Rather than let your mind wander to anxious thoughts of the past or future, meditation and mindfulness exercises encourage us to focus on what we are doing and feeling in the present moment, without passing judgment.

According to MindWorks, the word meditation derives from the Latin word ‘meditatum,’ which means “to ponder.” While meditation has been practiced for thousands of years, many practice it today to reach a state of relaxation and reduce stress.

And mindfulness is one of the most popular meditation practices for neutralizing the impact of anxiety disorders. It involves breathing techniques and guided imagery that help the body relax. Mindful.org defines mindfulness as “the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.”

“Meditation trains the brain to achieve sustained focus, and to return to that focus when negative thinking, emotions, and physical sensations intrude – which happens a lot when you feel stressed and anxious,” Dr. John W. Denninger, director of research at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital, told Harvard Health Publishing.

“When you meditate, you are better able to ignore the negative sensations of stress and anxiety, which explains, in part, why stress levels fall when you meditate,” said Dr. Denninger.

Impact of meditation for anxiety on the brain

During episodes of anxiety, the brain is on overdrive. According to the National Institute for Mental Health, people experiencing anxiety can feel “restless, wound-up, or on-edge; [be] easily fatigued; [have] difficulty concentrating … [and/or be] irritable.”

Anxiety may cause a person to fixate on the past and/or to worry about the future. Meditation for anxiety can help promote a peaceful state by directing attention to the present moment. The goal is not to pretend the anxious thoughts are not real or to block out all negative thinking, but to observe those thoughts objectively without getting caught up or swept away by them.

“This helps provide some distance from those negative thoughts or stressful feelings, allowing you to recognize that, although they affect you, they are not you,” according to Dr. Denninger.

Mayo Clinic lists the emotional benefits of meditation as:

• “Gaining a new perspective on stressful situations
• Building skills to manage your stress
• Increasing self-awareness
• Focusing on the present
• Reducing negative emotions
• Increasing imagination and creativity
• Increasing patience and tolerance”

A 2017 study suggests that “just 10 minutes of mindfulness helps with ruminative thought patterns. In the study, 82 participants who experience anxiety were given a computer task to complete, but were regularly disrupted. They were then split into two groups: one group listened to a guided meditation for 10 minutes, while the other group listened to an audio book for 10 minutes. Participants were then sent back to the computer while the disruptions continued.”

Those who meditated were able to stay focused and did better completing the task. “That was surprising to me,” says lead researcher and psychology PhD candidate Mengran Xu. “Mindfulness meditation promoted a switch of attention from their internal thoughts to the external environment. It helped them focus on what’s happening right now, in the moment, and not to get trapped in their worries.”

“Meditation trains the brain to achieve sustained focus, and to return to that focus when negative thinking, emotions, and physical sensations intrude — which happens a lot when you feel stressed and anxious,” says Dr. John W. Denninger, director of research at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital, in the Harvard Health Publishing article.

According to the article, “meditation has been found to change certain brain regions that are specifically linked with depression.”

Everyday ways to practice meditation for anxiety

Meditation for anxiety requires no special equipment and can be done practically anywhere for any amount of time, which makes it easy to sneak in a few moments of calm throughout your everyday life. Some guided meditations can take as little as five minutes.

Look for small breaks in your day to meditate, such as during a walk through your neighborhood, on your break at work, or throughout your morning routine before starting the day. Even something as simple as closing your eyes and practicing deep breathing or repeating an encouraging word or phrase is a form of meditation.

If you’re not sure where to start, try following an online tutorial or visit Mindful.org, which offers an article for those just getting started with meditation.

Just as anxiety differs from person to person, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to its treatment. Used in conjunction with traditional anxiety treatments such as medication and/or talk therapy, mind-body practices are one more tool to fight anxiety symptoms. Determining the approach that works best for you may involve exploring a range of options with your doctor. And, perhaps, some new adventures on a yoga mat or meditation cushion.

If you’d like to learn more about anxiety or alternative therapies, read these GeneSight blog posts:

https://genesight.com/blog/patient/the-best-types-of-exercise-for-mental-health/

https://genesight.com/blog/patient/5-alternative-depression-treatments/