3 simple mantras to help battle anxiety

If you struggle with anxiety, you know how hard it can be to calm yourself in a crisis. It can be difficult to break through the fear and internal noise of an anxious mind, but there is one technique that can help: mantra meditation. In fact, studies have found that meditating with a mantra can treat anxiety. Here are three simple mantras you can use to calm yourself next time you're feeling anxious.

• Anxiety can kill your self-confidence, fooling you into believing that you don't have the resilience or life skills to meet everyday challenges. Battle that misconception with the mantra, "I've got this."
• By repeating the phrase to yourself, you'll remind yourself that you do, in fact, have the internal resources you need to meet anything life throws out at you.
• If you have doubts about how well-resourced you are, you may wish to consult with a therapist to discuss how to shore up your inner resources.

• Anxiety has a strange way of convincing us that, despite all signs to the contrary, things are not going well at all.
• A perfectly ordinary situation can turn into one that feels threatening, scary, and in which we feel powerless and shaky.
• The next time your internal reality doesn't match up with what's on the outside, remind yourself that "all is well."
• Then use the mantra as a chance to check in with your surroundings.
• If you're not in immediate physical danger, it's likely that all is well.
• You're probably still breathing; your heart is still beating.
• Outside, the wind blows and the sun rises and sets. All is well.

• It can be hard to realize when gripped by anxiety, but emotions are finite, and the nature of life is constant change.
• Remind yourself that no matter how bad things feel right now, the feeling will likely pass at some point by using the mantra "this too shall pass."
• This phrase can help connect you to the impermanence of your anxiety and remind you that better feelings are likely just around the corner.
• No matter which mantra you choose, try retiring to a quiet location.
• Sit still and take a few deep breaths before repeating the mantra to yourself.
• You may wish to repeat the mantra in a mirror or even repeat it several times over the course of the day.