One Big Reason Why Mindfulness Is So Good for Anxiety

"If you've sought help for an anxiety problem before, you've likely come across the recommendation to try mindfulness meditation. This recommendation is absolutely on target, but to see the positive benefits of mindfulness typically requires consistent daily practice over the course of weeks or months. I find that most clients dip their toe into mindfulness practice here and there without really committing to it, so I think it is helpful to know why mindfulness can be such a powerful intervention for anxiety."

"Mindfulness is the practice of redirecting attention away from worry and onto the present moment. This is an absolutely critical skill for people with anxiety disorders. Reducing suffering around anxiety often involves being able to cut off the worry process and put the focus of your attention back on what you're doing in front of you right now. This is a skill that I like to call "the spotlight technique," which I've written about before in this article: " How to Stop Worrying: The Spotlight Technique.""

Mindfulness meditation trains the ability to redirect attention away from worry and toward present-moment experience, often by observing the breath. Regular daily practice over weeks or months is usually required to build this skill. People with anxiety commonly struggle to notice when they are worrying and to shift their attention even after noticing. Strengthening attention functions like exercising a muscle: repeated practice increases capacity to cut off worry and reorient focus to current activity. Techniques such as the spotlight technique describe deliberately moving attention back to what is happening now to reduce suffering from anxiety.

Read at Psychology Today