What is anxiety?
As we’ve said before, we all feel anxious from time to time, but that doesn’t mean we have an anxiety disorder. An anxiety disorder is when a person feels amounts of anxiety disproportionate to their circumstances on a regular basis. An anxiety disorder is when the normal feeling of anxiety becomes so overwhelming that it interferes with daily functioning.
But practices like mindfulness + meditation can help reduce our feelings of anxiety + feel more present and in control. If you aren’t familiar with them, mindfulness and meditation are two different, but related practices.
Mindfulness is just as it sounds–it’s the practice of letting your mind be fully active in the present moment, rather than past or future events + anxieties. It is about staying fully present, aware of our surroundings so we can interact and engage with our environment rather than let our thoughts spiral out of control.
Meditation is the practice that enables us to learn to keep our mind in the present. According to Headspace, meditation is “a formal exercise to cultivate awareness and compassion.” It is about the act of seeking mindfulness.
Meditation + Mindfulness can be enormously helpful in dealing with anxieties, as they help us to focus our mind on the present moment, rather than run rampant with worry or regret for the past + future.
Today, I want you to think about how you interact with your environment. Do you take time to notice your surroundings? To feel fully present in each new environment you enter? Or are you constantly overwhelmed by stress, out-of-control thoughts, and anxiety?
Taking time to understand how your habits and environment engage with your mental health (positively or negatively) is an important step in taking care of yourself.
And while seeking therapy is a great step to help you, pairing it with a regular mindfulness + meditation practice can help you manage + cope with your anxiety in a healthy way outside of your sessions!
Here are a few things to get you started:
1). Start Small:
Biting off more than you can chew is one of the easiest ways to fall off of a new habit. Instead, with mindfulness + meditation, start extremely small! Whether you incorporate it into a routine you already have (ex: brushing your teeth; what do you see what do you smell, feel, taste, etc.? stay fully in the present moment and focus only on the action at hand) or just giving yourself 2 minutes a day to try it. Start the practice small and build it up over time!
2). Don’t Worry if You’re Doing Meditation “Right”:
Focusing on how you’re doing mindfulness or meditation or if you’re doing it right will take you right out of the moment. Instead, when you have these thoughts, don’t fight them but don’t engage with them either. Let them exist and pass you by, and continue with your practice whether or not you’re doing it “correctly.”
3). Do a Body Scan:
Unsure where to even start? Check in with your body. How do you feel, where is there tension, how can you relieve it, etc. Start from your toes and work your way up, checking in with every part of your body.
4). Follow Guided a Meditation:
No need to be a meditation expert right from the get go! There are plenty of meditation apps and videos that will guide you as you get comfortable with your practice.
5). Thank Yourself:
When you’ve finished your practice, smile and express gratitude to yourself for continuing on with your practice. Even if it was only two minutes, that was two minutes you devoted to taking care of yourself and that’s worth celebrating!
“Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves – slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future; live the actual moment. Only this moment is life.” -Thich Nhat Hanh
Alyssa Mairanz, LMHC, DBTC
Alyssa Mairanz provides counseling and therapy services for life transitions, relationship issues, self esteem, depression, anxiety, and DBT and Psychodynamic therapy in a NYC group practice in the Flatiron District near Madison Square Park. She also serves the Village, Chelsea, Union Square, the Financial District and the surrounding areas.
Empower Your Mind Therapy’s mission is to helps our clients build the life they want and find more happiness and satisfaction.
