• Mental Health
    • Anxiety
    • Depression
    • Bipolar Disorder
    • ADHD
    • Addiction
      • What is Addiction?
      • What Are Behavioral Addictions?
      • Addiction vs Dependence
      • Addiction Myths vs Facts
      • Addiction Statistics
      • How to Help a Friend
      • Find an Addiction Specialist
    • Eating Disorders
    • Personality Disorders
      • Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder
        • OCD vs. OCPD
    • Trauma
      • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
        • PTSD & COVID-19
      • Childhood Trauma
    • Sexual Disorders
      • Anorgasmia
      • Female Sexual Arousal Disorder (FSAD)
      • Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD)
      • Premature Ejaculation (PE)
      • Delayed Ejaculation
    • Schizophrenia
  • Therapy Techniques
    • Online Therapy
      • Best Online Therapy
      • Online Therapy for Teens
      • Best LGBTQ Online Therapy
      • Best Online Therapy for Insurance
    • Psychotherapy
    • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
      • CBT for Anxiety
      • CBT for Social Anxiety
      • CBT for Panic Disorder
      • CBT for Insomnia
      • CBT Online
    • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
      • DBT for Teens
    • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
    • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
      • EMDR for PTSD
      • EMDR for Anxiety
      • EMDR Online
    • Art Therapy
    • Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
    • Exposure and Response Prevention
    • Group Therapy
    • Hypnotherapy
    • Motivational Interviewing
    • Person Centered Therapy
    • Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy
    • Sex Therapy
  • Types of Therapists
    • Faith-Based & Christian Counselors
    • Life Coaching
    • Family Therapist
      • Child & Teen Counseling
    • Marriage & Couples Counselors
      • Premarital Counseling
    • Psychiatrist
      • Psychology vs. Psychiatry
    • Psychotherapist
    • Grief Counselors
    • Online Therapists
  • Starting Therapy FAQ
    • Does Therapy Work?
      • How to Find a Therapist
      • Helping a Friend or Loved One
    • How to Choose a Therapist
      • Finding a Black Therapist
      • Finding a Latinx Therapist
      • Finding an LGBTQ-Friendly Therapist
      • Finding a Therapist as a Young Adult
      • Finding an Online Therapist
    • Preparing for Your First Session
    • Types of Mental Health Professionals
    • Mental Health Insurance
      • HSAs for Therapy
      • Sliding Scale Therapy Fees
    • Mental Health in the Workplace
      • Asking for a Mental Health Day
      • Taking Time Off for Mental Health
    • Top Mental Health Organizations
      • Mental Health Resources Outside the U.S.
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Editorial Policy
    • Advertising Policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
    • Write for Us
    • Join the Directory
    • Careers
  • Therapist Directory
    • Find a Therapist
    • Join the Directory
    • Directory Login
  • Mental Health
    • Anxiety
    • Depression
    • Bipolar Disorder
    • ADHD
    • Addiction
      • What is Addiction?
      • What Are Behavioral Addictions?
      • Addiction vs Dependence
      • Addiction Myths vs Facts
      • Addiction Statistics
      • How to Help a Friend
      • Find an Addiction Specialist
    • Eating Disorders
    • Personality Disorders
      • Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder
        • OCD vs. OCPD
    • Trauma
      • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
        • PTSD & COVID-19
      • Childhood Trauma
    • Sexual Disorders
      • Anorgasmia
      • Female Sexual Arousal Disorder (FSAD)
      • Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD)
      • Premature Ejaculation (PE)
      • Delayed Ejaculation
    • Schizophrenia
  • Therapy Techniques
    • Online Therapy
      • Best Online Therapy
      • Online Therapy for Teens
      • Best LGBTQ Online Therapy
      • Best Online Therapy for Insurance
    • Psychotherapy
    • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
      • CBT for Anxiety
      • CBT for Social Anxiety
      • CBT for Panic Disorder
      • CBT for Insomnia
      • CBT Online
    • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
      • DBT for Teens
    • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
    • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
      • EMDR for PTSD
      • EMDR for Anxiety
      • EMDR Online
    • Art Therapy
    • Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
    • Exposure and Response Prevention
    • Group Therapy
    • Hypnotherapy
    • Motivational Interviewing
    • Person Centered Therapy
    • Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy
    • Sex Therapy
  • Types of Therapists
    • Faith-Based & Christian Counselors
    • Life Coaching
    • Family Therapist
      • Child & Teen Counseling
    • Marriage & Couples Counselors
      • Premarital Counseling
    • Psychiatrist
      • Psychology vs. Psychiatry
    • Psychotherapist
    • Grief Counselors
    • Online Therapists
  • Starting Therapy FAQ
    • Does Therapy Work?
      • How to Find a Therapist
      • Helping a Friend or Loved One
    • How to Choose a Therapist
      • Finding a Black Therapist
      • Finding a Latinx Therapist
      • Finding an LGBTQ-Friendly Therapist
      • Finding a Therapist as a Young Adult
      • Finding an Online Therapist
    • Preparing for Your First Session
    • Types of Mental Health Professionals
    • Mental Health Insurance
      • HSAs for Therapy
      • Sliding Scale Therapy Fees
    • Mental Health in the Workplace
      • Asking for a Mental Health Day
      • Taking Time Off for Mental Health
    • Top Mental Health Organizations
      • Mental Health Resources Outside the U.S.
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Editorial Policy
    • Advertising Policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
    • Write for Us
    • Join the Directory
    • Careers
  • Therapist Directory
    • Find a Therapist
    • Join the Directory
    • Directory Login
Skip to content

