Consistently prioritize sufficient sleep, good nutrition, and regular exercise, as these are critical for managing anxiety and preventing its exacerbation, making your brain less prone to anxious states.
Make a conscious effort to apply meditative and mindfulness techniques directly to specific areas of your life where you seek change, such as relationships, stress management, or overcoming specific fears, rather than expecting general practice to automatically transfer.
Engage in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, specifically using exposure to gradually face fears and cognitive restructuring to challenge irrational thoughts by examining evidence, which provides proof that feared outcomes often don’t materialize.
View moments of distraction during meditation as a ‘win,’ as waking up to your mind’s wandering is the essential practice that allows you to observe your mental machinery and not be governed by every thought.
When judgment or doubt arises during meditation, make a mental note, such as ‘judgment’ or ‘doubt,’ to acknowledge and disengage from these thoughts, preventing them from crippling your practice and life.
For beginners or those struggling with time, start with a formal meditation practice of just one minute daily to make it accessible and build consistency, rather than aiming for overly ambitious durations.
If anxiety is significantly impairing your life, consider combining medication (like SSRIs) with therapy to prevent avoidance behaviors and the shrinking of your world, as both can be effective treatments.
Leverage the memory of past suffering or the desire to avoid future distress as a powerful motivator to consistently engage in self-care practices like meditation, sleep, and exercise.
To potentially strengthen the learning from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, consider taking a nap or going for a run after a session, as these activities can help consolidate memories.
Understand that while anxiety is a normal emotion, it becomes a disorder requiring attention when it consistently impairs your ability to live your life the way you want to live it.
If formal meditation is challenging, engage in activities like yoga (as a ‘moving meditation’) or baking that are tactile, require present-moment attention, and provide a sense of certainty and grounding.
Incorporate acts of generosity, such as giving away things you create, as a beneficial practice that can provide positive feedback and connection.
Be aware that passively scrolling through social media feeds can increase feelings of loneliness and sadness, while more active engagement (like posting) may be less detrimental to mental health.
To find a trustworthy meditation teacher, research local options, look for teachers speaking in your area, attend retreats, or inquire about remote teaching via Skype or phone.
Investigate fMRI neurofeedback as a potential treatment where you learn to alter your brain activity in real-time to alleviate anxiety symptoms, if you are able to use an MRI scanner.