People who experience anxiety will know just how much the condition can impact daily life — creeping into everything from work to relationships to hobbies.
If you’re one of these individuals, it makes sense that you’ll want to do what you can to calm the mind and keep those worries at bay.
While the art of mindfulness has roots stemming back thousands of years, it has more recently been championed by the wellness industry as an approach to help ease stress and encourage relaxation.
But can mindfulness help individuals better manage anxiety?
What is mindfulness?
Put simply, “it’s moment-to-moment, nonjudgmental awareness,” says Katya Jezzard-Puyraud, mindfulness instructor and founder of LightHearts UK.
Mindfulness can involve:
- accepting how you feel in the present moment, physically and emotionally
- taking in your surroundings and being aware of yourself in them
- not being distracted by thoughts from the past or future
- being kind and nonjudgmental to yourself and others
When it comes to anxiety, practicing mindfulness can provide you with the mental tools to slow things down so you don’t feel overwhelmed.
