Meditation helped me with my anxiety

Hi Everyone

I reshared this on Facebook yesterday, it was a post from last year and I know a lot of you are not on social media so I wanted to send it to you direct. 

This is my meditation chair, this is where I meditate most days and the odd day if I’m tired I lie on my bed. I want to share with you my story of my anxiety and meditation as it was meditation day this week and I think it is so relevant now in the current situation that we all find ourselves in.

I have suffered from anxiety for many years but a couple of years ago my anxiety started to get much worse. I couldn’t switch off, I was always overthinking and worrying about what might happen, big things and the little things. I used to practice meditation only as and when I needed it, once I felt a better I would stop! I practiced my yoga so that was enough. I was wrong! I needed something more. The anxiety would return again and again, waking me at night and even when I was out and supposed to be enjoying myself, it would sneak up on me.So I decided I needed to take charge of it as it was invading my life and making me feel miserable.

It was in the beginning of winter and the mornings were dark and uninviting. But I set my alarm for a half hour earlier than usual time and got up to sit in my chair and practice meditation. For me this was the only time of day that I would get to myself. I listened to all different meditations on different apps from guided meditations, to music and mantras. I started with 10 mins and moved on to 20 or 30 mins, depending on how I was feeling and the time I had. There were times when the alarm would go off and I would not feel like getting up but I had committed myself and knew I would reap the rewards or at least I hoped I would, what had I to lose?

The benefits didn’t start to happen overnight it took time. At first I enjoyed the peace and quiet. I loved that I had this special time for myself at the beginning of each day. I really felt that I was doing something for just me in a positive way and it felt good! It set me up for the day and put me in a different mindset, I felt in charge of me. This became my new routine, like having your first tea or coffee in the morning to get you going, meditation was my caffeine.

Anxiety never goes away; but we can take charge of it and recognise the symptoms before they take over. My anxiety became less and less. It was almost like my body knew how to respond, I was able to notice the symptoms before they arrived and just catch them on time before they took over.

By meditating regularly and feeling better in myself it started to have a knock on effect in other areas of my life. I was eating better, sleeping better, I had more energy and I was feeling more confident within myself. I felt stronger and able to deal with difficult situations that were thrown at me. I began to have the mindset of “I can” rather than “I can’t” or “I’m not good enough” to “I am good enough, why not me?”

I’m not saying it’s the only answer or the answer to everything but it was certainly the beginning of me feeling so much better and in control of how I respond now to different challenges that arrive in my life. It is my anchor, my safety net as such.

Sitting meditating may not be for everyone but you can practice mindfulness meditation anywhere such as gardening, walking, music, art, baking etc. or just sitting for 2 minutes focusing on your breathing. Basically anything that you enjoy that’s not too much effort and brings you into the here and now.

So maybe give meditation a go. There is many apps out there like insight timer, calm, headspace and Deepak Chopra. Give yourself that time that you need for yourself each day. So when tough times come you will be in a better place to deal with it.

Also before I finish, talking is always good and sometimes we just need to share how we are feeling with someone. So reach out to your loved ones or someone you can trust. You will always feel so much better.

Thank you for reading and if you need any support at all with taking that first step please feel free to contact me.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.