Mindfulness for anxiety can sound vague or a bit too “zen” at first. I thought that too. But after years of dealing with anxious thoughts, I’ve found that mindfulness can be a practical way to feel more grounded and less overwhelmed. It does not make anxiety disappear overnight, but it can help you notice your thoughts earlier and respond to them differently. Mindfulness is about paying attention to the present moment, which may help you spot stress and anxious thoughts sooner and deal with them more effectively.
My honest experience with mindfulness and anxiety
I’ll be honest: when I first heard about mindfulness, I thought it was a load of hippy nonsense. Over the last 10 years, though, I’ve completely changed my mind. It’s become one of the best tools I’ve found for stopping anxious thoughts from taking over. What put me off in the beginning was the way it was introduced to me during counselling training. The people leading it were great, but their approach just did not click with me. It was all about lying down, “relaxing”, and listening to panpipe music. That was an instant turn-off for me, and it stopped me seeing what mindfulness could actually offer.
How mindfulness helps with anxiety in everyday life
What I’ve learned since then is that mindfulness does not have to look one particular way. It is not only meditation cushions, calming music, or long breathing exercises. Mindfulness can be built into everyday life. For me, getting back into photography has been a brilliant example of that. Taking photos of nature and wildlife helps me stay in the here and now. Here’s a few recent photos from a recent day out at Belton House in Lincolnshire. It was great really noticing my surroundings and to focus on the wildlife and not my thoughts.
Simple ways to practise mindfulness for anxiety
If you struggle with anxiety, it may be worth thinking about what mindfulness could look like for you. It might be mindful walking, working on your car or motorbike, watching sport, gardening, cooking, drawing, photography, or simply taking one minute to notice your breathing and surroundings. The key is not doing it perfectly. The key is gently bringing your attention back to what is happening right now. If traditional mindfulness exercises have never appealed to you, that does not mean mindfulness is not for you. It may just mean you have not found your version of it yet.