When your day is derailed by fear and worry, you want to try to center your mind and become more anchored in the present moment. Mindfulness techniques can help you do just that. If this is your first attempt at practicing mindfulness, you might find it challenging at first. By practicing this skill for a few minutes each day, over time you’ll find it easier to calm your racing mind and make your worries take a back seat.
Deep breathing
Breathing is something so natural that we barely think about it. In fact, you breathe about 20,000 times a day without conscious thought. You might wonder how something as simple as taking deep breaths can do anything for your fear and worry. Yet the breath, which yogis call “prana,” has powerfully calming effects on your brain and the rest of your nervous system.
When you’re anxious, your breathing quickens. Purposefully slowing your breaths helps you gain more control over your mental state. You can do it anywhere. There are several breathing techniques you might try.
Diaphragmatic, or belly breathing
Here’s how to do it:
- Start by sitting comfortably or lying on your back.
- Place one hand on the upper part of your chest and the other hand on your belly.
- Relax your belly muscles.
- Breathe in slowly through your nose until you feel your belly start to rise.
- Breathe out slowly through slightly pursed lips and feel your belly fall.
- Repeat.
Box breathing
- Breathe out while counting to four.
- Hold your breath while counting to four.
- Breathe in while counting to four.
- Hold your breath while counting to four.
- Repeat.
Start with just a minute or two of deep breathing and expand the time from there. Try for at least 10 minutes of deep breathing each day. During each session, focus on becoming aware of the feeling of your breath moving in and out. Observe what happens in your body when you concentrate on your breathing.
Meditation
Meditation takes deep breathing one step further, by combining it with mental focus. Research finds mindfulness meditation helpful for not only relieving anxiety symptoms, but also for improving our ability to cope with the stressors that life throws our way.
Set aside a few minutes each day to meditate. Sit somewhere quiet and close your eyes. Breathe deeply in and out while calming your mind. You might repeat a sound, word, or phrase, like “life is good” or “om.” If your mind wanders, as it inevitably will, gently steer it back to the present. Think of your intrusive thoughts as clouds. Acknowledge them, but then let them drift away.
Mindfulness seems easy, but that sense of simplicity can be deceptive. It takes effort to still a racing mind. And it might take you some time and multiple tries to accomplish it.
To get started, set a time to practice mindfulness each day. Put it in your calendar. Aim for only two to five minutes your first day. As you get more comfortable with the practice, build up to longer sessions. A good goal is to work up to practicing for 10 to 20 minutes each day.
