Most of us are familiar with the feeling of anxiety. It’s that uneasy, worried, or apprehensive feeling that can be caused by many things. Stressful situations, worrying about the future, not feeling in control of your surroundings are all reasons for anxiety. If you’ve experienced it, then you may also be trying to find the anxiety solution. Could mindfulness be the answer?
What causes Anxiety?
The causes of anxiety are both external and internal. External factors include stressors such as work-related pressure or deadlines, social anxiety, family problems, money troubles etc. Internal factors include genes that may make people more prone to stress and worry or general moodiness.
Hunting for the Anxiety Solution
Mindfulness meditation is well documented as a treatment for anxiety. It works by retraining the mind to recognise and handle negative thoughts in an effective way.
There are two main categories that most meditations fall into: the concentrative and the mindfulness. The former is based on focusing your attention on something specific, like your breathing or a mantra. But the latter may involve observing your thoughts without judgement, or concentration (sometimes called open monitoring).
Can Tech help?
Technology may also help you to find the anxiety solution. The use of technology in mental health has not been without controversy. It is well established that the internet and social media can promote depression, anxiety, and loneliness. However, these same technologies may also offer some benefits for mental health, including a number of mindfulness apps.
Technology is not always bad when it comes to mental health, but it does have its limits. One of the most important limits is that no app or device can replace the power of human connection, or the comfort that nature can bring us.
Breathing your way through it
There are three mindful breathing techniques that can provide relief from anxiety:
- Breathe in and out through your nose
- Try breathing in and out through your mouth
- Breathing in for four seconds, holding for four seconds and breathing out for eight seconds
Since it is impossible to control which breathing technique you will use when you are experiencing anxiety, it is important to be familiar with all three techniques. Taking charge of your breathing is a great mindfulness activity for busy people who want (and need) to slow down.
Is Mindfulness the Answer?
Mindfulness is a way to be present with your thoughts and emotions as they arise, without judgement. This practice encourages you to be aware of your surroundings and to take note of what you can see, feel and hear and it’s an act of self care. Doing this distances you from what you’re feeling. It is a practice that can help people relate to themselves and their environment in a more accepting and self-compassionate way.
Put simply, mindfulness means that you have an open-minded awareness of your present thoughts and feelings, without judgment or excessive thought.
There are a number of simple mindfulness activities that you can practice, like walking down the street and paying very close to attention to the things you see on your walk.
Finding the anxiety solution is a tough task. But mindfulness can play a past in helping you to find it.
