Stopping to smell the roses in modern society is almost unheard of. Everyone is trying to get as much done in 24 hours as possible – stopping to contemplate life is now a luxury.
Meditation, which is the process of removing thoughts and distractions, relaxing and just being “one with yourself,” is most likely impossible for many people in today’s on-the-go culture.
For example, I know meditation would probably be the hardest thing for me to achieve, unless sleep is considered meditation. In the middle of the day, there is no way I can stop my thoughts from returning to my long to-do list. Even before I drift off to sleep, my mind is racing.
I have been told that I do have some anxiety along with my depression, but I haven’t been diagnosed with an actual anxiety disorder. Just from looking at my lifestyle, stress and anxiety can be expected: busy schedule, little sleep and exercise, and a mostly inadequate diet.
In the case of an actual anxiety disorder, one clinical psychologist said that meditation is generally not helpful.
Steven Hendlin, a clinical psychologist in California and a fellow of the American Psychological Association, said that “meditation is the systematic process of focusing one’s attention over a period of time, usually with the intent of gaining some control and awareness of one’s internal process and also one’s physical process.”
This includes thoughts, sensations and feelings, he said. A simpler definition that most people use is “calming the body and quieting the mind.”
He said meditation is not helpful for those who have anxiety disorders.
“If you’re diagnostically anxious, the idea of sitting calmly, and your thoughts are simply going too fast and you can’t control it…it actually can make you more anxious,” Hendlin said.
Other treatment options, like medication, deep breathing and physical exercise, are preferable for those who have anxiety disorders.
“Meditation is when you’re not anxious,” Hendlin said. “Otherwise, it’s just very, very difficult. I don’t think it’s a great method if you’re really in an anxious state. You don’t start with meditation.”
Working with a psychologist through cognitive behavioral therapy is also helpful, especially to reduce negative thoughts that a person is ruminating over that could be causing the anxiety.
“One of the things that can happen when thoughts come up is people react when they are meditating and they can actually get anxious,” Hendlin said. “It can actually bring on brief bouts of anxiety.”
People think of meditation as having no thoughts, but there are all forms of meditation, including focusing on breathing or focusing on listening to thoughts without having an emotional reaction.
He agrees that in the current society, meditation is difficult.
“It’s not in favor because when you’re living in a world where we can distract ourselves with smart phones and computers and we’re moving a mile a second and the whole technology promotes moving faster and faster, there’s very little value in simply putting the smart phone aside and not amusing oneself, distracting oneself, but actually closing one’s eyes and going inside,” Hendlin said.
Because the real act of meditation involves discipline and concentration, not just relaxation, many people don't stick with it, he said.
"The discipline of doing it makes one uncomfortable at a certain point," Hendlin said. "You don't like what comes up. It's much easier to simply distract oneself by playing with a phone or a computer. You'll rarely see, for example, anyone sitting quietly without moving out in public where they simply close their eyes and are taking a breather, where they're taking a minute to go inside."
Although a study of psychological literature in 2007 found that there was not enough evidence that meditation actually had therapeutic value, some say it can be beneficial in helping with daily stressors and some natural, fleeting anxiety. Another study found it can help with people who have insomnia. A study from 2009 also found that mindfulness can fight against psychological disorders, like depression and anxiety, in secondary education teachers.
“It can be a great way to kind of collect one’s thoughts, calm the body…,” Hendlin said. “Relaxing, knowing how to go inward, even for a few minutes, can make it easier to return to work, return to the stress of whatever one is doing.”
Penny Donnenfeld, a clinical psychologist in New York, said in an e-mail that she is not a meditation expert but believes it can help with anxiety.
“All ways of calming and focusing the mind can have a relieving effect on anxiety,” Donnenfeld said. “Meditation, diaphragmatic breathing [and] visualization are all means of creating a parasympathetic response in the body which reverses the arousal seen with anxiety.”
“All involve changing cognitive focus from anxious rumination to images of calm, focus on breathing and on the here and now rather than on worries about what lies ahead and what has occurred in the past,” she said.
She said some meditation techniques can include “clearing one's mind sitting in a quiet space,” along with “focusing on deep breathing and counting breaths.”
She also suggests saying words or phrases, like “calm,” “relax,” “stretch” and “release” while breathing in and out.
“When your mind goes to a worry or preoccupation, you gently redirect attention back to the breath,” Donnenfeld said.
For more information about meditation and ways to relieve anxiety, talk to a mental health professional or try to attend a local meditation workshop. For example, there are organizations like The Art of Living that offer classes.
Sources:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070628160734.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090609072719.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091203091906.htm
http://us.artofliving.org/