Mindfulness for Anxiety: How It Works & Techniques to Try

Published: December 7, 2022 Updated: March 9, 2023
Published: 12/07/2022 Updated: 03/09/2023
Headshot of Tanya Peterson, NCC
Written by:

Tanya J. Peterson

NCC
Headshot of Benjamin Troy, MD
Reviewed by:

Benjamin Troy

MD
  • What Is Mindfulness?Definition
  • How Does Mindfulness for Anxiety Work?How It Works
  • Mindfulness Exercises for AnxietyExercises
  • How to Get the Most Out of Mindfulness for AnxietyMaximize
  • Who Can Help Me Practice Meditation for Anxiety?Get Help
  • Is Mindfulness Effective for Anxiety?Effectiveness
  • Examples of Mindfulness for AnxietyExamples
  • Final ThoughtsConclusion
  • Additional ResourcesResources
  • Mindfulness for Anxiety InfographicsInfographics
Headshot of Tanya Peterson, NCC
Written by:

Tanya J. Peterson

NCC
Headshot of Benjamin Troy, MD
Reviewed by:

Benjamin Troy

MD

Mindfulness can ease anxiety by helping someone turn inward to become quiet and still, and to focus attention on what is happening in the present moment rather than past regrets or future fears. Mindfulness is about living fully in your tangible world rather than remaining stuck in anxious thoughts, worries, and what-ifs.

A therapist can help you learn mindfulness and work with you to lower anxiety. BetterHelp has over 20,000 licensed therapists who provide convenient and affordable online therapy. BetterHelp starts at $60 per week. Complete a brief questionnaire and get matched with the right therapist for you.

Choosing Therapy partners with leading mental health companies and is compensated for marketing by BetterHelp

Visit BetterHelp

What Is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a way of living your life fully and showing up for each moment, no matter what that moment brings. It involves paying attention to whatever you’re doing, noticing things fully, and being present in your life.1 Mindfulness is focused awareness of what’s happening right now, who you are with, and your own thoughts, feelings, and actions.1, 2

Unlike therapies such as cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for anxiety or other therapeutic approaches to mental health, mindfulness is not a distinct methodology or framework with a structured process. Mindfulness involves awareness, paying attention on purpose to something in your present moment, returning your attention to your moment whenever your mind wanders, and observing your experiences without judging them or getting stuck in them.4

How Does Mindfulness for Anxiety Work?

In essence, mindfulness is the polar opposite of anxiety. Anxiety has people trapped in their own mind—in their thoughts and emotions—whereas mindfulness frees people, allowing them to experience and accept life as it is without worrying about what bad things might happen or reading into what something might mean.

