The only way to overcome your stress or anxiety is by facing it. In behavior therapy, this is called “exposure”. This involves going into a feared situation and staying there until the anxiety diminishes. The anxiety eventually does go away if you face it. It’s like letting a wave pass over you. This is a step by step process. And the more fully you face your fears, the more fully you will overcome them. This means not only placing yourself into situations where you’re anxious (e.g. whether it be crowds, heights, driving on the highway, social situations, etc.), it also means facing your feelings of anxiety. This includes being aware of your feelings—and FEELING YOUR FEELINGS, in your body. It also involves staying with your feelings and not running away from them.
Even if you have no identifiable situations that you’re afraid of, we all have certain feelings (such as sadness, anger, anxiety, guilt, shame and so on) that we would rather not experience. The way to skillfully navigate through these feelings is no different than facing difficult external situations. In this case, we are called upon to tolerate and more effectively mange the challenging emotions of our inner world—all of which is felt in the body.
And guess what helps you do this? MINDFULNESS. Mindfulness helps you to tolerate your feelings of discomfort, until they pass. Practicing mindfulness helps you to be aware of your feelings, take responsibility for your feelings, accept your feelings, and then ultimately let go of your feelings. This opens the way to new experience.