Does it ever feel like worry, stress, and anxiety are taking control of your life? 

The truth is, anxiety can mentally and emotionally exhaust you and cause physical ailments and illnesses!

But before you get anxious about being anxious, know that research has shown you can reduce your anxiety and stress with a simple mindfulness practice.

Here are some of the signs of anxiety (that you need to look out for), and how mindfulness can help overcome these symptoms. 
 

SIGNS OF ANXIETY

• You can’t sleep. Even when you try, you just can’t turn off your mind, and you begin to feel agitated by worries or doubts.

• You’re always tired. This may be from insomnia, or just from the constant loop of your agitated thoughts.

• You want to control everything. You try to plan every aspect of your life, down to the last detail. 

• You obsess about failure. You tend to be a perfectionist and often imagine how awful it would be to fail in any way. This fear of failure often paralyzes you, preventing you from learning from any mistakes.

• You fear the future. Instead of being excited by all you’ve yet to accomplish and experience, you are trapped in your own anxiety about what could go wrong.

• You don’t trust your own judgment. You second-guess yourself on everything from what you’re wearing to where you’re going, what you’re saying and how you come across to others. You may rely on others to reassure you that your judgment is sound.

• You get tension headaches. These feel like a tight band around your temples, and you might also notice pain or stiffness in your neck. Chronic tension headaches are a sign that you need a rest.
   

HOW MINDFULNESS CAN HELP: 

Mindfulness is simply experiencing the moment as it is - without judgment, trying to resist it, prevent it, or control it. And also it can be an extremely holistic tool in helping you cope with stress and anxiety. 

If this is something you’re struggling with at the moment, here are 5 mindful ways to help you overcome it: 
 

1) Practice being curious

Did you know people who practice mindfulness adopt this attitude throughout the day? 

In fact, research shows that mindfulness is one of the fastest ways of creating new neural connections in the brain. New experiences can help us to become more mindful.

Which means curiosity leads the mindful person to get back in touch with the wonders and possibilities of life. When we pay attention, we see beauty where we didn’t notice it before.

Try listening to different music, taking a different route for your daily walk or soaking in a bath instead of hurrying through a shower.
 

2) Get comfortable with change

Do you know what’s the only constant in life? Change. And acknowledging this is an essential ingredient of mindful living.

Why? Because it’s only when we understand that everything is in the process of becoming something else, is when we no longer hold onto things, past events, or people. We come to understand that change is part of life. 
 

3) Let it be 

Mindfulness isn’t about being happy or at peace all the time. But rather, acceptance of the moment we’re in and feeling whatever we feel without trying to judge it or control it. 

Every time you think “I don’t like this” or “I want more of that”, you’re taking away your joy for life, and experiencing the present moment. 

With mindfulness, we accept what it is. Not because you’re not worthy of more or better, but because you’re accepting this way of living by choice. 
 

4) Realize you’re not the story in your head 

Mindfulness teaches us that the stories we believe about ourselves are not reality. They’re just thoughts. Mindful people are used to observing what’s going on in their minds. 

Remember that any time you watch your thoughts, you are being mindful. However, do pay attention to which thoughts are productive and which ones are not. 

Instead of getting caught up in over-thinking, by being mindful you’ll able to step back and watch the mind instead of being taken away by the swirl of it. 
 

5) Feed your mind happy thoughts 

As mentioned before, your mind believes whatever it’s told, so the more you focus on positivity and gratitude, the greater chances you’ll have at living a happier, peaceful, and more fulfilled life.  
 
I know this can be easier said than done.

If you’re constantly battling a restless mind and you suspect there’s an invisible barrier holding you back from peace, health, and happiness, then I encourage you to take this 30-second quiz. 

It’s free and in only 30-seconds you’ll find out if your past is behind your stress and worry. After you do, you'll receive a personalized video report that identifies it and most importantly, how you can rid yourself from its influence.

And if you have any other tips on how to overcome stress and anxiety, please share them with our community in the comment box below :)