As anyone who lives with anxiety knows, it’s not enough to simply stop worrying. Being told to relax or get rid of anxious thoughts is both frustrating and ineffective. What’s needed instead is something to replace worry and anxiety. In its focus on tangible things in the present moment, mindfulness serves as a great way to reduce anxiety without medication, especially if you’re concerned with how anxiety meds may make you feel. When you focus on concrete things that you can experience with your senses (sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste), you switch your attention away from worries and reclaim what anxiety has stolen from you—your joy and ease of being with yourself and in your life.5

Mindfulness isn’t a quick-fix or a magic wand that eliminates anxiety, stress, and other problems. Instead, it’s a new relationship with your life and all its ups and downs. You notice and accept your anxiety rather than tangling with it and struggling against it, because when you fight with anxiety, you remain stuck in it rather than freely living in each moment of your life.2

What Anxiety Symptoms Can Mindfulness Help With?

Mindfulness can reduce all types of anxiety symptoms, including:

  • Physical (symptoms felt anywhere in your body)
  • Cognitive (like difficulty concentrating and anxious, racing, worried thoughts)
  • Emotional (including fear, irritability, restlessness, heightened sensitivity)
  • Behavioral (such as avoidance, talking too much or too little, overworking)

Practicing mindfulness on a regular basis, whether formally or informally, retrains your brain and shifts your mindset.16 Techniques such as deep breathing and using your senses to shift your focus away from anxious thoughts and feelings and onto something concrete in the present moment change how your brain and body respond to stress, replacing the fight-or-flight reaction with the calmer rest-and-digest response.8

Mindfulness Exercises for Anxiety

Mindfulness can be practiced formally as a seated meditation and informally, involving focusing your attention on what you are doing in your daily life.1, 14

Here are 10 mindfulness techniques that can help calm anxiety and refocus your attention:

1. Mindfulness Meditation for Anxiety

Meditation involves sitting quietly for a certain amount of time (anywhere from a minute or so to hours) and focusing your attention. Often, mindfulness meditation begins by focusing on the breath, noticing your full inhale and exhale. Attention can remain on the breath throughout the meditation or can shift to a sight such as a flickering candle flame, a sound such as gently bubbling water in a fountain, or any other sensation.

Frequently, mindfulness meditators repeat a simple word or phrase as they inhale and exhale to focus their attention. When you meditate, your mind will inevitably wander, and that’s okay. Mindfulness meditation isn’t about silencing the mind (that isn’t possible); instead, it’s about calming the racing thoughts and gently returning your attention to your breath, sensation, or word over and over again.

The mind isn’t naturally still—it’s made to process information and think and analyze and be continually active. And anxiety takes this natural mental activity and throws it into overdrive. Therefore, as you begin to intentionally focus your attention, know that it will quite likely feel challenging and awkward. This is normal and perfectly okay. It can also be helpful to use a meditation app like Headspace or Calm.

2. Set Mindful Intentions

It is important to set mindful intentions when you are struggling with anxiety– you could say something like, “I intend to treat myself with compassion,” or, “I allow myself to rest today.” Setting mindful intentions helps you to be clear, concise and realistic about your goals and desires. Intention-setting is an important practice because it helps you deal with your anxiety in a way that lets you be in control of how you handle negative situations and emotions.

3. Observe Anxious, Negative Thoughts Drifting Away

This can be done during formal meditation or as you go about your day and catch yourself thinking anxious thoughts. Notice your worries or fears, but rather than getting caught up in them, picture them drifting away from you. You might visualize your thoughts on clouds floating past you on a gentle breeze or on leaves floating away from you down a bubbling brook.

4. Grounding Exercises

Grounding exercises are a really great way to help you cope with your anxiety and in a mindful way. Grounding exercises stimulate all of your five senses to help you remember and connect with where you are, giving you a better sense of control when you are feeling out of control.

5. Mindful Breathwork

Breathing exercises and mindful breathwork are also important in helping to regulate your symptoms of anxiety. Anxiety manifests its way in a lot of ways in our physical body, and breathwork can help you to calm those systems in your body down to help reduce heart rate, blood pressure, and feelings of anxiety.

6. Body Scan & Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Progressive muscle relaxation is helpful for noticing tension or other symptoms of anxiety in your body as your anxiety builds. You can do this sitting or lying down, or you can scan your body while waiting at a red light, standing in a long line at the store, or sitting in a meeting at work. Start at your feet, and notice how they feel. Are they sore and tense? Relaxed? Wiggle your toes, roll your ankles, and point and flex your feet to release tension. Notice how it feels to let the muscles of your feet relax. Then, move to your calves, noting how they feel, tensing and releasing them.

