Dealing with Worry and Anxiety

05.6.2017

We all worry, sometimes it’s about the little thing -  like whether we turned off the light, sometimes it’s much bigger things, like losing a family member. Worry is normal, but when it becomes persistent it can turn into anxiety which makes it difficult to concentrate and much harder to relax and recuperate.

What is anxiety?

Anxiety expresses itself differently in everyone, but symptoms include restlessness, feeling a sense of dread, feeling “on edge”, poor concentration and irritability. These symptoms can prevent social interaction and inhibit effective working. That can lead to withdrawal, which can lower self-esteem, making the problem even worse. As well as psychological symptoms, anxiety can come with physical symptoms such as dizziness, palpitations, sweating, nausea, headaches and insomnia.

Why do we experience anxiety?

It’s normal to worry, but our brains can become wired for anxiety when we repeatedly experience anxious thoughts. Sometimes anxiety comes from our emotional history - especially if we were frequently distressed in childhood. Sometimes decisions made as an adult leads to stress – and with that can come anxious thoughts. Choices around diet and lifestyle can also lead to anxiety: it’s important to eat healthily and avoid misusing alcohol. Sometimes our physical health can make us anxious. If we’re feeling unwell, that can sometimes cause symptoms of anxiety. Drugs and medication can also play a part in triggering, or escalating, anxious thoughts. In addition, in some cases, you can be genetically predisposed to anxiety as it can run in families.

How can mindfulness help?

A recent study looked at how mindfulness can reduce the negative thinking patterns in depressed and anxious people. Three different mindfulness techniques were taught to 77 participants while anxiety levels and negative thought patterns were measured.

The most successful technique for reducing negative thoughts was acceptance-based mindfulness meditation. This is the process of making room in the mind for thoughts so they can be observed and accepted rather than resisting them.

The following is a script from the study given to participants:

‘Direct your attention inwardly…notice thoughts, emotions, physical sensations…any other kinds of experiences as they show up in the field of your awareness…sitting and noticing what's here, right now, for you…Each time you become aware of a private experience, such as a thought, or a feeling…turning your attention towards it, acknowledging it, maybe labelling it…and as best you can, letting things be as they are…making space for your experiences.’ (Ainsworth et al, 2017)

The other two techniques were attention-based breath meditation and progressive muscle relaxation. All three techniques offered some relief from anxious thoughts.

Acceptance-based meditation is particularly useful because it involves allowing thinking to ebb and flow so through observing and justifying our thoughts we can practice self-compassion. Anxiety can produce some very frightening feelings but it’s important to recognize your thoughts for exactly what they are: they are just thoughts – as people discover when they take up mindfulness training.

To find out more about mindfulness and dealing with anxiety disorders contact rachel@mindfulnessworks.com, or call (+44) 01223 750660.