2-Minute Meditation for Anxiety That You Can Do Anywhere
Photography by Sabrina Hill
As someone who (openly) struggles with anxiety, but has learned how to manage it pretty damn well, I’m often asked how I manage it. What do I do when I sense that a wave of anxiety is about to hit me? Is there something that I do day-in and day-out to prevent my anxiety from showing up in the first place?
Of course, the answer is yes! Since I’ve never taken medication for my anxiety and don’t want to ever have to go that route, I have a bunch of different things in my “toolbox” for managing my anxiety holistically. While I do many of them regularly, there is one thing that I do (almost) every single day, without fail, and it’s always the first thing I suggest that anyone struggling with anxiety start exploring:
Meditation.
I was first introduced to meditation through my yoga practice. Yoga was one of the first “stops” along my wellness journey, and with meditation being a major component of yoga, it was only a matter of time before I would start experimenting with it, too. But, in all honesty, meditation outside of my physical yoga practice didn’t start happening for me until I was in yoga teacher training. Prior to that, as an anxious person, I didn’t think that I was “capable” of meditating… and there was nothing scarier than the idea of sitting still, in silence for extended periods of time with nothing but my own thoughts to keep me company. Eventually, I got past that fear, and now meditation is part of my daily routine.
For those of us who experience anxiety of any kind, meditation can offer immediate relief when a panic attack hits us, and then eventually, it paves the way for deeper change, helping us get to the root of our anxiety and keeping us from getting to the point of having those panic attacks in the first place.
How exactly? Without getting into the science behind what’s happening in your brain when you sit in meditation (we’ll save that for another time!): when we meditate, we find stillness, and this stillness is the opposite of the chaos that anxiety creates in our minds and our bodies. When we find stillness, we can push the chaos out and let go of the fearful, anxious thoughts that are racing through our minds, and allow the anxious energy that can trigger panic attacks to move through the body and be released.
When we intentionally sit in silence, we’re telling our minds and our bodies to chill the f*ck out. It forces us to acknowledge the anxious thoughts we’re having (because even if they aren’t “justified” they are still very real) and then let them go. When we make meditation a habit, we can train our mind to do this with much less effort… but, as with anything, it takes practice.
If you’re new to meditation, and maybe a little unsure of where or how to start… or if you’re highly meditated and maybe just in need of a tool that you can use when you feel a wave of anxiety coming on and need a bit of of relief… you’ve come to the right place! Below is a meditation that you can do in 2 minutes and take with you anywhere.
Follow these simple steps as soon as you feel your thoughts getting swept away by anxiety:
1) Pause. Stop whatever you’re doing, and just be. Take a deep, slow inhale through your nose, and exhale it all out through your mouth.
2) Sit up tall with a straight spine. If you’re in a chair, place your feet flat on the floor, feeling the connection between the soles of your feet and the ground. If you’re sitting on the floor, cross your legs. Place your hands on your knees or thighs with your palms facing down (this provides us with a sense of grounding) - if you’re driving, keep your hands on the steering wheel.
3) Close your eyes (unless you’re driving!), and as you inhale deeply through your nose, acknowledge the anxious thought(s) you’re having. At the top of the breath, hold the air in your lungs for 3 seconds, and then exhale through your mouth, imagining the anxious thought(s) leaving your body with the breath.
4) Seal your lips, relaxing your tongue and your jaw, and begin to breathe in and out through your nose.
5) With each inhale, focus on the word “let” and with each exhale, the word “go”. As you did before, when exhaling, visualize your worries and fearful thoughts leaving your body with the breath.
6) Repeat this as many times as needed, until you feel centered and calm.
Pretty simple, right? This meditation for letting go of anxiety can be practiced for 2 minutes… 10 minutes… 30 minutes… for as long as you need to feel grounded, centered and relaxed. You can do it at home… at your desk… on a plane… wherever! I promise you’ll feel instant relief, both mentally and physically, from whatever anxious thoughts you’re having.
I can’t stress enough about how much meditation has done for my overall well-being, and I could write for days about the benefits of meditation and what a consistent practice does for the mind, body, and soul. If you have questions about how to start a meditation practice, please leave them in the comments below or email them to me at kelseycookwellness@gmail.com.
xo,
Kelsey
P.S. I’m now working one-on-one with clients to help them overcome their anxiety and pursue a life of balance in the same ways that I have… and you better believe meditation is a huge part of all of my offerings! Please reach out if you’re interested in getting more information, and don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter to stay in the loop about upcoming events.