Progress this way up your body until you reach the top of your head. As you go, concentrate on each muscle group. If your mind begins to wander, just return your attention to the body scan.

7. Take a Mindful Walk

Movement is helpful in reducing anxiety.15 Do it mindfully for added benefit. You can engage in a mindful walk indoors by removing your shoes and concentrating on the feel of your feet on the floor. Note textures and temperature. Tune in to the sensation of movement throughout your body. See how it feels to move very slowly for several minutes.

You can also take a mindful walk outdoors, turning your attention to the world around you. What do you see, hear, smell, and feel? What does the air feel like against your skin? Can you feel the warmth of the sun? When anxious thoughts intrude, notice them and then return to being mindful of your activity.

8. Focus on One Thing at a Time

As you go about the tasks of your day, give your undivided attention to what you are doing. Use your senses to immerse yourself in the moment. Inhale the clean scent of the soap and feel the tickling sensation of the bubbles as you do the dishes. When you catch your mind wandering, simply return your attention to what you are doing.

9. Journal

Journaling is a really great way to help you get out your thoughts and feelings onto paper and out of your head. This helps to reduce feelings of anxiety as you are able to see all of your thoughts on paper and read them back to decide how you feel about them. It’s a great way of helping you to help yourself reframe things that are going on in your life. You can get started with some anxiety journaling prompts.

10. Spend Intentional Time Without Your Phone

Our electronics are a big part of our life and often contribute to our feelings of anxiety. Spending time away from your phone, computer, and television is a great way to help you restore your mind back to baseline. It reduces anxiety because you are not allowing yourself to consume content that may or may not be affecting you in ways you don’t understand.

Options For Anxiety Treatment

Talk Therapy – Get help from a licensed therapist. Betterhelp offers online therapy starting at $60 per week. Get matched With A Therapist


Virtual Psychiatry – Get help from a real doctor that takes your insurance. Talkiatry offers medication management and online visits with top-rated psychiatrists. Take the online assessment and have your first appointment within a week. Free Assessment

Choosing Therapy partners with leading mental health companies and is compensated for marketing by BetterHelp and Talkiatry.

How to Get the Most Out of Mindfulness for Anxiety

In its emphasis on focusing on the present moment rather than on your thoughts and worries about the past or future, mindfulness is deceptively simple. It isn’t complex with procedures and rules, but it does involve key elements that help you approach your life calmly so you can respond positively to problems.

Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your mindfulness practice and lower your anxiety levels:

Focus on Your Breath

Breathing in and out slowly and deeply, and paying attention to the sound and feel of your breath as it enters and leaves your body, helps you anchor your attention in the moment.6 ,7

When you notice anxious thoughts, you can turn your concentration to your breath to refocus on the here-and-now. Deep breathing also calms your body’s stress response by deactivating the sympathetic nervous system (the one responsible for the fight-or-flight response) and activating the parasympathetic nervous system (the one dubbed rest-and-digest).8

Pay Attention to the Present Moment

The main goal of mindfulness is to take attention away from our anxious thoughts and emotions not by avoiding them but by acknowledging them and choosing to pay attention to something else that is real and right in front of us: the present moment. Anxiety involves automatic negative thoughts about ourselves, others, and situations in our lives. In focusing on the concrete, tangible moment that you can notice with your senses, mindfulness offers a break from the worries and fears of anxiety.14

Awareness Is Essential

Anxiety often involves avoidance.3 While it’s natural to want to avoid things that cause discomfort like worry and fear, avoiding them only serves to prevent people from living their lives fully. In mindfulness, you are completely aware of yourself and your surroundings as they are in this moment.4 Honing your awareness of has been shown to decrease stress and anxiety as well as improve mood and general well-being.9

Accept Yourself for Who You Are

Non-judgment and acceptance are key in mindfulness. When you are experiencing your moment mindfully, you accept it for what it is rather than trying to decide how you feel about it.10 This does not mean that you accept undesirable or dangerous situations. In mindfulness, non judgment and acceptance mean that you are aware of your experiences without getting caught up in labeling them. Then, you can remain calm and decide how you want to respond.

