If you suffer from anxiety, the good news is there are simple and effective ways to ease your anxiety with meditation. Anxiety is a sense of uneasiness, fright, and/or fear that is often associated with stress. Anxiety is quite a common emotion as it is experienced by most people at some point in their lives. However, some people struggle with more intense levels of anxiety— such as PTSD and other forms of anxiety disorders. This extreme level of anxiousness if not dealt with properly, can interfere with your productivity level and daily life. No matter the severity and frequency of anxiety you feel, there are ways to relax and minimize the situation.
Meditation is a well-known technique for dealing with symptoms of anxiety or stress. It is considered a form of holistic mind-body therapy that produces a deep state of relaxation. During meditation, an individual focuses their attention or concentration on a certain thought or object.
Stress can trigger certain stress hormones—like cortisol, making you anxious. Practicing meditation frequently can help you counter the effects of these stress hormones to help you overcome anxiety. Meditation will help you streamline your thoughts as well as eliminate thoughts that may be causing stress. This process will help bring you a feeling of calmness, resulting in enhanced physical and emotional well-being.
Additionally, meditation is a simple and inexpensive habit that you can adopt gradually to help relieve stress. It doesn’t require any special device and anyone can practice it anywhere— even in the comfort of their homes. Below we share 3 effective ways you can ease your anxiety with meditation.
3 Simple Ways You Can Ease Anxiety With Meditation
Meditation is a broad term for the various ways to attain a deep sense of calm and relaxation. There are several types of meditation. Some relaxation techniques even have elements of meditation to them. They all share the same goal of achieving a relaxed state of being.
Spending even a few minutes in meditation can produce a tranquil mind and help restore your inner peace. Once you start to understand the root cause of your apprehension, you gain a sense of freedom and relief.
1. Focused Meditation to Help Relieve Anxiety
The ability to focus your attention is a key element in meditation. Focused meditation, is also referred to as focused attention meditation. It is a straightforward form of meditation that helps you focus your attention on either a single thought, object, image, mantra, or even through breathing.
Focusing on a single positive thought can help free your mind from other distracting and unwelcome thoughts, that may cause stress and anxiety. It is one of the effective ways to ease your anxiety through meditation. It will help you learn to focus your attention and anchor your mind while being self-aware.
2. Deep Breathing Meditation to Promote Relaxation
Deep breathing is another essential element of meditation and a foundation for most types. It is also known as belly or diaphragmatic breathing and is an accessible meditation technique for dealing with anxiety.
This breathing technique makes use of deep, slow, and even-paced breathing using the diaphragm muscles to expand the lungs and breathe more efficiently. So, rather than breathe with your shoulder, neck, and upper chest, it engages the diaphragm muscle at the bottom of your rib cage to take in more oxygen. As you inhale and exhale deeply yet slowly during this process, it rejuvenates you and helps to minimize anxiety.
Ease Anxiety with Meditation: Counting Technique
Counting is an easy, simple, and accessible way to minimize your anxiety. Counting helps ease anxiety by giving you something to focus on besides your anxious state. When you feel anxious, simply close your eyes, stay calm and patiently count until you feel your anxiety subsiding. This technique is particularly great when other forms of meditation exercises might be more challenging to carry out.
Tips on How to Maximize Your Meditation Sessions
Different types of meditation may consist of several features to help you meditate. Integrating these elements into your meditation sessions will help enhance your meditation. Listed below are some tips to help you maximize your meditation session. They include:
- A serene and quiet setting is often the ideal atmosphere to practice meditation. Choose a spot that has minimal to no distractions such as radios, cellphones, or televisions. This will help you enhance your concentration as you learn to focus more and create space around your worries so they don’t consume you.
- Choose a comfy position that will help you get the most out of your meditation.
- Maintain a good posture while meditating so you get the maximum benefit from your meditation session.
- Keep an open mind as you learn to let your thoughts pass your mind without any judgment.
Please note that this guide does not serve as a diagnosing tool or a treatment path—recurring anxiety should not be left ignored. Speak to your medical practitioner or professional healthcare personnel about the best treatment path for you.
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