Meditation

Meditation for Anxiety: A Simple 5-Minute Practice to Start

By Cheng Xu · Updated October 28, 2026 · 5 min read

AI-assisted draft, checked against linked sources · Not clinically reviewed · Editorial standards

Meditation for anxiety usually means a few minutes of resting your attention on one simple anchor, such as your breath, a sound, or your feet on the floor, and gently returning to it each time worry pulls you away. You are not trying to empty your mind. Start with five minutes, eyes open if you prefer, and stop whenever you need.

How to meditate when you feel anxious

1. Sit in a supported position with your feet on the floor. Keep your eyes open with a soft gaze, or close them if that feels comfortable.
2. Choose one anchor: the feeling of breathing in your belly or nose, a steady sound in the room, or the pressure of your feet on the floor.
3. Rest your attention on that anchor. Breathe normally; there is no need to slow or deepen your breath.
4. When a worry or thought pulls you away, notice it. You might silently say "thinking" or "worrying."
5. Gently bring attention back to your anchor. This return is the practice, not a mistake.
6. After about five minutes, look around the room, notice one thing you can see, and move on with your day.

If your breath feels uncomfortable to watch, which is common with anxiety, use a sound or your feet instead. If you would rather follow a rhythm, the no-hold breathing timer gives your attention something steady to follow. The 5-minute meditation guide walks through a session minute by minute, and mindfulness exercises offers ways to practice without sitting still. The meditation collection lists every guide.

Working with racing thoughts

Anxious minds tend to be busy, and that is not a sign you are doing it wrong. A few approaches may help:

• Label and return: Name the thought type ("planning," "worrying," "remembering") and return to your anchor.
• Count breaths: Count each out-breath from one to ten, then start again. If you lose count, start at one.
• Look outward: Keep your eyes open and name a few things you see. The 5-4-3-2-1 grounding method turns this into a structured exercise.
• Shorten it: One minute of practice you can tolerate is better than ten minutes you dread.

Some people find that sitting still makes anxiety feel stronger at first. Walking meditation, or a guided script such as the body scan, can be easier ways in.

When to use it

Meditation tends to be most useful as a regular habit at calmer times, for example a few minutes each morning or after work. The skill of noticing a thought and returning to an anchor is easier to use during a stressful moment if you have practiced it on ordinary days.

During a moment of strong anxiety, a long sitting practice may feel too hard. In that case, try something more active and outward, like grounding techniques or gentle breathing exercises.

Who should be careful

Stop if you feel dizzy, overwhelmed, or more anxious, and open your eyes, look around, and move. Meditation is usually considered low-risk, but some people report unpleasant experiences, including increased anxiety. If attention to your breath or body makes things worse, choose an outward anchor or a different practice.

If you have a history of difficult experiences during meditation, or difficult memories come up when you sit quietly, talk with a qualified professional before trying longer sessions. Do not change any medication or treatment without talking to your prescriber.

Meditation is not a substitute for care. If anxiety is frequent, intense, or interferes with work, sleep, or relationships, talk with a doctor or mental health professional. Anxiety disorders are common and treatable, and effective options include therapy and medication. This article is general information and has not been individually clinically reviewed.

What the research says

• Meditation programs: A 2014 review of 47 randomized trials (3,515 participants) found moderate evidence that mindfulness meditation programs, usually taught over several weeks, improved anxiety compared with active control programs. The effects were small to moderate.
• A structured course for diagnosed anxiety: A 2023 U.S. trial randomized 276 adults with anxiety disorders to an 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) course or the medication escitalopram; 208 completed it. On the main clinician-rated measure, the MBSR course was not meaningfully worse than the medication, within the margin the researchers set. That was a standardized weekly course, not a few minutes of practice on your own.

These studies tested multi-week programs, not a single five-minute session or this page's instructions. Results in a trial do not mean meditation will work for you or that it should replace a treatment that is helping you. NCCIH notes that meditation is usually considered to have few risks but that harms have not been studied closely. Our research page explains how we read sources like these.

References

• Goyal M, Singh S, Sibinga EMS, et al. Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Internal Medicine. 2014. PubMed
• Hoge EA, Bui E, Mete M, Dutton MA, Baker AW, Simon NM. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction vs Escitalopram for the Treatment of Adults With Anxiety Disorders: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Psychiatry. 2023. PubMed
• National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Meditation and Mindfulness: Effectiveness and Safety. Evidence and safety overview
• National Institute of Mental Health. Anxiety Disorders. Overview and treatment