Let Go of What You Can’t Control

Mindfulness allows us to be aware of ourselves and situations, avoid judging, and then defuse and let go by purposefully shifting our attention to what is happening right here, right now. When you practice mindfulness and keep these key concepts in mind, you begin to release the hold anxiety has on you and slip calmly into your present moment.

Who Can Help Me Practice Meditation for Anxiety?

Mindfulness can help with everyday stress and anxiety, and it can also help with anxiety disorders. You can use mindfulness on your own, and you can also work with a therapist who is trained in therapeutic approaches that use mindfulness, such as acceptance and commitment therapy and dialectical behavior therapy. Also, there are educational group therapy programs that help with anxiety, such as mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction.

Learn Mindfulness & Meditation

Learn the art of mindful living with over 2,000 mindful practices to train your brain. Stress less, sleep better, and deal with anxiety. Mindfulness.com has 4.5+ stars on both major app stores. Free 7-Day Trial

Choosing Therapy partners with leading mental health companies and is compensated for marketing by Mindfulness.com.

Try Mindfulness.com

Is Mindfulness Effective for Anxiety?

Wondering if mindfulness is truly effective for anxiety, researchers have been conducting numerous studies to investigate if and how mindfulness reduces anxiety. Results have been positive, indicating that mindfulness is indeed a useful way to help anxiety. This sampling of studies highlights some important findings:

  • An analysis of 78 randomized controlled trials involving nearly 6,000 participants showed that mindfulness improves attention, memory, and processing speed, helps manage moods, and relieves symptoms of anxiety and depression.17
  • A study reported in a 2010 edition of the journal Psychiatric Research: Neuroimaging revealed that mindfulness directly changes the brain by increasing gray matter (the tissues in the brain that contain nerve cells, the brain’s power areas). One area of gray matter strengthened by mindfulness is the hippocampus, an area responsible for learning, memory, emotional control, stress responsiveness, and anxiety. In boosting gray matter in the hippocampus, mindfulness helps reduce anxiety and improves our response to stress.18
  • A study review conducted at UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center (MARC) indicated that mindfulness reduces anxiety by directly benefiting the brain. Mindfulness, these reviewers found, serves as a protection against stress and improves our decision-making ability, something that is negatively affected by anxiety.19
  • A 2010 study conducted at UCLA found that people who have a tendency to be mindful, focusing on their present moment and approaching life with acceptance, non judgment, and openness are less emotionally reactive to stressors and experience low levels of anxiety.20

The Limitations of Mindfulness for Anxiety

While mindfulness itself poses no risks or side effects, it’s important to note that mindfulness isn’t an automatic replacement for medication. Sometimes, medication is needed to help anxiety symptoms. It’s important to consult with your doctor to see if medication is a necessary part of your treatment. Also, if you are currently taking anxiety medication and would like to stop and replace it with mindfulness or any other treatment approach, it’s imperative to do so with your doctor’s supervision because stopping medication abruptly or incorrectly can be dangerous.

Examples of Mindfulness for Anxiety

Sometimes, it can be difficult to imagine how making a small shift like implementing mindfulness practices can actually help you feel less anxious.

Here are some examples of how mindfulness can improve anxiety in real-life for a few different types of anxiety:

Mindfulness for Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) involves excessive worry about many different areas of life. This worry interferes in functioning and can disrupt relationships, work, and school. It can also rob people of joy because, rather than fully experiencing time with loved ones or engaging in activities, people are lost in worries and imagined worst-case scenarios about what has already happened or might happen later.

Mindfulness offers a shift away from these excessive worries. The first step is to increase awareness of your anxiety. Often, it runs constantly in the background, unchecked because you’re used to it. Tune in to your thoughts, emotions, actions, and bodily sensations to catch yourself in the act of being anxious. Don’t judge yourself harshly or berate yourself for worrying; instead, just name your experience and then shift your attention to something in the present moment.

Engage your senses and home in on what you are doing: What do you see, hear, feel, smell and, if applicable, taste? Begin to breathe slowly and deeply, and tune in to the sound and feel of your breath. It takes practice and patience to develop this new habit and way of being, so be gentle with yourself when you catch yourself ruminating—again. Simply redirect your attention whenever you need to.

