What is Mindfulness and How is it Used in Anxiety Therapy?
Benefits of Mindfulness for Anxiety
Before diving into the details of what mindfulness is and how to use mindfulness for anxiety, let me share with you some of what my clients often talk to me about when they start anxiety therapy. And, why I use mindfulness to start working through some of these challenges.
When my clients come to me seeking therapy they tell me how their anxiety is taking total control of their life. In some cases, it has been building for a while. In others, they may have recently started noticing it's begun to flare up again.
They tell me about their thoughts playing through their mind over and over. Or, how they find themselves thinking one thing that leads to another and then another and so on.
The anxiety has left them feeling so exhausted. Mentally, emotionally, and even physically drained.
Other times they talk to me about how they can’t seem to stay focused because they are too busy worrying or checked out.
Clients will tell me they enjoy staying so busy. If they are busy, then they don’t have to focus on other things and can avoid anxiety.
When I hear these things, I start talking with my clients about adding mindfulness to anxiety treatment. Practicing mindfulness can be a powerful tool to have in their coping toolbox.
Incorporating mindfulness into my therapy practice is one of the things I enjoy the most when working with clients. It is so useful, it’s adaptable, and clients can see a real change when putting it into practice.
I provide counseling for women providing anxiety treatment, treatment for perfectionism, imposter syndrome, and burnout. I am a therapist in Wilmington, NC, and provide online therapy in Maryland and online therapy in North Carolina.
Click the buttons below to learn more about getting started in the therapy process with me. Or schedule your free 15-minute consultation.
Keep reading to learn more about mindfulness. And how I incorporate mindfulness with anxiety, perfectionism, and burnout.
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the ability to be present in the here and now. To be completely accepting and without judgment. Mindfulness also is the practice of being able to focus on one thing at a time.
That is it.
It both sounds very simple and difficult at the same time.
The idea and practice of mindfulness have been around for quite some time and comes from Eastern cultures.
But, Jon Kabat-Zinn has the most credit for making mindfulness part of Western culture and he developed a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program in 1979.
Who Could Benefit from Mindfulness Therapy in Wilmington, NC?
A lot of people can benefit a lot from the effects of routine mindfulness practice. There has been quite a bit of research that suggests mindfulness can be very useful when treating a variety of mental health symptoms.
Mindfulness can have a positive impact on the following issues:
Thought Rumination
Stress Reduction
Attention Regulation
Addiction
There are also times where mindfulness should be practiced cautiously or not practiced at all. For this reason, it is important to get some information and seek professional help before starting.
Please take caution to use mindfulness if you experience any of the following or if you have a history of experiencing:
Psychosis
Hallucinations
Seizures
Depersonalization (feeling detached from your body)
Trauma
What are the Benefits of Mindfulness therapy?
Most often when we talk about mindfulness we focus on the positive impact on mental health. But, routine mindfulness can also have a very positive impact on improving physical health as well.
Check out how using mindfulness can benefit your mental health and physical health below:
Help to accept painful emotions instead of avoiding them
Reduce suffering while increase pleasure
Lessen stress
Reduce anxiety and worries
Focus your attention and be more efficient and productive
Allow you to feel more in control
Allow you to have more choices
Help you to make important decisions
Increase compassion for yourself and others
Mindfulness can also have positive impacts on your physical health as well including:
Lower blood pressure
Reducing stress
Reducing chronic pain
Improve your sleep
Is Mindfulness the Same as Meditation?
I get this question a lot from clients. Most often my clients will tell me they have tried meditation and “that stuff” does not work for them.
However, mindfulness and meditation are different but can overlap.
The biggest difference is that mindfulness is more of a way of life or state of being.
Mindfulness can be used during anxiety therapy and does not have to include meditation at all. Mindfulness can be applied to various activities and there are many different ways to practice mindfulness or mindful living.
Meditation is an actual practice.
Often, mindfulness can be part of meditation practice.
If you are ready to begin therapy with me at Calm Waters Counseling, click the buttons below to learn more about how to get started in therapy or schedule your free 15-minute consultation.
