bad.” In fact, they may help us identify our fears and anxieties so we can deal with them effectively. Recognizing and acknowledging these feelings may cause them to intensify even further – this is perfectly fine; practicing will address underlying anxiety more efficiently.
When first beginning meditation, it’s recommended that beginners start off by finding a peaceful location and sitting comfortably. Next, close your eyes and focus on breathing through your nose; once this becomes second nature, expand upon that focus so as to include all aspects of body sensations; be patient with yourself during your experience and don’t judge yourself if concentration falters.
Add mindfulness into daily activities by being more present when engaging with others – this means setting down your phone and listening to who you’re speaking with, so as to develop deeper connections.
Relaxation
Relaxation meditation techniques are designed to help individuals relax both body and mind, from breathing exercises, visualization exercises, mindfulness practices and visualizations to breathing techniques and more. Many individuals find relaxing meditation effective for relieving anxiety symptoms.
Meditation techniques can be used both proactively to prevent anxiety, as well as reactively when symptoms of anxiety emerge. Alongside practicing relaxation meditation, people with anxiety should also consider adopting an holistic approach to their mental health care by consulting a therapist or using an online therapy platform.
Anxiety can often manifest itself through muscle tension. A popular relaxation meditation practice involves tensing and relaxing muscles throughout the day as a form of training for relaxation, which will enable people to recognize when it is time to relax – this practice also serves as a reminder when anxiety creeps back up again.
Another form of relaxation meditation involves visualizing a location that brings calm. This technique, commonly referred to as the “happy place” method, can be practiced anywhere – be it your childhood home or a spot in nature that makes you happy. Making this type of relaxation meditation even more powerful by including spiritual components within its context.
Relaxation meditation involves closing one’s eyes and finding an object of concentration, such as breathing or repeating words over and over. While thoughts will inevitably enter the mind during relaxation meditation, rather than fighting them it is best to return your focus back onto the point of concentration when they do surface – instead, gently bring back to focus when this happens.
There are various forms of meditation to choose from; individuals must find which works best for them. Many online resources provide definitions and descriptions of various techniques as well as scripts for practicing them; many also provide free audio files featuring guided imagery to assist with finding what type works for each individual.
Meditation should not be used as a quick fix for anxiety; its full effects will take time. Furthermore, individuals experiencing severe or debilitating symptoms should seek professional medical help immediately.