Mindfulness for Social Anxiety

When people experience social anxiety, they have worries and fears about being judged by others or embarrassing themselves in front of people. This anxiety can range from mildly annoying to debilitating. Whatever the degree of severity, social anxiety disorder can lead to avoidance and withdrawal and cause people to miss out on much-needed human interaction.

Mindfulness can change your relationship with your fears of being judged or making a fool out of yourself because it takes power away from those fears and gives it back to you. Whether in a real interaction with others or an imagined one, keep anxiety from taking over by breathing slowly and deeply. This regulates your nervous system and prevents the fight-or-flight response from kicking in.8 Then, choose a focal point that you’ll return to again and again for the duration of your interaction.

It can be very helpful to carry a focus object with you, a small object that you can concentrate on when you notice anxiety building. Study its appearance and texture to keep your attention away from your anxiety.

Mindfulness for Panic Disorder/Panic Attacks

Anxiety and panic attacks, whether they occur in reaction to stress or in the context of panic disorder (a disorder involving seemingly random occurrences of panic), are gripping and all-encompassing. When in the throes of a panic attack, people naturally focus on the physical sensations of the attack (panic attacks can feel like heart attacks, make people sweat and tremble, cause waves of nausea and dizziness, and generally make people think they’re dying). During a panic attack, fear takes over. Mindfulness lets you take yourself back.

Despite how it feels, you aren’t powerless, and you’re not at the mercy of your panic symptoms. The mindfulness concepts of awareness and visualization can help. Catch physical symptoms before they explode into a full-blown panic with frequent body scans to become aware of increasing physical tension or other anxiety symptoms. Use mindful visualization to help reduce the strength and duration of a panic attack.

Either focus on one object in the distance or imagine a peaceful scene and picture yourself there, experiencing it with all your senses (what do you see, hear, smell, and feel there?). This shifts your focus is a way to calm your anxiety. Of course, don’t forget to breathe slowly and deeply to reset your nervous system.

Final Thoughts

Mindfulness is a relationship and an attitude toward life, a way of being with yourself and others across situations. Living mindfully, fully anchored in each present moment of your life, can help you achieve overall wellbeing, and this approach to yourself, others, and situations helps reduce mental health challenges like anxiety.

Additional Resources

Education is just the first step on our path to improved mental health and emotional wellness. To help our readers take the next step in their journey, Choosing Therapy has partnered with leaders in mental health and wellness. Choosing Therapy may be compensated for marketing by the companies mentioned below.

Learn Mindfulness & Meditation Techniques

Mindfulness.com – Change your life by practicing mindfulness. In a few minutes a day, you can start developing mindfulness and meditation skills. Free Trial

Online Therapy 

BetterHelp – Get support and guidance from a licensed therapist. BetterHelp has over 20,000 therapists who provide convenient and affordable online therapy.  Complete a brief questionnaire and get matched with the right therapist for you. Get Started

Mental Health Newsletter

A free newsletter from Choosing Therapy for those interested in mental health issues and fighting the stigma. Get helpful tips and the latest information. Sign Up

Virtual Psychiatry

Talkiatry – Get help from a real doctor that takes your insurance. Talkiatry offers medication management and online visits with top-rated psychiatrists. Take the online assessment and have your first appointment within a week. Free Assessment

Self-Guided Hypnosis

Oneleaf – Programs have been developed by doctors & hypnotherapists – Oneleaf provides you with evidence-based, easy-to-access audio programs that use self-hypnosis to help you: Lose Weight, Quit Smoking, Improve Sleep, Lower Stress, and Reduce Chronic Pain. Free 7 Day Trial

Choosing Therapy Directory 

You can search for therapists by specialty, experience, insurance, or price, and location. Find a therapist today.

Choosing Therapy partners with leading mental health companies and is compensated for marketing by Mindfulness.com, BetterHelp, Oneleaf, and Talkiatry.

