Six Mindfulness Exercises to help Reduce your Anxiety

Choose one of the following exercises and begin to practice for one to two minutes per day. Build this up over time to aim
for 10 to 20 minutes per day.

Mindful Breathing

Sit quietly and bring attention to your breath. Ride your breath like the waves of the ocean, gently following the rhythm
of the tide, in and out. When thoughts and images enter your mind, gently redirect your attention to your breathing.

Mindfulness of Thoughts

Find a quiet space and pay attention to your thinking with curiosity and acceptance. There is nothing to be fixed
or challenged – the aim is to simply notice your thoughts and label them in a non-judgemental way. For example,
“reminiscing… planning… judging… “.

Mindfulness of Emotions

Using the list of common emotions, see if you can respond to your emotional landscape using mindfulness. Adopt a
stance of gentle curiosity and compassion, identify your emotions and label them non-judgementally, ie, “sadness…
longing… worry… hope…”. It can be useful to focus on your breath in between.

Mindfulness of the Senses

Choose one sensory modality at a time. For example, begin by paying attention to the sounds around you and
describe each one to yourself. Move on to sight, touch, tastes, and scents.

Mindful Body Scan

Begin by focusing on your breath, then redirecting your attention to your body; from your toes all the way up to your
head. Focus on any felt sensations and describe them to yourself before moving on.

Everyday Mindfulness

Adopt an attitude of gentle curiosity and acceptance whilst doing everyday tasks. For example, when making a cup
of tea, showering, cooking, eating, etc. Describe the experience to yourself and remain mindfully present.