How Meditation Can Help You Cope with Anxiety

Feeling stressed out as a result of the state of the world? Between social unrest, global health concerns and any personal upsets, that stress is totally normal and you are not alone.

However, just because stress is a normal reaction to troubles doesn’t mean that stress has to take over your whole life.

If you’re starting to feel worried all the time, or developing physical symptoms such as stomach aches or panic attacks, then you need some tools to reduce the intensity of that anxiety and bring it down to more manageable levels.

Here are some tips to get you started, courtesy of Cup of Nurses.

Creating a Positive Space

Before you dive into meditating, ask yourself if you have a space that will foster peace and mindfulness. Meditating in a busy room full of kids, for example, can be a bit of a challenge.

Make sure you have a space that’s quiet, private, and emits soothing energy. 

If self-isolating was part of your self-care plan during the pandemic, you might have started to build up some negative associations with your home.

You can release and replace this energy by burning sage, or even simply letting in some fresh air. Releasing negative energy that may have built up in your space is vital for achieving inner peace.

Also, remember that aromatherapy can be an invaluable asset in balancing and unlocking various chakras.

Movement Meditation 

If you’re brand-new to meditation or work on mindfulness, movement is usually a good place to start. Trying to plop down in a quiet room and clear your mind right out of the gate isn’t likely to be particularly effective.

When your brain is used to running a million miles a minute, having something physical to focus on can help you develop the focus necessary to meditate effectively. 

Yoga is one of the best forms of physical meditation, and you can find a ton of resources online that will help you develop mindfulness this way.

However, you can practice mindfulness while doing any kind of physical activity; swimming lends itself well to meditation. You can enjoy a walk while paying attention to the sensation of your feet against the ground, or the sounds happening around you.

If you already have a favorite form of exercise, the next time you work out, pay close attention to what’s happening in your body. This will help you develop mindfulness, as well as make your workouts safer and more effective. 

Guided Meditation 

A great way to ease yourself into meditation is to try some guided meditations. For example, Irish Life Health notes you could try a free guided meditation app designed to help you unwind whenever and wherever you are.

There are guided meditations on all sorts of topics, from fostering focus, to parenting, to releasing anger, and more. 

Guided meditations give you a chance to practice releasing control over your mind and watching what your mind does instead.

At the start, having a voice prompting you to notice your breath and to observe where your mind goes can keep you from feeling frustrated or overwhelmed by your own straying thoughts.

Eventually, however, you can learn to meditate with or without guidance, opening you up to a world of relaxation and inner peace. 

At the end of the day, meditation doesn’t get rid of stress, nor does it magically make you constantly happy. Stress and unhappiness are, after all, a natural part of living.

What it does do is teach you how to sit with those emotions without the urge to push them down or fight them away. When you learn how to sit beside your pain, you will find it becomes far more bearable. 

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