4 Steps to Calm Anxiety Using Meditation

Occasionally, we all feel anxious. Both positive and negative circumstances fuel anxiety. 

Betina decided to take her work to a new level. She was a personal shopper for a high end department store. She had a large group of men and women who relied on her to help them create their wardrobes and to select gifts on their behalf.  She was beginning to find her position constraining, both from where she could source her selections as well as the income she could make. If she went out on her own, she would have more room for artistic expression and business creativity but she would also have to worry of not having a steady flow of business. Betina pressed beyond her comfort zone professionally, socially, and emotionally when she decided to start her own business. Contacting her former clients involved much anxiety but she found out most wanted to continue working with her. They too were pressing beyond their comfort zones because the big department store they always relied on didn't leave them feeling they might be called out on their style or choices. Betina and her clients were in situations that triggered anxiety, even though they were participating in growth experiences.

Anxiety and Excitement Can Feel Similar in Our Bodies

Anxiety and excitement feel very similar in our bodies making it easy to confuse excitement with anxiety. We label our feelings as anxious about doing the thing we have longed to do. In these cases, awareness of the longing and choice to be where we are helps us see that the butterflies we feel deep in our bellies are signaling excitement rather than anxiety.

Anxiety also arises when we experience fear concerning a negative outcome or a feeling that an outcome is out of our control. There are times when anxiety arising in this way  becomes overwhelming.

Using Avoidance to Calm Anxiety Has An Opposite Effect in the Longrun

When anxiety is elevated you may think that your only choice to achieve peacefulness is to give up opportunities, learning experiences, meeting new people, or going new places, physically or emotionally. Avoidance is a coping mechanism for minimizing anxiety that, if used regularly, can increasingly limit you and the life before you.

One excellent fact is that there are other simple, natural strategies besides avoiding to get through anxious moments.  One of the simple natural techniques for minimizing anxiety is using meditation.

Meditation can help us lower anxiety.

Some people have a close relationship with a higher power while others do not or don't believe in one.  No matter what your beliefs are, there are ways to conquer your anxiety through your thoughts and affirmations. This is about you getting better and you know best what will make you feel at ease.

How to Get Started

You can start on your path to a lower anxiety life right away and it all starts with a deep breath.

Why postpone peace? Let's try it now.

Pull the air deep down into your diaphragm, and let it out slowly. Do this several times and notice if you begin to feel calmer.

Now lets look at your breath more closely.

Are you breathing effectively?

When you take in air, if only the top part of your lungs expands, your chest rises and falls. When you breathe the right way - the calming way - your belly rises and falls, not your upper chest, because your entire lungs are being filled with fresh air.

 Avoid breathing from your upper chest only and you'll already be on the road to feeling calmer and less anxious. The more you do it, the more it'll become automatic. Soon, you'll feel calmer without even thinking about your breathing anymore.

Here are some other tips to help you feel calm while meditating:

1. Use your breathing like a mantra. Inhale while you give yourself positive thoughts and feelings. Exhale anything negative you're thinking or feeling. Breathing is the rhythm of life. Use it to your advantage.
2. Pray or meditate at the same time each day. Spend a few minutes - it doesn't have to be a long time - in quiet reflection. Say good things to yourself. You can focus on your health, finances, family, or anything you want to make stronger. Avoid negative thinking during this time.
3.  Try saying "ho, ho, ho, he, he, he, ha, ha, ha" and other silly phrases out loud. When you do, you'll start to smile, then grin, and then laugh for real! And when you're laughing, you can't frown or feel anxious!
4. Pray or meditate with others. Join a church, take up yoga, or find a support group for anxiety. Many others share your struggle, and you can feel better about yourself and more in-tune with others when you share your feelings.

Next Steps

When you start your journey toward personal peace, expect to conquer your anxiety. However, avoid the trap of assuming you'll do it in one day, or even in one week. It took time to get where you are, and it'll take time to get back to where you want to be.

The important thing is to take that first step and then enjoy and appreciate the journey.

Every journey begins with that first step, and once you make it you'll be well on your way. Breathe.  Be intentional about becoming calmer and more focused.