How Mindfulness and Meditation Can Help You Overcome Anxiety

According to an article published by the Anxiety Disorders Association of Canada approximately 12% of Canadians suffer from anxiety and one in four Canadians (25%) will have at least one anxiety disorder in their lifetime.

Anxiety activates the “fight or flight” response and causes our body to release high amounts of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. According to Young Diggers when our bodies are in a state of acute stress, the body’s sympathetic nervous system is activated due to the sudden release of hormones. This results in an increase in heart rate, blood pressure and breathing rate. After the threat is gone, it takes between 20 to 60 minutes for the body to return to its pre-arousal levels. Chronic and prolonged anxiety can have both short and long term consequences on our overall health and wellness. According to the Chopra Centre prolonged anxiety can cause insomnia, an easy startle response, fatigue, irritability, muscle tension, headaches, an inability to relax, trembling, twitching, feeling out of breath, and various stomach and digestive problems.

Think about it. If this acute stress response is happening continuously what kind of damage is it doing to your physical health and emotional well-being?

Now you are probably asking yourself what you can do about it.

There are a number of ways to help. One of the ways that has helped a number of people is mindfulness and meditation practices.

What’s the difference you say?

Mindful.org defines mindfulness as the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.

Meditation on the other hand is defined as the techniques that encourage and develop concentration, clarity, emotional positivity, and a calm seeing of the true nature of things.

There are many positive benefits of mindfulness and meditation including:

Next time you’re feeling anxious or stressed out why not try some mindfulness/meditation techniques. You might just find the peace and calmness you’re looking for.

References:

http://anxietycanada.ca/english/pdf/kirby.pdf

http://www.chopra.com/articles/how-meditation-can-help-anxiety#sm.000012ecswsj3nf4wv20wqu57kneu

http://www.youngdiggers.com.au/fight-or-flight#what

https://www.mindful.org/what-is-mindfulness/

https://thebuddhistcentre.com/text/what-meditation

https://www.project-meditation.org/bom/positive_effects_of_meditation.html