Simple steps to control ANXIETY

Worried about how much you worry? Use these easy expert breathing and meditation techniques for a calmer, happier life

- TANYA PEAREY

Living in unsettling times can have an unsettling impact on our minds. Plus, as we age, we tend to worry more as levels of the calming, feel-good hormones progesterone and oestrogen alter dramatically around, and after, menopause.

But there are ways to help ease this increased anxiety. ‘The way we breathe has a powerful effect on how stressed we feel,’ says breath coach Rebecca Dennis. ‘Meditation can help to relieve that stress. By asking the body to relax each time we inhale, we unwind stored tension. By connecting with your own breath, you can reset the mind and body when stress or anxiety starts to creep in.’ Try these tips from meditation experts, and sisters, Marion and Linda Williamson, authors of My Mind Won’t Shut Up! (£12.20, Trigger Publishing).

Begin where you are

If you’re new to meditation, you can be forgiven for thinking it’s not for you. But you don’t have to be ‘spiritual’ or have an incense burner to get started. Simply begin where you are. If you’re juggling a nightmare job, are worried about money and think you may have a urinary tract infection – it’s as good a time as any to start meditating. In fact, the less at peace you feel, the more you’ll appreciate the benefits.

Why meditate?