Nurturing the Whole Self, Part II: Mind-Based Self-Care for Anxiety
I’d say that most people would name their thoughts as the usual battleground of their anxiety (over, say, their body). While physical symptoms of anxiety can be debilitating, the anxiety in our minds can be just as painful, if not more so. Anxious thoughts, daily worries, epic panicked meltdowns… so many of these experiences involve our thoughts spiraling out of control.
This is why I want my patients to have a varied and nuanced approach to self-care for anxiety. While it’s vital to have a solid physical self-care routine and to take care of the anxious body, it’s just as important to pay attention to how we can help our own anxious minds.
When it comes to our self-care routines I think many of us accidentally neglect the mind. The mind is either on autopilot (“my thoughts just… happen? I don’t know what they’re saying, and I definitely can’t control them”), or it’s more easily accessed with others (e.g., in conversation), or maybe even best left to professionals (like an anxiety therapist). In contrast, self-care can feel like a task specifically for the body.
When it comes to anxiety, though, I try to help all of my patients in therapy for anxiety feel empowered to practice thought-based self-care as well. Without it, your self-care practice may feel less effective than you want it to be.
Meditation: The Gold Standard for Taming Your Thoughts
Y’all knew my fave mind-based self-care would be meditation, right?
I’m always surprised at how challenging it’s been to convince meditation newbies that it’s (1) worth it to try and (2) extremely effective. I actually think most therapists, most high-achieving women, hell, most generally anxious people have tried meditation. The practice is clearly nothing new, and we all know we “should” meditate. But I would also guess that much of the time, high-achievers feel there’s not quite enough bang for your buck in such a sedentary, quiet practice. (“What is this even really doing?”)
If this sounds like you, there are two meditation secrets I need you to know.
Meditation Secrets From an Anxiety Therapist For Conquering Anxiety
First Meditation Secret
First, the goal of meditation is not to calm you down or make your anxiety go away. So many people who are new to the practice feel more anxious after meditating. And it actually makes sense. Distraction is a coping mechanism, and meditation asks you to actively stop distracting yourself. If meditation doesn’t calm you, you aren’t doing it wrong. You’re getting in touch with what’s actually happening in your body and your mind. And that’s the first step toward making a change that helps you.
Second Meditation Secret
The second mediation secret is that meditation can feel boring. But pushing past the boredom is actually the really heavy lift of the practice. Instead of assuming that being bored means the meditation isn’t working, I want you to recognize that this is exactly the time when your brain is reeeeeally working to build your attention and improve your ability to direct your thoughts in workable ways. This is meditation at its most challenging! Take the boredom as a sign that you’re on the right path and persevere over that really steep hill.
The Magic of Meditation
Here’s the real magic of meditation: a meditation practice is about training your mind to notice and potentially redirect your thoughts. It’s the brain’s job to produce thoughts, and meditation teaches you to take what the brain gives you and sort through that data quickly and effectively. Maintaining a meditation practice is therefore like going to the gym for your mind — every session builds the muscle you need to redirect your thoughts. (There is real neuroscience research on this — mindfulness and meditation literally grow neurons and increase your brain’s cortical thickness. It’s incredible.)
Later, in times of high anxiety, you will use that muscle to observe your anxious thoughts, determine whether they’re workable or unworkable (a fabulous ACT technique I use with all of my patients), and redirect your mind in ways that work for you, not against you.
As an anxiety therapist, my advice is to start meditating TODAY. Don’t save this self-care only for times of high anxiety. Building a daily meditation practice is the gold standard for mind-based self-care, and most of my anxiety patients who do this see results in as little as two weeks. Add this to your body self-care, and come back next week for some ~self-care for the souuuuul~.
Find Strength to Heal From Your Anxiety Symptoms With The Help of Therapy For Anxiety in New Orleans, LA
Are you exhausted by the relentless cycle of anxious thoughts controlling your life? It's time to take a proactive step toward reclaiming your peace of mind. Incorporating therapy for anxiety alongside meditation can be your powerful duo in breaking free from the grip of anxiety. Start your journey with Rebecca AE Smith, Ph.D., and with the guidance of therapy and the practice of meditation, you'll find the strength to navigate through even the toughest moments of anxiety. Follow these three simple steps to get started:
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Start healing from your anxiety and prioritize your mind-based self-care!
Other Services Offered With Rebecca AE Smith, Ph.D.
Are you a millennial struggling with anxiety, perfectionism, life transitions, and more? With Rebecca AE Smith, Ph.D., I can help you work through your struggles or challenges to begin managing and coping with your symptoms in healthy ways. So in addition to helping you with your anxiety symptoms through meditation and Therapy for Anxiety, I also provide Therapy for Women for those who struggle with burnout, stress, work-life balance, navigating relationships, and more! As well as Therapy for Perfectionism for those struggling to overcome their symptoms and stress of feeling perfect all the time. At my practice, I provide online services for those in Louisiana and Virginia. For more about me check out my About Me page and Blog!