Why does mindfulness meditation turn into self-criticism and looping thoughts?

[Joseph92]

I’ve been trying to practice mindfulness meditation to help with my anxiety, but I keep getting caught in a loop where I’m just anxiously monitoring my own thoughts instead of observing them. It feels like I’m performing a meta-cognitive process that’s making me more self-conscious, not less. Has anyone else experienced this turning into a kind of second-guessing?

[Luke_R]

I hear you. I tried mindfulness and it turned into me watching my own thoughts like a critic, which cranked the anxiety higher instead of quieting it.

[Savannah.W]

It happened to me too, the loop. I’d anchor on a breath or a sound and my brain would keep looping, asking if I was doing it right and what the next thought would be.

[Anthony98]

Maybe the problem isn’t the thoughts so much as the pressure to not have them at all. One time I just sat with the tension for a minute and didn’t try to label or judge anything.

[Thomas.L]

I’ve had mornings where the silence felt loud, like every small movement was a signal that I’m failing at calm. I kept at it for a few sessions and it softened slowly, but not evenly.

[Isabella.G]

A friend told me to drop the idea of getting it “right” and just notice whatever shows up, even if it’s a mess. It helped a little, but the second-guessing kept sliding back in.

[OliverG]

Do you think the extra looping is the real problem, or is the anxiety making the practice feel impossible? I’m curious what you tried next.