Using Mindfulness for Anxiety Treatment in Wilmington, NC
Adding mindfulness into anxiety treatment can be a helpful coping skill to reduce anxiety symptoms. Mindfulness is most helpful and effective when practiced routinely.
Listed below are common anxiety symptoms mindfulness can help to reduce:
Worry
Racing thoughts
Negative thinking
Nervousness
Poor concentration
Lack of control
Irritability
Restlessness
Muscle tension
Most often anxious folks tend to avoid or push away from anxiety when it presents. I talk with my clients all the time about the cycle of anxiety and how anxiety and avoidance are like BFFs. Your anxiety wants you to avoid. Anxiety is uncomfortable. It tells us something is to be feared or is scary. Anxiety gives us a false illusion. One that says if you continue to stay stuck in the mental torture, or on the “hamster wheel” as I call it, then you will be safe.
That is anxiety’s primary job. To keep you safe. But, sometimes our brains tell us there is a threat or we are not safe when in reality we are.
An example of using mindfulness in anxiety therapy would include developing a practice of intentionally and purposefully checking in with yourself. Take a brief amount of time to notice what you are thinking. Notice what your emotions are feeling, and what physical sensations may be present.
Check out these blog posts for more information on anxiety:
5 Tips for Choosing the Best Anxiety Therapist in Wilmington, NC
What to Expect When You Start Therapy for Anxiety
Finding the Right Anxiety Therapist for You
Using Mindfulness as Help for Perfectionism in Wilmington, NC
Most often when clients talk to me about challenges with perfectionism there is also anxiety. Using mindfulness with perfectionism treatment can be helpful in reducing symptoms of perfectionism.
Below are common signs and symptoms of perfectionism that mindfulness can help reduce:
Judgment from self
Fear of judgment from others
Feelings of anxiety
Fear of failure
Loss of control
Low self-esteem
Procrastination
Negative thinking
Feelings of burnout
Difficulty with decision making
Irritability
Feelings of shame
When caught in the cycle of perfectionism, using mindfulness to pay attention and notice thoughts is very important. When you start to notice the negative self-talk, you can start to develop more compassion for yourself. As stated above, mindfulness helps increase compassion for self and others.
Check out this blog post for more information on perfectionism:
Using Mindfulness for Burnout Counseling in Wilmington, NC
Burnout is not an issue that starts from nowhere. Most often it has been building over time.
You may not have realized it at first and then it slowly creeps up and shows itself. Small frustrations that occur every now and then may now turn into daily bothersome issues that linger. Often burnout is a term used to describe work stress. I recognize burnout can occur in different areas of your life. This may include the workplace, school environment, sports, or leisure activities once enjoyed. Or, even in a caretaker or caregiver role.
Mindfulness can be used to reduce these common symptoms of burnout:
Negative thinking
Poor sleep
Anxiety
Difficulty concentrating
Emotional exhaustion
One of the most important benefits of mindfulness is the ability to help regulate thoughts, feelings, and reactions. Using mindfulness for burnout can allow for separation of work stress to remain at work. Thus, allowing you to be more present in other areas of your life.
To learn more about burnout check out these blog posts:
5 Signs You Are Experiencing Burnout
Burnout: What To Do When It Is More Than Just Hating Your Job
Using Mindfulness for imposter syndrome
Imposter syndrome creates negative thoughts and feelings of self-doubt. It shakes and rattles our confidence level and creates the belief that “you’re not good enough,” “you’re a fraud,” or “you’re a phony.”
Mindfulness can be used to reduce some of the following symptoms of imposter syndrome:
self-doubt
self-sabotage
ability to assess your competence and skill set
poor boundaries
perfectionism
high expectation setting
Practicing to intentionally pausing to notice thoughts and feelings can help create healthier behaviors. Practicing mindfulness on a regular basis can help increase compassion for ourself and others. So when we notice becoming hooked by the self-doubt thoughts we can also make room for those thoughts to come and go while also prancing kindness towards self.
