Meditation is a well-researched self-care method that can promote positive effects in the brain, mood, and emotional management.1,2 Because of the simple nature of meditation, it can be practiced virtually anywhere inexpensively at one’s own pace. Meditation has shown to be an effective way to manage symptoms of anxiety, and there are a variety of meditation techniques that can help.3
What Is Meditation?
The most central tenet of meditation is awareness of the present moment. It is simply identifying that moment, over and over. It is important to let go of any judgments around the concept of performance or mastery when learning meditation. On a fundamental level, meditation is uncomplicated, and there is no such thing as failure.
Other concepts to consider when meditating act as tools to promote the present-moment awareness. A person’s attention will wander during meditation, and coming to an acceptance of the process of thinking, planning, worrying, daydreaming, or any other forms of distraction is completely natural.
This allows a person to conceptualize non-judgment, which makes letting go of these thoughts possible. We call the letting go process non-attachment. When we notice our mind wandering, we let go of the distractions. Noticing them, not criticizing, and simply return the attention to the awareness of the present moment.
How Meditation Helps Anxiety
Anxiety is the result of fear or worry that the brain interprets as life-threatening. The brain assumes a dire need to think about these non-life threatening stressors until the threat is resolved.4 Meditation brings attention back to the present moment. By doing so, an anxious person can realize that they are not in literal danger and calm down.
Furthermore, meditation strengthens the part of the brain that is responsible for choices and decision making.5 This can help identify the choices we have about how to think and respond to our anxiety.
Benefits of Meditation for Anxiety
Meditation can help strengthen important parts of the brain. Although it may not be right for everyone, meditation can be effective, and have a significant number of positive effects on mental and physical health.10
The benefits of meditation can include:
- Lowered blood pressure10
- Restructured pathways in your brain for different, healthier cognitive approaches10
- Increased size in the parts of the brain responsible for learning and memory, emotional regulation, perspective-taking, and self-awareness10
- Increased presence in the present10
- Reduced anxiety levels11
- Increased quality of life, according to some researchers11
- Increased levels of loving kindness and self-compassion12
Research on Meditation and Anxiety
Multiple studies have indicated that meditation, and more specifically mindful meditation, helps to manage symptoms of anxiety, stress, or panic. Studies have reported behavioral, mood, and brain changes associated with meditation practice. It is widely supported in the mental health community both as a self-practice and as a therapeutic tool, often utilized in counseling sessions supported by organizations like the American Psychological Association, Mental Health America, and Harvard Medical School.3,8,9
Due to the popularity of this approach, many studies have been conducted with different testing styles, time frames, and on different populations. As a result, the level to which meditation is effective varies from test to test. Meta-analysis of multiple studies indicates that subtle differences in the way people practice meditation are difficult to isolate.1
Regardless, studies consistently show that it is completely harmless, and that it can be helpful.1,2 Meditation is not a cure-all, and should be approached with an open mind. All individuals are different, and what works well for one person and their anxiety may not work for another.5
Mindfulness & Meditation Work, But Aren’t for Everyone
Although meditation is a wonderful tool for many, it may not work for everyone. Meditation has been found to be widely effective for a variety of health-related concerns, but some individuals will not benefit or are at risk of a deeper concern as a result of mindfulness techniques. Some researchers noted that certain counseling theories posit that meditation encourages dissociation.12 Overall, meditation can be highly effective in mental health treatment but may not pair well for those with trauma and major life stressors.
While mindfulness is considered an effective tool for anxiety, this does not consider those who have experienced trauma. During one study, those who had histories of trauma and life stressors reported significant levels of distress while meditating.13 Another study further supported this with documentation of meditation-related adverse effects (MRAE); a significant amount of individuals experienced MRAE, even over a month later, including the most common MRAEs of feelings of anxiety and traumatic flashbacks.14 These researchers noted that difficulty in childhood was a factor in risks for MRAE.
What Are the Best Types of Meditation for Anxiety?
Fortunately, there are a number of ways to practice meditative acts with or without strict meditation. Many of the practices listed below can help to slow down a person’s thoughts, foster awareness, and help to strengthen the part of the brain that allows this process to be available when needed.5 It is recommended to try out more than one way of meditating and decide what works best for you.
When you’re ready, take a moment to slow down with any of these meditation practices:
1. Breath Work
The essence of mindful meditation is to follow the breath. Your breath is always available to observe and follow. To start, close your eyes and take a deep, deliberate breath. Notice the way it feels. Hold the inhale for just a moment, and then sigh it out. You can do this a few more times to anchor the connection to your breathing before you return to natural inhales and exhales.
Follow the experience of breathing with curiosity, noticing if any thoughts arise, and letting them go when they occur. It is truly that simple. If your mind wanders a lot, that is perfectly fine. Remember that a core element of meditation is letting go of judgments around performance. For people new to meditation, guided meditations are extremely helpful. Someone providing instructions and reminding you to return your attention back to the breath can help you to practice the process.
There are even variations on breath work that can be explored as you get comfortable with this process. Some enjoy controlling the breath through meditation, counting inhales and exhales, and some choose to use other anchors than the breath as they sit still. Following a flame, image, or listening to a specific sound are other ways to meditate.
2. Walking or Moving Meditation
Walking meditation takes the moment to moment awareness of inhaling and exhaling during breath work and transfers it to the process of walking. It is helpful to practice walking meditation slowly, one step at a time, and checking in with the tiny muscle movements of your foot, toes, legs, and arms. Notice the way your clothing feels as it moves against your body. Pay attention to the way walking changes your breathing.
Observe the environment around you. What sounds do you hear, what do you see, or smell? There can be a lot of sensory information to observe while you are moving so it is important to take your time. Remember, the goal is simply to notice.
