Calm Your Anxious Mind

08.5.2017

Anxiety is a normal and natural part of the human condition. But heightened anxiety is distressing and stops you from living the life you want.

 

The amygdala is the part of the brain responsible for anxiety. Its function is to give us the sensations of anxiety, or feelings of ‘fight or flight’, that alert us of danger and help us form memories about dangerous experiences so we can learn from them. Anxiety disorders occur when this part of the brain malfunctions or is overactive.

 

The good news is that recent research suggests that mindfulness practice is a powerful tool for dealing with anxiety disorders - helping people to better manage their anxiety.

What causes anxiety?

There is a range of different causes of anxiety, including past events and lifestyle choices, or it could just be a personality trait based on an individual’s particular genetics. But, whatever their source, anxiety produces a range of uncomfortable experiences such as irritability, a sense of dread, lack of concentration, feeling ‘on the edge’ and restlessness.

 

Mindfulness is a great way to help with some of the causes and symptoms of anxiety.

How can mindfulness help with anxiety?

In a recent study, 89 patients with Generalized Anxiety, a disorder characterised by excessive worrying, were split into two groups. One group took an eight-week mindfulness course and the other had no intervention. At the beginning and end of the training the participants were tested for indications of stress.

 

A stressful situation was used to provoke anxiety in the participants and then their blood was tested signs of stress such as inflammatory markers and stress hormones.

 

The results showed big reductions in the stress markers at the end of the mindfulness course. This suggests that mindfulness training can develop our resistance to stress and reduces our anxiety when faced with stressful situations.

 

The participants also reported feeling less anxious and stressed showing that self-observations concurred with the biological evidence.

What mindfulness techniques can help with anxiety?

The acronym STOP is great way to remember a selection of simple mindfulness techniques to help with anxious thoughts.

 

S – Stop what you’re doing and put everything down.

T – Take a breath and breath in and out normally. Focus on your breath coming in and out of your body.

O – Observe how you feel in yourself. What are you thinking? What are your feelings? How does your body feel? Are you hot/cold? Become an observer to your thoughts and remember what they are: just thoughts. Notice them and frame them for what they are. Give a name to the feelings and show yourself compassion and understanding.

P – Proceed with something that gives you comfort such as talking to someone who can offer you support or a physical action such as stretching or self-massage.

 

This is something you can try to help stop anxious thoughts from escalating further.

 

To find out more on anxiety and mindfulness contact michael@mindfulnessworks.com or call (+44) 01223 750660