Isn’t that sitting around in silence? Hard pass!
Mindfulness is a helpful tool for managing anxiety and is not a new term to most people. However mindfulness can be an elusive term that might evoke sitting in silence for hours on end or intense meditation. For most, sitting around for hours without anything to do sounds pretty miserable. It definitely isn’t my cup of tea either. So let’s take a look at what mindfulness is, how it can assist with anxiety and how it is different from meditation.
What is mindfulness?
Simply put, mindfulness is being aware of yourself and your surroundings. It is the ability to be fully present with your thoughts, emotions and actions in a curious way. When we are mindful we are able to slow down and take a look at what we are doing, what is occurring around us and what’s going on within us. Because it is simply acknowledging what is going on for you emotionally and intellectually there is space for mindfulness throughout the day, no matter what that day holds.
How can Mindfulness help with anxiety?
By slowing things down and knowing how you feel can allow you to identify feelings of anxiety more quickly. When your breath is short, when your heart starts racing and there is a tightness in the chest may all be signs that anxiety is starting to increase.
Why would knowing how I feel help with anxiety?
Knowing that the sensations you are experiencing can help you better understand and manage anxiety. Often we only notice anxiety when it is overwhelming us. When we feel overwhelmed we often want to know why we feel this way. However overwhelm is often due to several small things adding up instead of one big thing happening. If we only notice overwhelm when it’s big then if can be very confusing especially if nothing big has happened.
However, if you become more aware of the earlier signs of anxiety it can help you make better sense of what is happening for you in the moment. In the moment when anxiety is just starting to increase you often have more information about what is happening for you in the moment.
In case you missed 
Anxiety, a brief description
5 Qualities of Mindfulness
- Attention to what is happening in the present
- Cultivating an attitude of curiosity about yourself and your surroundings
- Increasing your ability to relate to yourself and others with more compassion, kindness and acceptance
- Decreasing harsh judgements about yourself and the world
- Ability to permit emotions to occur without being overwhelmed by them
Mindfulness vs. Meditation
Mindfulness is often confused with meditation and truthfully there is no clear consensus on the difference between these terms. It doesn’t help that they often are used interchangeably, which just adds to the confusion. So while it may not be how everyone else defines these terms, the way that I distinguish them is that meditation is a practice while mindfulness is a quality. Meaning that you do meditation but you are mindful.
Ready to take better care of your anxiety?
Mindfulness is just one way to better understand yourself and anxiety. If you are ready to take the next step then book your free discovery call with me. Let me help you uncover the transformative potential of anxiety counseling when guided by a clear plan and the expertise of the right therapist can help you now, tomorrow and well into your future.
I look forward to hearing from you and hope this helps you as you take your own powerful and transformative journey. Per usual take what fits for you, leave what does not, and join me next time. Until then let’s stay social 
One Response
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