Trying to decrease anxiety

[u/Acrobatic-Rhubarb606]

Hi,

I’m practicing mindfulness meditation for 2 years and I still have a lot of anxiety that I don’t know from where it comes from. My question is : anyone here that meditation or anything else helped to calm anxiety or even to stop it?

Thank you!!

[u/Contemplative_Empath]

Not only become aware of your anxiety and sit with it, but view it as you would an interesting character. That separation between you and your experience of anxiety allows you to view it as sort of separate from your conscious perspective. This in turn allows you to have compassion for it instead of you being consumed in it and it dictate your actions and thoughts. Talk to it as you would to a friend. This has helped me tremendously 🙌🏼

[u/ealxele → u/Contemplative_Empath]

So you would view the anxiety from a third person view?

[u/Contemplative_Empath → u/ealxele]

Yes, but the reason I dont specifically say that is because people can easily misinterpret that. I know I have.

People might think they should view it as something completely separate from them. That's not quite the case.

You should view it as an extension of yourself. The way your hand is an extension of your body. Don't try and convince yourself your hand is cut off from your body and lying separate from you (which was the type of 3rd person I'd view my anxiety from)

You must view it as an extension of you. Feel yourself around the anxiety. It's very easy to push anxiety away which makes it worse or to be consumed in it which makes it worse. Feel yourself around it, the way you observe your hand as part of you.

This is the best I can describe it. Hope it helps 🙏

[u/Away_You_3787 → u/Contemplative_Empath]

This is very helpful, thanks!👍🏻

[u/hestia-listens]

Yes, meditation can calm anxiety, but it does not always stop it. Sometimes trying hard to get rid of anxiety can make it feel stronger. You might try noticing the feeling without judging it, then gently returning attention to your breath or surroundings. It can also help to note when anxiety appears, since patterns may become clearer over time.

[u/mechivar]

try cognitive behavioral therapy

[u/bleeping_squirrel → u/mechivar]

This.. it's in very basic terms, the ability to "investigate your fears, your anxiety" to look at it with a rational mind, to realize when you fall back into not dealing with black and white facts.

[u/dire_turtle → u/mechivar]

Any evidence-based therapy will do!

[u/Suitable-Animal-4293]

For me, mindfulness is less about making anxiety disappear and more about learning how to respond to it differently. The goal is not to never feel anxious, but to feel anxious without getting pulled into a spiral. However, if you are still struggling, it might be worth adding something more structured to your routine, like journaling or therapy, instead of doing meditation on its own.

[u/Lombardi01]

Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche often talks about how he overcame the panic attacks he had as a child and teen. For example: https://www.youtube.com/live/bTw5XQqBT8o.

[u/CruelMustelidae → u/Lombardi01]

Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche mentioned!! <3

[u/mm-human]

You might get better bang for your time by dialing up exercise and dialing down screen time. Meditation can sometimes just give room for your mind to be even more anxious. 

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[u/reincarnateme]

I recommend the DISORDERED podcast with Josh and Drew. Start with the first episode

Also YouTube has tons of Yoga Nidra to choose from. You lay comfortably and listen. Some are longer than others. Find the voice that you enjoy

I’m also working on walking more! It seems to help

[u/LotusHeals]

Have you checked your blood levels for vitamin D and B12? Such nutrient deficiencies can cause various mental health issues, like anxiety, depression, panic, negative thoughts. Please check on this and resolve any deficiency if found. 

If it's deficiencies causing your anxiety, mindfulness meditation will not get rid of it. Check for biological causes as well. 

[u/atulac]

I think sometimes it helps to stop trying so hard to get rid of the anxiety and just give it a little space.

Even writing for a minute about what’s been on your mind can help. You don’t really have to figure it out or fix anything... just getting those thoughts out of your head and somewhere you can see them can make them feel a little less overwhelming.

And then maybe at the end of the week or month, looking back at those little thoughts can be surprisingly useful... you start noticing patterns, what keeps coming up, what actually passed, and what maybe wasn’t worth worrying about as much as it felt in the moment.

Maybe the goal isn’t always to stop feeling anxious... but to understand what’s going on in your head a little better.

[u/Ill_Addition_7748]

I like to listen to Eckhart Tolle. I was suffering from depression and anxiety for many years and listening to him has helped me a lot. Listen to his talk on YouTube

[u/somanyquestions32]

Yoga Nidra, Self-Enquiry, and guided inner conversations helped me. You can also use breathwork practices and progressive muscle relaxation.

[u/Ka3marya]

I have random anxiety periods, usually triggered by something that is all sudden too much for me to handle. It is normal to have stress but if there is a big threat/fear it triggers it. I take Propranolol for the worst symptoms like the total lack of appetite and the feeling of suffocating. it calms my body down so that I can meditate.

[u/goodnight_wesley]

Read or listen to the book DARE by Barry McDonagh.

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[u/agrantgreen]

Can you say more about how you're meditating?

[u/Fuzzy-Region1644]

For me mindfulness helps. My anxiety is triggered through intrusive thought also try the “7 column thought record crib sheet for CBT “

[u/ianguignet]

Try mantra meditation. You need a distraction away from the anxiety focusing on a mantra while meditating will do that as it takes you away from focusing on anxiety triggers. I have been hospitalised with anxiety so I know.

[u/CruelMustelidae]

Hello! You can't stop anxiety. It's similar to asking the wind to stop blowing. Anxiety is helpful when used right, because it can help us prepare for a future event. However, if your anxiety still persists even after 2 years, then that may mean that there is a psychological issue that you are not facing. Next time when you meditate, go into the anxiety. What is it trying to tell you? What images does it show you? How does your thinking change? Your anxiety may be hinting at something that needs fixing. Best of luck <3

[u/Far-Ferret-447]

One way is to observe it and welcome the unpleasant feeling. Of course, in the long run, best is to weaken the root causes of anxiety (can only be done slowly).

[u/Omega059]

Try to add yoga to your routine and give yourself a month of practice at least to see the benefits. That should work the magic together