How To Meditate For Anxiety: 3 Beginner Tricks & Techniques

There are many meditation techniques that can help ease the symptoms of anxiety, but these are three of my tried-and-tested favorites.

Anxiety feels different for everyone, but common symptoms include feeling unable to relax, having a sense of dread, or always fearing the worst. When we practice mindfulness meditation, we become aware of the anxiety-inducing thoughts or feelings in the body and mind, which is the first step in approaching them with compassion and understanding. Meditation trains us to not get attached to these thoughts but rather to allow them to be. It can be scary to stay with thoughts, worries, and painful memories or emotions you instinctively wish to shy away from, but the very act of being with them has been shown to help them dissipate.

Begin by sitting in a comfortable position. Bring your awareness to the physical sensation of the breath: the rising and falling of the abdomen and chest or the feeling of the breath as it travels in and out the nostrils or mouth. Once you feel settled, bring your awareness to the thoughts and emotions, letting them come and then letting them go. Imagine each thought is like a cloud moving across a clear blue sky, always changing.

This exercise is a form of breathwork and is one of the fastest ways to reduce stress and anxiety. I often practice it to help myself fall asleep at night or before a big talking engagement or workshop and find that it helps me calm and reset the nervous system, helping my body and brain to relax.

With the hands resting on the belly, breathe in deeply, sending the breath away from the chest and down toward the abdomen. Imagine there is a balloon in your belly and on the inhale that balloon expands into your hands, and on the exhale it deflates. You could try extending the exhale slightly to further encourage the body back to its natural resting state.  

This is a good approach for those days when the thoughts and feelings seem completely overwhelming, as it gives your brain something else to focus on.

Choose a mantra that resonates with you. It may be a self-affirmation (such as "I am worthy"), or it may be a simple chant (such as "om"). Repeat that mantra over and over again for a few minutes. Each time you get distracted, don't worry about it. Draw your focus back once more to the mantra.

For anxiety, it can be helpful to establish a routine and practice at roughly the same time every day. It doesn't matter where or when you do it: If sitting cross-legged every morning feels uncomfortable, then try it on your commute to work (not while driving, though!) or at night right before bed.

Meditation is an excellent tool for helping alleviate the symptoms of anxiety and over time can provide substantial relief to an uneasy mind. However, it's not the only way to cope with anxiety. Getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, eating balanced meals, maintaining a breathwork practice, and staying connected to people who care about you are great ways to keep it at bay.