How to stop anxiety & stress with mindfulness

How can mindfulness help with stress and anxiety?

• Feeling stressed?

  Stop what you are doing. For three breaths keep your attention focused on your breath, it can be helpful to say ‘I am breathing in; I am breathing out’ – do this three times.

• Feeling anxious?

  Place one hand on your chest and the other hand on your belly. Which hand is rising? If the top hand is rising, increase your breath down into the belly.

• Creating space

  Mindfulness can help by creating a space of calm where we can consider how to respond to thoughts.

• Seeing clearly

  Mindfulness can help by seeing clearly what is happening.

• Turn attention towards the symptoms

  Mindfulness can help by turning our attention towards the symptoms of anxiety, subsequently creating the possibility of change, and preventing being anxious about being anxious.

• Is it rational?

  Mindfulness can help by determining if our anxiety is rational.

• Techniques to calm the symptoms

  Mindfulness can help by practicing breathing techniques to help calm the symptoms of stress and anxiety so preventing overreacting and panic attacks.

• Bring attention to the stressors

  Mindfulness can help by bringing attention to the stressors in our lives – with the possibility of change.

• See clearly habitual behaviours

  Mindfulness can help to see clearly habitual behaviours that were never helpful in times of stress and anxiety.

• Understand unhealthy coping mechanisms

  Mindfulness can help by bringing our attention to unhealthy coping mechanisms we may have used over time, such as overeating, over drinking, drug use, gambling, smoking, shopping, sex, and over working. All of which created an illusion of relief..

• Change unhealthy coping mechanisms

  Mindfulness awareness offers the opportunity to change our unhealthy coping mechanisms, possibly stopping them all together.

• Understand the brain

  Mindfulness can help understand which part of the brain is triggered by anxiety and why– and consequently regulate the symptoms produced.

• Strengthen the brain

  Mindfulness can help by strengthening the part of the brain used for concentration and decision making – creating new neural pathways so we respond rather than react, feeling more in control of life and happier.

There is neuroscience research to show how effective mindfulness can be to help reduce people’s anxiety and stress. The results show people with a regular mindfulness practice present fewer symptoms of anxiety. Journal papers will be discussed in the 8-week mindfulness course.

Find the Easyway to mindfulness

What is mindfulness and meditation?