How Mindfulness Can Help with Anxious Thoughts?
Kat Williams, MHC
As a therapist in New York City specializing in anxiety and body image, I believe adopting a mindful approach toward both anxiety and body image serves not only as a coping tool at the moment to help regulate us but also deepens our connection to our emotional world.
So, in simpler terms, what exactly is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the practice of nonjudgmentally reconnecting with the present moment. This means being aware of your breath, internal sensations, thoughts, and surroundings without criticism or judgment. To be mindful is to witness with curiosity. By becoming more mindful of the present moment, we slow down and observe our inner experiences. The first step to uncovering what lies beneath our anxious thoughts is to witness the thoughts and begin to separate from them. Perhaps we anxiously await a text back from a new love interest or find ourselves distracted at work, unsure of what to wear to an upcoming wedding. Instead of letting these thoughts take up a day’s worth of mental real estate, we can use mindfulness to tap into a non-judgmental approach to slow us down and learn the message our anxiety is trying to give us. Most of the time, underneath the thoughts, there are a variety of emotions, most often fear or worry. For my clients, this can look like the fear of ending up alone, the fear of weight gain in a society that promotes a thin ideal, or the fear of imperfection.
I see mindfulness as one of the first steps we can take to begin acknowledging our fear and being with it. Once we can be with our fear or pain, we can then take the step and offer ourselves the compassion and validation we need to move through the fear.
How to Practice Mindfulness:
Mindful Regulated Breathing: Take deliberate, mindful breaths to ground yourself in the present moment. I love 4-7-8 breathwork or box breathing!
One-Mindfully Making Your Coffee or Tea: Focus completely on one task at a time. For example, guide yourself through each step of making coffee or matcha without multitasking. As you take your first sip, really pay attention to the textures, temperature, and tastes.
Body Scan:
Body scan meditation is a mindfulness practice that involves mentally scanning your body from head to toe, paying attention to any sensations, aches, or tension points without judgment. The goal is to train your mind to be more aware and accepting of sensory experiences, and to build your ability to focus and be present in your life.
Journaling Questions for Mindfulness:
What does mindfulness currently look like for you?
What challenges do you face in practicing mindfulness?
How does living in the present moment feel for you?
What strategies help you connect with the present moment?
What tools do you currently use, and how can you expand upon them?