Worrying is usually focused on the future on what might happen
and what you’ll do about it. The centuries-old practice of mindfulness can help
you break free of your worries by bringing your attention back to the present.
In contrast to the previous techniques of challenging your anxious thoughts or
postponing them to a worry period, this strategy is based on observing and then
letting them go. Together, they can help you identify where your thinking is
causing problems, while helping you get in touch with your emotions.
§ Acknowledge
and observe your anxious thoughts and feelings. Don’t try to ignore, fight, or control them
like you usually would. Instead, simply observe them as if from an outsider’s
perspective, without reacting or judging.
§ Let
your worries go. Notice
that when you don’t try to control the anxious thoughts that pop up, they soon
pass, like clouds moving across the sky. It’s only when you engage your worries
that you get stuck.
§ Stay
focused on the present. Pay
attention to the way your body feels, the rhythm of your breathing, your
ever-changing emotions, and the thoughts that drift across your mind. If you
find yourself getting stuck on a particular thought, bring your attention back
to the present moment.
Using mindfulness meditation to stay focused on the present is a
simple concept, but it takes practice to reap the benefits. At first, you’ll
probably find that your mind keeps wandering back to your worries. Try not to
get frustrated. Each time you draw your focus back to the present, you’re
reinforcing a new mental habit that will help you break free of the negative
worry cycle.
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