How Can Mindfulness Alleviate Anxiety

Anxiety is a mental state of mind that is characterized by a person’s inability to manage or control their own emotional reactions and responses. There are various types of anxiety disorders such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, General Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Of the variety of treatment modalities available to treat anxiety, Mindfulness or Mindfulness-based therapy has become particularly popular in recent years. Mindfulness is conceptualized as the practice of being consciously aware and present for each single moment of a person’s life. Mindfulness based therapy in Burbank is particularly successful for treating anxiety and anxiety related issues because it enhances a person’s ability to decipher and distinguish between valuable thought that requires critical thinking and problem solving from a worrisome, nagging afterthought.

Mindful meditations helps alleviate anxiety and overcome anxiety disorders by bring calm and serenity to an overactive mind. On a cellular or neuronal level, it has been found that mindful meditation affects and essentially activates a region in the brain known as the anterior cingulated cortex – the area which is responsible for regulating thoughts and emotions.

Mindful meditation is a conscientious movement which requires conscious effort and thought by the individual ensuring that they are actively involved and engrossed in the task at hand rather than being distracted or waylaid by the crowding thoughts. What’s more, by using mindfulness-based therapy modalities, individuals that suffer from anxiety are able to reduce their symptoms instead of hiding from them. Instead of running away from the negative thoughts that seem unusually threatening, individuals are encouraged to actively recognize the ‘threats’ as completely perceived and inconsequential instead of real or important.

Therapy for anxiety combined with mindful meditation has the capacity to reduce the debilitating mental and physical symptoms of anxiety, allowing the anxious person to live a healthy, normal life.