Here’s another quick and easy anxiety-lowering technique that is a favorite amongst my anxious clients.
It is fun to do for meditative purposes even if you are not anxious. Here’s how it works.
Sit in a comfortable chair with your ankles crosses. Then cross your wrists as well. If you like you can fold your arms and put your crossed wrists next to your heart. Or, you can leave your wrists crossed in your lap.
Then close your eyes and begin to focus on your breathing, taking long deep breathes and exhaling for an equal length of time.
Don’t try to force yourself not to think. Instead, imagine your thoughts are clouds floating by, not good, not bad, just floating. Eventually the thoughts become fewer and farther between and you will observe your mind is quiet.
I find this pose particularly relaxing and restorative. It is a great way to reset when you have just been through a stressful or intense experience, like a meeting full of rowdy co-workers.
I especially recommend trying it every day for a week and journaling about the experience.