For more information on imposter syndrome, check out this helpful blog - Imposter Syndrome: When You Feel Like a Fraud
Mindfulness with CBT in Wilmington, NC
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a specific type of evidence based psychotherapy that focuses on the relationships between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. CBT works to reduce, reframe, and challenge negative or anxious thoughts by identifying patterns in cognitive distortions.
You can read more about CBT here in this recent blog post - What is CBT Therapy?
When adding mindfulness strategies to cognitive behavioral therapy techniques you are working to create a more present awareness of these thoughts, feelings, behaviors. Mindfulness can help you bring awareness to when these anxious thoughts are appearing. Then, you can practice letting go of anxious thoughts and help reduce the intensity and frequency of these feelings. And, allow for healthier and more productive behaviors.
Mindfulness with ACT Therapy in Wilmington, NC
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is about using mindfulness at its core. ACT uses acceptance and mindfulness as part of its therapy model to bring about changes in behavior and increase psychological flexibility. ACT works to create a shift in the relationship you have with your anxiety.
Mindfulness in ACT helps to build acceptance of feelings that may be painful or intolerable. It encourages you to be present and open and to put distance from your thoughts and beliefs.
Check out this helpful blog post for more information on ACT - What is ACT Therapy?
Mindfulness and Online Therapy North Carolina
Online therapy is becoming more widely accepted and more popular as well. It has made getting to your anxiety therapy appointments much easier. With online therapy, it is possible to use the same therapeutic mindfulness interventions as though we were in person for our therapy sessions. Online therapy uses a video and audio platform meaning we can see and hear each other. This avenue of therapy allows for real-time mindfulness interventions to occur while in the comfort of your own home or space.
I currently offer online therapy as a choice for anyone located in Maryland and North Carolina. To learn more about online therapy in these places click the link below.
Online Therapy in Maryland
Online Therapy in North Carolina
Check out this blog post to learn more about how online therapy works:
Is Online Therapy Right for Me?
Quick Mindfulness Practice Exercise
Mindfulness practices can be easily incorporated into everyday situations. I will often give my clients the assignment to practice. Doing everyday routine chores with mindful practice.
Check out this example of quick mindfulness practice:
Doing the dishes - As you are washing dishes at the sink allow yourself to notice and pay attention to the following things:
The smell of the soap
The temperature of the water
The point where you feel the water touching your hand or fingers
The textures in the dish
During this quick mindfulness exercise if you notice your mind wandering, gently bring it back to the activity of washing the dish. Then focus on one of the four items listed above.
Positive Impacts Mindfulness Can Have on Your Life
Imagine taking back control of your life.
Your anxiety doesn’t consume you.
You have a better work-life balance. When you leave, the work stress stays at work and you can put your focus back on the things that matter to you. Your family. Your friends. Taking better care of yourself.
You can move forward instead of staying stuck.
More compassion and patience for yourself and others.
Loved ones notice you are more engaged and present.
Routinely practicing mindfulness can allow for these things and much more. Strengthening your mindfulness practice will lead to naturally becoming more mindful. As a result, these things can start to occur automatically.
Start Using Mindfulness with Anxiety Therapy in Wilmington, NC Today
I use mindfulness interventions frequently with my clients. With routine practice outside of sessions, clients report success and positive changes in their life.
Feel free to learn more about me and my Wilmington, NC-based online counseling practice, Calm Waters Counseling. I would be honored to help you in becoming more mindful and overcoming your anxiety. To start therapy, please follow these simple steps:
Schedule a free 15-minute consult using the button below
Complete the brief questionnaire sent to your email
Meet with your new caring therapist
Become more engaged with the present, and look forward to the future
Learn More About Laura
I specialize in therapy for high achieving women providing anxiety treatment, therapy for imposter syndrome, treatment for perfectionism, and burnout counseling.
I am licensed in Maryland and North Carolina. I can provide online therapy to anyone located within these states. Click the links below to learn more.
Online Therapy in Maryland
Online Therapy in North Carolina
Schedule your consultation with me today to start using mindfulness in your therapy treatment today.
By: Laura Rippeon, LCSW, LCSW-C
Updated 3/12/23