Mindfulness for Anxiety
Mindfulness has been used reliably for overcoming anxiety for over two thousand years. In the last thirty years, it has been one of the most studied phenomena in the realm of psychology, and it is now validated by research, which centers around its effects on the nervous system.
Mindfulness, a state of mind characterized by non-judgmental awareness, can only be achieved through training and practice. It’s not something that can be learned from a book. One can no more gain mindfulness through knowledge alone than they could gain physical strength by reading about pushups.
Those who are trained, and practice, the methods which lead to a state of mindfulness, most notably meditation, come to recognize a fundamental change in their mental state. Some of the predictable outcomes from a mindfulness practice include:
- Better sleep
- Higher intelligence
- Enhanced sense of humor
- Removal of the experience of worry
- Elimination of anger and other reactive emotions
- Substantial decrease in the effects of stress in high pressure situations
- And, most importantly in the context of this article, the disappearance of anxiety
Research into the effects of mindfulness have proven that the brain will literally rewire itself over a relatively short period of time when these practices are used consistently. Parts of the cerebral cortex thickens, improving intelligence, neural pathways that lead to reactivity are erased, new pathways that lead to calm assessment are built, the amygdala becomes less reactive, and the cerebral cortex ceases to amplify the effects of anxiety as it shifts to a more neutral view of unfolding emotions.
Quite simply, mindfulness works, and when taught and practiced properly, with wisdom and understanding, becomes a simple process (as opposed to one shrouded in confusion, as most experience it)
With mindfulness providing such tangible benefits to the individual, increasing wisdom and decreasing suffering, the absence of mindfulness in the treatment of anxiety or any emotional challenge is a travesty, and you should be suspicious of any treatment plan which doesn’t include it.
Once you’ve been exposed to this part of the work, you’ll become free from anguish in a way you never could otherwise.
To learn how mindfulness fits into the overall scheme of our care, visit the home page.
Or, if you’d prefer, book a free discovery call with Dr. Taubman using the calendar below: