I am a worrier. I worry about everything. I get it from my mother, who also worries. It wasn't until I started college and the worrying got worse that I learned that I have anxiety. Anxiety is a form of mental illness and is becoming more and more prevalent in teens and young adults. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in five teens and young adults have some sort of mental illness. Most develop it before they are 14 and another third before they reach 24. Anxiety and depression are the two most common mental illnesses found in young adults (closely followed by eating disorders and ADHD). Mental illness is a subject that, for a long time, was taboo but it is becoming more and more acceptable to talk about mental illness, and even encouraged. Not a lot is known about mental illness and more and more ways are coming to light on how to cope with having a mental illness. Some people take medication like Xanax or Cymbalta, but others go for a more natural approach. I personally don't like to take medication unless I really need it, and so when my therapist recommended Mindfulness to me, I was more than willing to try.
What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, and our environment. This sounds intimidating, and it kind of is. For most people, it takes years of practicing mindfulness to achieve this level of constant awareness. I don't practice mindfulness on a daily basis, but instead use certain practices and techniques to reduce my general anxiety. Here are some of the practices that I find most useful in daily life.
The first is breathing. Unlike in certain forms of meditation, instead of clearing your mind, you focus on everything around you. Notice how you are breathing, how the air feels on your skin, how your clothes feel, things that you smell, what you hear around you, how your head is resting on your neck or shoulders. Acknowledge your thoughts as they come, but don't chase after them. And don't judge them, that is important. Just let yourself think them and let them go. Often we are worried whether or not our thoughts are "good" thoughts, but when you breathe, don't worry about it.
The next technique is what I think of as an "inventory of self." This is a type of body scan and to do so, start in a comfortable sitting or reclining position. I find that this exercise works best in loose clothing. Starting with you feet, pay attention to any physical sensations. Are they warm? Cold? Is there any pain or discomfort? Then, let your attention drift up and repeat focusing on different body parts. Everything from your legs up to your head and your nose and ears and your fingertips.
The final exercise is the one that I find the most helpful, especially when I'm beginning to experience an anxiety or panic attack. It is a mix between the mindfulness of your emotions and a self-compassion exercise. When you start to feel the pit of your stomach drop and it feels like something is constricting around your heart and lungs, take a deep breath. Breathe and acknowledge all of the feelings that you are feeling, especially the worry and anxiety. Let yourself accept them and understand what you are feeling. We are often told that we shouldn't feel certain feelings. Phrases like "lighten up" and "get over it" are common. This exercise teaches you to acknowledge that you are feeling these emotions and accept it. Let yourself feel them and know that it is OK. As a final note to this exercise, I ask myself if there is anything that I can do at this exact moment? Usually there isn't, and so I take deep breaths and let myself calm down.
There are so many different techniques in coping with anxiety and practice mindfulness. A website that I find very help in guiding meditation and finding different exercises can be found here. This article also focuses on anxiety as a mental illness as that is what I struggle with, but there are so many more illnesses out there. If at any time you need help, please contact someone. Even just talking to a trusted friend or family member can help. Mental illness can be scary, but it shouldn't stop you from living your life.
