Top 7 Mindfulness Techniques for Anxiety and Stress

Anxiety can be crippling. It doesn’t matter how old you are or what kind of life you lead: anxiety is real, and it hits hard. But before you get anxious about spending your life riddled with anxiety, make some time for good news. Anxiety and stress can seem like a monster you just cannot conquer, but that is hardly the case. Just like there is always an antidote for all poisons, there is one for anxiety as well. And the antidote is really simple: mindfulness. 

Carefully devised mindfulness and relaxation techniques can change your life for good and get rid of all the troubling thoughts in your head. The last few decades have seen a substantial increase in mindfulness and anxiety research, and it has bore fruitful results for anxious people like us. 

So, what are these mindfulness techniques for stress, and how can we implement them in our lives? Let’s get learning!

What Is Mindfulness?

How can we get into mindfulness techniques when we don’t know what mindfulness is? Mindfulness is simple: it is vowing to live your life to the fullest, overcoming hindrances as they come your way but never letting them knock you down. Life is like a race, and mindfulness is the key to winning that race while keeping your surroundings and needs in view. 

Simply speaking, you are mindful when you are attentive and present in the moment. It is being aware of your emotions, feelings, and actions instead of dismissing them. 

Now that you know what mindfulness is, take a breather and think about your day today. Were you receptive to your needs? Were you aware of your actions? Did you try to understand the emotions you were feeling? If the answer to all of these is yes, you are mindful. If it is a no, which is most common to be, you have to learn about some quick mindfulness exercises for anxiety. 

Do Mindfulness Techniques Really Work?

Most people who believe in clinical medications and behavioral therapies do not pay attention to mindfulness techniques. How can you cure yourself? They ask. But the truth is, mindfulness exercises for anxiety are therapist aids. Most clinical psychologists recommend such mindfulness techniques, so who should we judge?

However, it is true that mindfulness is not an established clinical domain like cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and other medications for depression. But that does not make it any less real! 

You can think of anxiety as the evil twin of mindfulness. They have a connection but are both very different. Mindfulness is the epitome of goodness, while anxiety is evil. Anxiety traps people in their own minds, while mindfulness frees them. Anxiety forces negative thoughts onto people, and be a motivation killer, whereas mindfulness tells them to live their lives fully and positively. So mindfulness meditation and anxiety are polar opposites. 

But mindfulness is not Superman; it is not a physical entity with superpowers. So, how does it defeat anxiety and stress? The mechanism is very simple. 

Anxiety forces us to worry about intangible things in our lives. In fact, we are sometimes anxious without even knowing why! Mindfulness diverts the mind’s attention to tangible things around it, prompting it to use its senses of touch, smell, taste, sight, and hearing. With your heightened senses, you can better experience the world around you instead of focusing on intangible thoughts coming from another dimension. 

Are you sold out on mindfulness’ effectiveness? It is impossible not to be. Let’s look at free mindfulness exercises for anxiety so you can kick anxiety out of your life once and for all. 

Best Mindfulness Techniques To Overcome Anxiety

Set An Intention

If you have something due soon that is giving you anxiety – like a difficult school essay or a long work meeting, make sure to set your intention for it. This can help you narrow your goals for the day or week down and act as a reminder bell to make sure you know what your efforts are directed to. 

For instance, you can set up an intention to cut yourself some slack before heading out to dinner with your friends. 

Buy An Adult Coloring Book

If you find it hard to concentrate on yourself during yoga and meditation, you are not alone. A lot of people face difficulty meditating while doing nothing, which is quite a paradox in itself. So, if yoga feels too isolating for you, there is a better alternative. 

You may find this weird, but buying an adult coloring book can help you practice mindfulness. Coloring books are also great tools for mindfulness meditation for kids, as they help you focus on the tangible stuff around you without completely emptying your mind. 

So, if you are the kind of person who needs to engage themselves to wind down, going for a doodle or coloring book is a great option. Also, it is fun! Who doesn’t like reminiscing about their childhood and whipping out some fun coloring pencils?

Get Adeqaute Guidance For Meditation

Meditation does not always require finding a guidance specialist or visiting a gym every day. It can be as simple as finding a quiet room in your house and spending a few moments to reflect on yourself. 

You can even download an app for effective mindfulness techniques. There is nothing wrong with getting guidance when you need it!

Wish For Someone To Be Happy

This mindfulness technique is so wholesome you cannot help but try it. This activity comes from former Google pioneer and author Chade-Meng Tang and does not require you to do anything physical. 

All you need to do is take ten seconds out of your life, think of a person, and wish them happiness. They can be someone very close to you, someone you barely know, or even someone who is not in this world anymore. Wish them happiness, and watch how this simple technique reflects happiness back into your life. 

Go Out For A Walk

Nature is one of the best avenues you can choose to practice mindfulness, and throwing in exercise is just like a cherry on top. Breaking your monotonous routine and heading outside for a walk works wonders for anxiety, and all mental health specialists say the same!

Nothing can compare to the soothing sensation of the wind caressing your face while you soak in the fresh smell of grass and trees around you. It is best to leave your phone and headphones at home or not use them even if you bring them along. Just focus on your breathing and your surroundings, and feel the stress leaving your body (and the fat, too!)

Let Some Tea Take Away Your Troubles

Brewing a cup of tea when you feel low is a common tradition in several parts of the world, especially in South Asian cultures. The elaborate art of brewing tea in the fast-paced world of instant coffee can be humbling and soothing. Tea is a great alternative to caffeine and other energy drinks. It eases your insides, and the process of brewing it brings out such a beautiful concoction of smells that it is impossible to not love it. 

Stop Looking Down

We modern humans have surely explored some of the vast expanses of the universe and yet spend a big chunk of our lives looking down, hunched over our computer screens and laptops. Changing this habit, even for a few seconds, can drastically change your approach to life. 

Whether you are walking towards your car after work or taking out the trash, stop, take a breather, and look at the sky. Whether you see the sun or the stars, spend a few seconds soaking in the beautiful world you live in. This will not only make you more mindful of your surroundings but also appreciative of nature and the beautiful life bestowed upon you. 

Summing Up

Anxiety paralysis is very real, and you are completely justified in feeling it. It can hamper your daily life activities, making even the simplest tasks a colossal feat to conquer. 

But you do not always have to resort to medicines or clinical therapies to get rid of it: small life changes can make you more mindful and help combat feelings of helplessness that usually come with anxiety. The reins of your life are in your hands; you only have to be mindful enough to hold them. 

Happy living!