Why the Hype? Mindfulness and Anxiety
Want to know the one thing that I credit with helping to manage anxiety?
Besides my therapist (obv), it is this wildly simple thing that requires you to just pay attention. That’s it.
It’s called mindfulness.
Mindfulness changed my life. What is it and why do I recommend it for overthinkers?
Twenty-two years ago, I signed up for an experiment at the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health in Toronto. Dr. Zindel Seagal was trialing the use of mindfulness for depression and anxiety. Up to that point, it had been looked at (and found much success) for its usefulness with physical ailments.
I had no idea how much it was going to change my life.
Fast-forward to today, and “mindfulness and anxiety” gets about 121 million results and around a half a million scholarly articles on it.
And no wonder.
Mindfulness has been studied and found to be helpful in so many different domains of life. For overthinkers, the two important areas are the effects of mindfulness on our emotions and thoughts.
So, what is mindfulness?
Mindfulness, at its very core, is paying attention on purpose.
You can be mindful of any of the information coming in through your senses.
You can be mindful of your thoughts.
You can be mindful of your bodily sensations.
You can be mindful of any movement you make.
You’re being mindful when you focus your attention on anything, on purpose.
Seems kinda easy and lame, so why the hype?
Hype-worthy
Mindfulness practice has been shown to be effective in reducing depression, anxiety, stress, insomnia, and substance abuse. A recent systematic review and meta-analysis found that mindfulness-based therapies reduced rumination, worry, stress, psychological distress, depression and anxiety, and significantly improved quality of life. Wow. Another recent study put mindfulness and an anti-anxiety medication head-to-head and found that mindfulness kept up with the pill-form treatment for anxiety. Not bad for just spending some time paying attention.
Why is it helpful for anxiety?
When someone has anxiety, their minds are spending an excessive amount of time worrying. The mind is caught up in thoughts about what might happen in the future. And, they view their thoughts in a certain way, such as:
All thoughts are true.
If I just think about it enough, I’ll find a solution.
Thoughts reflect reality.
I need to pay attention to my thoughts.
I am my thoughts.
When one practices mindfulness, the mind is not in the future, but in the present. And there is a change in the way thoughts are viewed:
Thoughts are just thoughts.
Thinking can be helpful; overthinking is not.
Thoughts are just one interpretation of reality.
Thoughts are one part of my experience that I can choose to pay attention to.
I am not my thoughts (or, I am the observer of my thoughts).
Do you notice in the above statements that thoughts are taken more lightly, and there is a choice in whether to pay attention to them or not? That’s how mindfulness is helpful to people with anxiety – they are no longer hooked by their thoughts.
The second essential ingredient to mindfulness is lack of judgement or evaluation. While we are paying attention to the present moment, your mind will offer opinions about your thoughts, the process of mindfulness, how “well” you are doing it, etc., etc. The idea is to notice your mind came up with a judgement, and return to the present moment.
How exactly does mindfulness help anxiety?
Managing Thoughts
Leslie finds herself getting caught in an endless thought loop. She wakes up, the worry thought starts, and her mind “problem solves” until Leslie catches herself lost in thought.
In that moment of mindfulness, Leslie has a choice. She could dive back in the worry, and swim around in it, or she could refocus her attention on something else – her breath, an activity that matters to her, or giving herself some kind thoughts about this current struggle.
Managing Feelings
Paige rushed through her days in panic mode. Everything felt like a crisis, everything was a fire to be put out immediately. After learning mindfulness, Paige began to recognize the feelings of anxiety showing up, and started to use strategies to calm herself. In a calmer state, Paige was better able to intentionally direct her energy to the tasks that were important and meaningful.
Motivating Change
Taylor has recognized that her anxiety keeps her stuck. She spends hours at her computer perfecting assignments, when she wants to be connecting with others IRL. Each time she sits down at the computer, she promises herself a time limit, and blows through it every time.
Using mindfulness, Taylor has become aware of the thoughts and feelings that show up when she tries to close her laptop. The thoughts “It’s not good enough,” “What impression will be made with this less than perfect work?” come along with the sensation of a dropping stomach and quickening heartbeat.
This awareness has allowed her to move forward. Taylor notices the thoughts and feelings, and remembers her goal. Then, Taylor does three important things.
1. She brings to mind the consequences of not closing her laptop – disappointed family and friends, loneliness, and a lack of connection.
2. She focuses on the benefits of closing her laptop – the feelings she gets after a connecting with people she loves to spend time with, both the immediate high and the pleasure that comes when you know you’re living by your values.
3. She “surfs the urge” to stay at her computer…the feelings of anxiety about leaving something less than perfect will crest and fade. And she rides this wave.
Notice Taylor has used mindfulness in each one of these steps – intentionally focused her attention, without judgement, on the consequences, the benefits, and her feelings.
How do I get started?
Mindfulness can range from something you do in a moment all the way to a formal practice of meditation and body scans.
The Basics
1. Find a time and space without distraction.
2. Observe the present moment, without judgement. You can observe an object, sounds, sensations – whatever is here in the present moment.
3. Let judgements go. Notice when your mind offers judgements, and let them pass like any other thought.
4. Return to the present moment. Often people pay attention to their breath to help them return to the present moment, but your “anchor” to the present moment can be any sensation that is happening in the moment (sound, physical sensation, a word). Here’s a 5 minute video teaching you how to find your breathing anchor.
The above steps can be done in a formal practice, where you intentionally take a period of time (even 3 minutes) to practice mindfulness. Or, it can be done in one moment in time – on the next breath, I’m going to intentionally pay attention to my experience, whether it be touch, sound, sight, smell, taste, movement, or breath.
If you want to get started, check out my youtube playlist on mindfulness practices for overthinkers and overachievers. Or get in touch with me.
Kira
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