Perhaps you’ve tried meditation before and discovered exactly how difficult it can be to still your internal chatter. The process of slowing down, of sitting still might seem to bring your thoughts rushing to the forefront of your mind, clamouring for attention. “What am I going to do after this?” “What should I have for lunch” “Am I doing this right?” “Am I doing this the same as everyone else?
You’ll probably find that eventually, your mind begins to quiet. You’ll find a way to bring your attention to your breath, focusing fully on breathing in and breathing out. Within that space there is a focus and a concentration, but there’s also a sense of stillness. It’s definitely not that you’re doing nothing, but you probably won’t be able to quite explain what it is that you are doing. You will however discover a sense of peace and acceptance that is very beneficial.
There’s a lot of evidence that meditating can assist with reducing anxiety. Mindfulness (a style of meditation) has become extremely popular over the last few years because of the benefits to mental health associated with it. Classes are being held in schools and it is has also been introduced into large corporations to reduce stress and to improve performance.
Mindfulness and meditation are not relaxation techniques, but are likely to instill a sense of calm. By paying attention to your breathing, becoming focused on your senses and being ‘in the now’ you can enjoy a stillness that can really help to reduce anxious thinking and depressive thoughts.
If learning meditation isn’t for you, then you might find hypnosis or self-hypnosis is easier. In hypnosis you can access similar relaxed, yet focused states of mind. In my role as a hypnotherapist I regularly teach my clients self-hypnosis, often using a Mindfulness approach. Learning these easy techniques can help anxious clients to have a greater sense of control of their mood or state of mind.