There’s no evaluation necessary of the observations, just acknowledging that they are present and channeling something called the “beginner’s mind.”6 View the environment around you and the sensation of walking and breathing as if you’re noticing and appreciating it all for the first time. Yoga can also be a form of moving meditation.
3. Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Progressive muscle relaxation is extremely helpful for anxiety or stress management. It can also be done through the form of a “body scan.”2 It involves checking in with sections of your body, one part at a time, and focusing on relaxing those parts of your body. You might notice as you check in with them that there are muscles tightened without your conscious awareness. When you practice consciously checking in with each part of your body, you can choose to relax these areas.
Because progressive muscle relaxations and body scans are so extensive, they can be time consuming. Utilizing guided meditations through this process can help an individual stay on track. There are recordings available online through apps and YouTube to help.
4. Guided Imagery
This is another useful tool for relaxing. Guided imagery is used in meditation and hypnosis,7 and allows a person to imagine they are in an environment that cultivates a feeling of calmness. It is often helpful to imagine places in nature, or places you associate with feelings of peacefulness.
It can be a location you have visited or one you make up for the purpose of this exercise. Allow yourself to notice the details of this location so that you can commit it to memory and call upon it later when you want to feel peaceful again.
Again, it is highly recommended to use a guided meditation for the imagery so that you do not have to think about how to guide yourself. There can be many opportunities for ways to relax into this process that are more difficult when you are trying to remember what to think about.
5. Loving-Kindness Meditation
If you would like to foster feelings of love and kindness toward yourself or others, this is an excellent outlet. This form of meditation often revolves around a mantra to recite aloud or repeat in your mind to cultivate these feelings and share them with others. This is also a helpful meditation path to follow when forgiveness is needed toward one’s self or for someone else.
Other Meditation Practices That May Help With Anxiety
There are other types of meditation that can take a more spiritual path that are available to explore if you are interested. Transcendental Meditation, Qigong, Vipassana, mantra and chakra are just a few. Many incorporate similar themes of centering oneself with an object of focus, and some incorporate more specific breathing techniques or movements to channel this process.
How Can I Meditate if I Have Anxiety?
There is no perfection of the practice of meditation. The theory that meditation requires you to clear your mind is a misconception.That would be impossible! Rather, practice noticing when the mind wanders and redirect your attention to the breath or movement. The more you do that, the more you are strengthening the part of the brain that practices awareness.5
If you’re just getting started with a meditation practice, here are some things that may help:
- Start with short sessions, five minutes or less, and build up to longer meditations when ready or desired
- If you feel too restless to sit still, try active, moving meditations
- Silently name the breath or action, “inhale” or “exhale,” or “right foot,” “left foot”
Try a Meditation App for Extra Guidance & Accountability
When you first sit down to meditate, it may feel difficult, uncomfortable, or even a little silly. Meditation apps can be helpful tools for many who don’t know where to start on their own. Apps and programs can be helpful for guidance and tools, but some may not meet the need, personalization, and engagement that certain meditators might require.15 However, that does not mean helpful meditation apps do not exist.
Meditation apps work by guiding the person into different levels and timed sessions (ranging from as short as 1 minute up to an hour) where they will talk the individual through a meditation, often using breathing as a focus during the session. After this point, they may use guided imagery, relaxation techniques, body scanning, or other tasks to keep the individual engaged and accountable in the session. Often, they will have a debrief at the end where they bring the person back to the surface and, sometimes, even have them reflect or review the session and take notes. These can be highly helpful in keeping your mind focused as it is easy to drift off while meditating. Some apps that follow these steps and are often talked about include Headspace, Calm, and Insight Timer.
What If I Can’t Meditate?
Alright, so you feel like meditation is not working for you. Meditation does not necessarily apply to everyone- even if you don’t have a trauma history- and people often need individualized treatment and techniques. If meditation is not working for you, that’s okay! There are a number of other options available to help manage anxiety.
Other ways to help manage anxiety include:
- Improving your daily self-care habits (Like eating balanced and regular meals, drinking liquids, trying to get enough sleep, etc.)17
- Engaging in art, music, drawing, writing, and other creative formats of self-expression.16
- Finding physical activity that you enjoy to help lower cortisol and increase dopamine output.16
- Breathing exercises (often inhaling and exhaling slowly).17
- Challenging your thoughts and recognizing the daily obstacles you have overcome. It can also help to consider what may have triggered the feelings of anxiety in the first place.17
- Talking to others- trusted individuals, family, or mental health professionals- who empathize and can be in the present with you.17
- Using grounding exercises (like shaking your body, using cold water on your hands, and the “5/4/3/2/1,” trick).
- Distracting yourself if you are feeling like you cannot calm your anxiety (reading a book, TV, seeing a loved one, watching comedy).
When to Seek Professional Help for Anxiety
While meditation is an excellent tool to help alleviate feelings of anxiety, there are times when the feelings are overwhelming and seeking additional support is necessary. Symptoms like racing thoughts, panic attacks, or insomnia might make life too difficult to make interventions like meditation feasible at the moment. Furthermore, you do not have to wait until symptoms are that severe before reaching out to a therapist for assistance.
If your anxiety feels unmanageable, do not delay in finding a therapist. An online directory is a good place to start looking for a mental health professional who specializes in your needs and population.
Final Thoughts on Meditation for Anxiety
If you are experiencing anxiety, meditation can provide a simple, self-led way to alleviate some symptoms. Many therapists incorporate elements of meditation into their practice, and can provide you with a helpful support person as you begin your meditation journey. Anxiety does not have to be suffered alone, and receiving support as you learn how to manage the symptoms can be life changing.
Meditation for Anxiety Infographics