For Further Reading

  • Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA)
  • Anxiety Centre
  • Mindful.org
  • UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center
  • Our Favorite Anxiety Blogs
  • Best Yoga Books
  • Mantras for Calming Anxiety
  • Best Mindfulness Apps 2022

Mindfulness for Anxiety Infographics

How Does Mindfulness for Anxiety Work Mindfulness for Anxiety How Does Mindfulness for Anxiety Work

21 sources

Choosing Therapy strives to provide our readers with mental health content that is accurate and actionable. We have high standards for what can be cited within our articles. Acceptable sources include government agencies, universities and colleges, scholarly journals, industry and professional associations, and other high-integrity sources of mental health journalism. Learn more by reviewing our full editorial policy.

  • Eisler, M. (2019, August). What’s the difference between meditation and mindfulness? Chopra. Retrieved from https://chopra.com/articles/whats-the-difference-between-meditation-and-mindfulness

  • Daitch, C. (2011). Anxiety disorders: The go-to guide for clients and therapists. New York: Norton.

  • Peterson, T.J. (2020). The mindful path through anxiety: An 8-week plan to quiet your mind and gain calm.Emeryville, CA: Rockridge Press.

  • Kabat-Zinn, J. (2016). Mindfulness for Beginners. Boulder, CO: Sounds True.

  • Peterson, T.J. (2018).The mindfulness workbook for anxiety: The 8-week solution to help you manage anxiety, worry, and stress. Emeryville, CA: Althea Press.

  • Trungpa, C. (2016). Mindfulness in action: Making friends with yourself through meditation and everyday awareness. Boulder, CO: Shambhala Publications

  • Hanh, T.N. (2012). Peace is every breath. NY: HarperOne.

  • Jerath, Ravinder, John W. Edry, Vernon A. Barnes, and Vandna Jerath. “Physiology of Long Pranayamic Breathing: Neural Respiratory Elements May Provide a Mechanism That Explains How Slow Deep Breathing Shifts the Autonomic Nervous System.” Medical Hypotheses 67, no. 3 (2006): 566–71. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306987706001666

  • Bullock, B.G. (2017, March). Present-moment awareness buffers the effects of daily stress. Mindful. Retrieved from https://www.mindful.org/present-moment-awareness-buffers-effects-daily-stress/

  • Boyce, B. (2018, August).Why nonjudgment is part of mindfulness practice. Mindful. Retrieved from https://www.mindful.org/a-nonjudgment-call/

  • Chödrön, P. (2009). Don’t bite the hook. Tricycle. Retrieved from  https://tricycle.org/magazine/dont-bite-hook/

  • Peterson, T.J. (2016). Break free: Acceptance and commitment therapy in 3 steps—A workbook for overcoming self-doubt and embracing life. Berkeley, CA: Althea Press.

  • Bradt, S. (2010, November). Wandering mind not a happy mind. The Harvard Gazette. Retrieved from https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2010/11/wandering-mind-not-a-happy-mind/

  • Mayo Clinic Staff. (2018, August). Mindfulness exercises. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/in-depth/mindfulness-exercises/art-20046356

  • Pillay, S. (2016, March). How simply moving benefits your mental health. Harvard Health Publishing: Harvard Medical School. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-simply-moving-benefits-your-mental-health-201603289350

  • Zencare. (n.d.). Mindfulness practices. Retrieved from https://zencare.co/therapy-type/mindfulness-practices

  • Melville, N.A. (2020, March). Mindfulness interventions linked to cognitive benefit. Medscape. Retrieved from https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/927885

  • Horsyt, B.K., Carmody, J., Vangel, J., Congleton, C., Yerramsetti, S.M., Gard, T., & Lazar, S.W. (2011, January). Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain matter density. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, 191(1): 36-43. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3004979/

  • Flaxman, G. & Flook, L. (2017, November). Brief summary of mindfulness research. Mindful Awareness Research Center (MARC) at UCLA. Retrieved from http://marc.ucla.edu/workfiles/pdfs/MARC-mindfulness-research-summary.pdf

  • Arch, J.J. & Craske, M.G. (2010). Laboratory stressors in clinically anxious and non-anxious individuals: The moderating role of mindfulness. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 48(6): 495–505. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2010.02.005

  • Van Dam, N.T., van Vugt, M., Vago, D.R., Schmalzl, L., Saron, C.D., Olendzki, A., Meissner, T., Lazar, S.W., Kerr, C.E., Gorchov, J., Fox, K.C.R., Field, B.A., Willoughby, B.B., Brefczynski-Lewis, J.A., & Meyer, D.E. (2018, January). Mind the hype: A critical evaluation and prescriptive agenda for research on mindfulness and meditation. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 13(1): 36-61.

update history

We regularly update the articles on ChoosingTherapy.com to ensure we continue to reflect scientific consensus on the topics we cover, to incorporate new research into our articles, and to better answer our audience’s questions. When our content undergoes a significant revision, we summarize the changes that were made and the date on which they occurred. We also record the authors and medical reviewers who contributed to previous versions of the article. Read more about our editorial policies here.

