If you live with anxiety, you’ll know how far it can reach. It creeps into work, relationships, sleep and even the things you used to enjoy. So it makes sense to look for ways to quieten the mind.
Mindfulness has roots going back thousands of years, and in recent years it has become a popular way to ease stress. But can it really help with anxiety?
What mindfulness is
Put simply, mindfulness means paying attention to the present moment, on purpose, without judging what you find. That might mean noticing how you feel in your body and mind right now, taking in your surroundings, letting thoughts about the past and future come and go without being pulled along by them, and treating yourself with a little more kindness.
How it can help
Anxiety tends to pull us into the future, into “what if” thinking. Mindfulness gently brings attention back to now. With practice, you start to notice worry as it begins, rather than once it has already taken over, and that gives you a moment to choose how to respond.
There is good research behind this. In a 2022 study published in JAMA Psychiatry, adults with anxiety disorders who took an eight-week mindfulness-based stress reduction course improved about as much as those who took escitalopram, an antidepressant commonly prescribed for anxiety (Neuroscience News). That doesn’t mean mindfulness suits everyone, or that anyone should stop medication without talking to their doctor. But it does suggest it can be a real option.
Trying it for yourself
You don’t need anything special to start. Sit comfortably for a few minutes and follow your breath in and out. When your mind wanders, and it will, notice where it went and gently come back. A few minutes a day is a good beginning.
Some people find it easier to learn with guidance, especially when anxiety is strong. I offer mindfulness training on its own, and I also bring mindfulness into counselling alongside CBT. If you’d like to find out more, you can book an appointment.
