Meditation makes me anxious

[maianixon]

Ok so I am repeatedly told by everyone how I need to meditate and do mindfulness and other relaxation exercises as a part of working on my anxiety. However, it seems like every time I focus my attention inwards - so when I meditate or do mindfulness exercises or even if I just focus on my breathing that causes me to get anxious even if I wasn't particularly as a start of it. More than anything it shows physically, I get heart palpitations every single time i try to meditate, i feel my body get very excited, I feel dizzy afterwards etc. This is the opposite of what meditation should do. It seems like the problem is focusing my attention inwards. I was wondering if that ever happens to anyone else and does anyone have any tips on how to help this?
This didn't use to happen until couple of months ago so i know it's not that i would be doing it wrong or anything like that

[Bill]

I can certainly understand this. It's one of the thoughts I've often had about meditation and relaxation exercises.

They do most definitely help people but just sometimes they can have the opposite effect and I think I know why.

If someone says to you to focus on your breathing to take long deep breaths, just being told to focus on your breathing could make you panic even more because you're more aware of how you're breathing.

If someone tell you to meditate, you close your eyes and you find your mind focuses on all the anxious thoughts because you're more aware of them.

I've often thought it can be like when you can't sleep so you tell yourself you Must go to sleep which makes it even worse because you put even more pressure on yourself.

The other thing is that you're trying to do something which is the total opposite to how you're feeling. Sometimes it seems to me like your mind is travelling at 100mph and you're trying to perform an emergency stop which just makes you go faster because it makes you feel even more panicky.

I think sometimes with therapies you're being told to focus on your thoughts and your body...focusing inwardly...when sometimes it can work better to think outwardly about other things so that your mind doesn't get a chance to focus inwardly...on anxious thoughts and feelings.

Anxiety starves when you don't feed it by not allowing it to make you give it attention.

Meditation etc do work but it takes practise and you have to be able to focus the mind away from anxious thoughts to give it a chance to work.

I just feel if one thing doesn't work, there are always alternatives and some things suit people better than others so it can be trial and error.

The other thing to add is if we're going through an unusually stressful period, meditation exercises etc can feel they stop working because the anxiety caused by the stress can feel too strong until the stress eases. Unusually stressful periods can feel like trying to put a fire out (the anxiety) whilst turning the gas full on (stress). Turn down the stress and anxiety is easier to manage.

[Goldfinch]

Yes, I find exactly the same. I was doing well with meditation until this latest patch of anxiety started. I've been taking the Buddhist practice of observing your thoughts passing across your mind without getting involved with them - unfortunately, some of my thoughts are so scary that I can't help getting involved with them! I find a lot more peace doing embroidery (which is quite meditative in a way) or going for a walk (which helps with the physical feelings of anxiety).

[lior]

@maianixon are you having better luck at the moment?

I feel the same way.

I've had near-death asthma attacks, so concentrating on breathing can make me feel anxious!

I also get anxiety triggered whenever in a meditation they say 'you are safe' because I'm not really that safe.

I am on the Insight Timer app, and there's a good community on there for people that are practicing meditation. I got some good advice on there about this. They suggested for me to do specific meditations they recommended which didn't include sections on breathing or saying 'you are safe'. V helpful.

[clio51]

I'm exactly the same

I feel anxious at the moment most days, I say to myself right!
Do some breathing exercises, when I do I can feel my adrenaline rising. This instead of making me calmer it's doing the opposite!!
I try to keep doing it as I think practice practice makes perfect

But as this is not making me feel better, I do think this is not for me if it's doing this to me:ohmy:
I'll have to try something else

[Lilliput]

There are different ways to meditate so if one doesn't work, try another. There's so much stuff on the internet now, you'll be spoilt for choice.
'Getting lost' in doing something you enjoy but doesn't require complicated thinking is a good one that someone mentioned earlier. The technique called 'mindfulness' is based on this. If I start pulling up weeds in the garden, I'm just concentrating on looking for the weeds (there are plenty) and not thinking about breathing or anything else. I notice what's going on at that moment and it can be very relaxing.
Trouble with breathing exercises is that you are focusing on your breathing! The best time to practise those is when you're not feeling too anxious so that you get good at them before you really need them.
I use a site called fragrant heart.com which has guided meditations and exercises of different lengths. Just do a 2 minute one to start with until you get better at it.

[clio51]

Lilliput
Your so right, that's exactly what happens with me.
When I'm in bed I'll think to myself, I'll do some breathing techniques. I'm not necessarily anxious, just want to get into a relax state to drop off.
However, this doesn't work for me, and I end up with my chest feeling heavy!
So now I'm not going to do that., as it's not for me.

I used to go to mindfulness class, and I'd tell the teacher it makes me worse I can't do it doesn't do it for me.

I can completely get lost in colouring before I know couple hours have past, not realising I'm concentrating on it but must be.

[Lilliput]

I like colouring as well, Clio.
It's still a good idea to try and learn at least one breathing technique, though. I've been having breathing problems for a few months, on and off, had tests and x-rays which showed nothing wrong.
Started reading about techniques which reminded me what I've learnt from Yoga over 25 years. With help from website previouly mentioned I got back on track with breathing and the problem's almost gone so I know it was anxiety that brought it on and that practising breathing properly has done the trick.