  • Originally Published: January 18, 2022
    Original Author: Tanya Peterson, NCC, DAIS
    Original Reviewer: Benjamin Troy, MD

  • Updated: December 7, 2022
    Author: No Change
    Reviewer: No Change
    Primary Changes: Updated for readability and clarity. Reviewed and added relevant resources. Added five new tips to “Mindfulness Exercises for Anxiety”. New material written by Silvi Saxena, MBA, MSW, LSW, CCTP, OSW-C and reviewed by Kristen Fuller, MD.

Recent Articles

Tokophobia: Symptoms, Treatments, & How to Cope
Tokophobia (Fear of Pregnancy): Symptoms, Treatments, & How to Cope
Tokophobia is a fear of pregnancy and childbirth that affects approximately 6-10% of pregnant women. Women with tokophobia feel...
';
Fear of Cancer: Signs, Causes, & How to Overcome
Fear of Cancer: Causes, Treatments, & How to Overcome
Fear of cancer is bred by our understanding that cancer is vicious, unpredictable, and a death sentence. Having a...
';
Hemophobia (Fear of Blood): Symptoms, Treatments, & How to Cope
Hemophobia (Fear of Blood): Symptoms, Treatments, & How to Cope
Hemophobia is an extreme and irrational fear of blood that often involves fainting, a unique symptom not part of...
';
Cynophobia (Fear of Dogs) Symptoms, Treatments, and How to Cope
Cynophobia (Fear of Dogs): Symptoms, Treatments, & How to Cope
Cynophobia is an extreme, irrational fear of dogs that can drastically impact a person’s life, routines, and well-being, making...
';
Agoraphobia: Signs, Symptoms & Treatments
Agoraphobia: Signs, Symptoms & Treatments
People with agoraphobia avoid specific public places or situations because they anticipate having anxiety or a panic attack and...
';
Somniphobia (Fear of Sleep): Symptoms, Treatments, & How to Cope
Somniphobia (Fear of Sleep): Symptoms, Treatments, & How to Cope
Somniphobia, also known as fear of sleep, is generalized as a cross-over of anxiety and insomnia. There is typically...
';
Headshot of Tanya Peterson, NCC
Written by:

Tanya J. Peterson

NCC
Headshot of Benjamin Troy, MD
Reviewed by:

Benjamin Troy

MD
  • What Is Mindfulness?Definition
  • How Does Mindfulness for Anxiety Work?How It Works
  • Mindfulness Exercises for AnxietyExercises
  • How to Get the Most Out of Mindfulness for AnxietyMaximize
  • Who Can Help Me Practice Meditation for Anxiety?Get Help
  • Is Mindfulness Effective for Anxiety?Effectiveness
  • Examples of Mindfulness for AnxietyExamples
  • Final ThoughtsConclusion
  • Additional ResourcesResources
  • Mindfulness for Anxiety InfographicsInfographics
If you are in need of immediate medical help:
Medical
Emergency
911
Suicide Hotline
800-273-8255
See more Crisis Hotlines
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Write for Us
  • Careers
  • Editorial Policy
  • Advertising Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • No Surprises Act
For immediate help call:
Medical Emergency:
911
Suicide Hotline:
988
Click For More Crisis Hotlines
For immediate help call:
Medical Emergency:
911
Suicide Hotline:
811
See more Crisis Hotlines
here
logo
This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information:
verify here.
This website is certified by Health On the Net Foundation. Click to verify.
Choosing Therapy Logo
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit Cookie Settings to provide controlled consent. Cookie settings ACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

We use cookies to facilitate website functionality. Also, we use third-party cookies to track your website behavior and target advertising. These cookies are stored in your browser only with your consent, and you have the choice of opting out.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non Necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

Save & Accept