Why does my mind feel busier when I start mindfulness meditation for anxiety?

[Steven91]

I’ve been trying to practice mindfulness meditation to help with my anxiety, but I keep getting stuck on this feeling that I’m doing it wrong because my thoughts won’t stop. Is it normal for your mind to feel even busier when you first try to sit and observe it?

[AbigailHJ]

Yeah, that busier mind is pretty common when you first sit with it. You’re not failing if thoughts jump around; you’re just watching them. Some days it feels like a storm, other days a breeze, and that fluctuation is part of it.

[LukeC]

I tried anchoring to the breath at first and it just made me notice more chaos. It took weeks before any sense of distance showed up, and even then it was small. I kept showing up anyway, which felt stubborn.

[RyanMW]

Maybe the real issue isn’t the thoughts but the pressure to get it right fast. Anxiety loves the idea that you’re supposed to arrive calm immediately, so a busy mind seems like proof you’re doing it wrong.

[Mia.G]

Do you think the real problem is that you’re trying to calm the mind instead of just watching it and letting it come and go?