If you are suffering from anxiety, you are not alone. Anxiety is a lot more common than you think. In fact, 1 in 5 Americans suffers from anxiety.
Most of the time, anxious feelings arise when you start worrying about something that could happen. But that’s transporting you from the present moment into the realm of future possibilities. The more time you spend thinking about the future, the more time you waste in the present.
Let’s look at what anxiety can look like and how practicing mindfulness to stay in the moment is a beneficial treatment.
What Anxiety Looks Like for Me
When my anxiety was at its worst, I would suffer from multiple panic attacks per day. Some were so powerful that even after they passed, I would not be able to continue my day as usual. I constantly felt tense and was terrified of having another panic attack (fear of the fear).
This fear would paralyze me, and I would find myself just waiting for anxiety to overcome me again. To pass the time, I would stare holes into the air around me. I was not motivated to work, pursue my hobbies, listen to music, or even watch tv. I could not concentrate on anything other than my thoughts about my anxiety and how miserable my situation was.
Do You Suffer From Anxiety?
As it turns out, lack of concentration and feeling paralyzed or overwhelmed by your thoughts and feelings are common factors of anxiety.
If you find yourself unable to focus on tasks while worrying excessively about other things, it’s possible that you could be suffering from anxiety. Poor concentration, lack of focus, and distractibility are common cognitive symptoms of anxiety.
Other symptoms include excessive worrying about a specific event or thinking that something is about to go wrong. Anxiety can also be associated with specific fears such as heights, crowds, or a fear of flying (flight anxiety).
Natural Solutions for Anxiety
Practicing mindfulness is one way to relieve your tension and help you be present in each moment. However, staying present in the moment is not as easy as it sounds, at least not at first. Just like any other skill, mindfulness takes practice.
You can practice staying present in the moment by focusing on one thing rather than trying to multitask. Multitasking can contribute to that overwhelming feeling that comes with anxiety.
Another way to practice mindfulness is to take some time each day to appreciate the good things in your life, no matter how small they are. Many people also find that practicing breathing exercises is an excellent way to calm their nerves and help them to stay present in the moment.
Mindfulness Exercise
Here is a mindfulness exercise that can help you stay present in the moment.
First, sit in a comfortable position with your back straight. Many people choose to sit upright with their feet flat on the floor. Close your eyes and breathe as you normally would. As your doing this, try to clear your mind of all thoughts and focus on nothing but your breath.
It is helpful to imagine a balloon inside your lungs that fills up as you inhale and deflates as you exhale. Do this for as long as feels comfortable.
As you do this, thoughts will drift into your mind. This is normal. Try to let them go without judging them and focus on your breath. The key to this is to not identify with your thoughts or the feelings that come with them. When thoughts come up, refocus your attention on your breath and just keep breathing.
This mindfulness exercise might be tough to master at first, but with practice, you will find that it will soothe your anxiety and help you to stay present in the moment.