MBSR for Managing Anxiety

Mindfulness practices for calming the body and mind

“May my anxiety be well and understood.”

Understanding & Embracing Anxiety (Gently)

In MBSR, we meet our inner experience—even anxiety—with gentleness and curiosity rather than resistance or judgment. Anxiety is a natural messenger,
signaling uncertainty or unmet needs. With mindful awareness, we shift from reacting to responding, opening space for steadiness and care.

How MBSR Slowly Eases Unexplored Fears

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), developed by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, teaches us to pause, breathe, and notice the patterns that feed ongoing stress and anxiety.
With consistent practice, participants learn to:

Notice early signs in the body: tightness, restlessness, racing thoughts.
Create space for choice—respond rather than react.
Soften the fear of fear, reducing avoidance, tension, and rumination over time.

Micro-Mindfulness: Calm in Small Moments

Mindfulness is a way of living. These small pauses build resilience:

One mindful breath before calls, emails, or conversations.
Mindful transitions: feel your feet as you stand or walk between rooms.
Mindful moments: while washing hands or sipping tea, notice warmth, texture, sound, and breath.

Small moments, many times.

Mini-Course: MBSR for Anxiety (15 Minutes)

A gentle, three-step MBSR sequence you can repeat daily:

Grounding in the Body (5 min) — feel contact, scan sensations, soften on the out-breath.
Meeting the Mind (5 min) — notice thoughts as passing events, return to breath/body.
Cultivating Kindness (5 min) — offer caring phrases to yourself and your anxiety.

Guided Steps (Full Text)

Step 1 — Grounding in the Body (5 minutes)

Sit or lie comfortably. Sense contact with the chair, cushion, or ground. Scan the body—feet, legs, hips, belly, chest, shoulders, jaw, and face.
Notice where anxiety is held (tightness, heat, fluttering). Let the breath be natural. On the out-breath, invite softening. If the mind wanders,
gently return to sensations. Intention: In this body, I find my ground.

Step 2 — Meeting the Mind (5 minutes)

Notice thoughts and feelings arise and pass, like clouds in the sky. Name them softly—“thinking,” “worrying,” “planning”—and let them move on.
Rest back as awareness. Return to breath or body whenever you drift. Intention: A thought is just a thought. I can rest in awareness.

Step 3 — Cultivating Kindness (5 minutes)

Bring to mind your experience of anxiety. If helpful, place a hand on the heart. Offer phrases of kindness:
“May I be safe and well.” “May I accept myself just as I am.” “May my anxiety be well and understood.”
Let kindness infuse the out-breath. Intention: May this moment be held in compassion.

Educational content based on MBSR principles (Jon Kabat-Zinn). This page is not a substitute for medical or mental-health care.
If distress feels unmanageable, please seek support from a qualified professional.