Anxiety disorders are common. They can create physical feelings like a racing heart or an inability to get a full breath in and out. They can affect how the brain processes information, making it impossible to focus on a clear thought or deal with constant feelings of worry and fear. Anxiety disorders can make managing everyday activities difficult if not impossible to perform. They create feelings of isolation and loneliness in those struggling with them in a world that often doesn’t understand.
How Mindfulness Reduces Anxiety
Mindfulness isn’t a new practice, but it is one that has become more talked about in recent years for those trying to manage their anxious thoughts. The purpose of using mindfulness techniques is to redirect the brain and the racing thoughts that often don’t have a solution to something more pleasant and directly happening at that moment. It takes the brain away from the ‘What ifs” and makes it focus on what is happening right then with intentionality. Mindfulness takes the stressors of the past or the future (both of which cannot be changed) and places thoughts into current, calming thoughts.
Different Forms of Mindfulness
Many people think of meditation or yoga as the only type of mindfulness practices there are and then if they are uncomfortable with those two options, they don’t look into others, but there are many ways to practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is often taught in outpatient treatment for anxiety so that it can be used whenever and however needed, ready to be of aid when anxiety hits.
The 3-3-3 Method
This common method reviewed during outpatient treatment for anxiety guides the person experiencing anxious thoughts to turn their brain away from those thoughts and focus on three things. It requires the individual to find three things they can see, three things they can hear, and three ways they can move their body. It distracts the mind from the anxiety and focuses on the senses, providing a bit of relief and a chance for the brain to recenter itself.
Focused Breathing
Another mindfulness practice that can be done anywhere and at any time is focused breathing. During focused breathing, a person centers in on how their breathing sounds and what it feels like as air goes in and out. For some methods, there may be counting involved to help control breathing (such as counting to five as you breathe in, holding it for seven seconds, and then exhaling during another five count). Working with a support group through outpatient therapy for anxiety can help your loved one learn a focused breathing technique that works for him that he can use anytime he needs it.
Body Scan
In this mindfulness practice, a person focuses on each part of his body from the hairs on the top of his head to his toes by mentally focusing on each area one at a time from top to bottom. Many people use this when lying down to help them fall asleep, but it can also be used while sitting.
Mindful Activities
From coloring to listening to music to strolling through an art museum, a person can learn how to incorporate mindfulness to reduce the anxiety he is feeling. While these types of mindfulness activities cannot always be with a person at all times, they can be incorporated into daily life to help reduce the overall anxiety a person is feeling daily or weekly.
Anxiety disorders can make everyday life feel overwhelming. At Paragon Health Services, we understand the challenges and are here to help you manage anxiety through effective outpatient services. Our goal is to provide flexible, supportive care that allows you to maintain your daily routines while receiving the anxiety treatment that you need.
Paragon Health Services provides a pathway to better Mental Health and Community Integration through our programs for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Substance Abuse, and our Outpatient Mental Health Clinic. We also offer services for the treatment of Depression, Anxiety, Schizophrenia, and Bipolar Disorder, as well as Individual Rehabilitation Programs.
We serve adults, children, and adolescents with mental health disorders in all of Maryland but focus primarily in the Baltimore Metro area. Call today to learn more: (410) 759-4777
We are truly invested in getting people to a better place in every way possible. Our outcome-driven programming and support is geared to address living, working, and social functioning so that individuals may tap into their strengths, rehabilitate, and experience a bright future.
In addition to providing wraparound support for clients, we are also passionate about supporting Social Workers, Placement Coordinators, Hospital Staff, and Families. We know that when we come together as a team, the entire community gets better.
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