Anxiety Mantras for the Highly Sensitive Person: Finding Quiet in a Loud World
TL;DR: Meditation doesn’t work for every highly sensitive person (HSP), and for some people it can increase anxiety. Mantras are a gentler alternative: instead of emptying your mind, you give it something simple and rhythmic to focus on. Try one of the 5 anxiety mantras below, or write your own. If anxiety keeps overwhelming you, virtual anxiety therapy for HSPs can help.
Being a highly sensitive person in this chaotic world can be really hard. Constant input from social media, pressure from bosses, expectations from family…the list goes on and on.
Many of my HSP therapy clients find it hard to turn off their brains and feel a sense of ease and peace. They’re constantly worrying about whether people are mad at them or whether they’re being “too much,” or trying to figure out how to soothe their overwhelmed nervous systems.
Why Meditation Doesn’t Always Help HSPs with Anxiety
I’ve written before about how meditation is often recommended for managing anxiety, but isn’t the best fit for everyone.
I’ve lost count of how many new therapy clients have told me they tried meditation to soothe their anxiety and it didn’t work, which made them feel even more broken or inadequate.
I’ve been there too.
Social media and well-meaning friends and family often insist that meditation “should” help. But it doesn’t always. For some highly sensitive people, meditation can actually increase anxiety, and as an HSP myself, I know you don’t need more anxiety than you probably already have.
I often tell clients that I have a sporadic relationship with meditation myself. When I do meditate, it’s usually for 2 minutes at a time. (Who started the myth that all therapists meditate in perfect silence for 30 minutes a day?)
Over the years, I’ve learned to let go of the shame around meditation not being the only answer to my anxiety. In some seasons of my life it’s helpful, and in others not so much.
What Can I Try for Anxiety Instead of Meditation?
Meditation can be a powerful experience, but it’s not a perfect solution.
Instead of trying to empty your mind, try giving it something else to focus on. Mantras can be really helpful for that.
As a creative arts therapist, I love the rhythm of simple, repeatable mantras. That rhythm alone can be soothing, because your nervous system craves predictable, repeatable patterns.
5 Anxiety Mantras to Try
Take a gentle breath in and out, then recite your mantra out loud or silently. You can also post it around your home or office, or make it the wallpaper on your phone.
Don’t know what your mantra should be?
Here are some ideas. It can also be really empowering to come up with your own.
Ready enough is enough.
I feel my feet on the ground.
I am doing enough.
I can figure this out.
Inhale, exhale.
A Few Gentle Reminders About Using Mantras for Anxiety
Find what works for you. Make it simple and memorable.
Repeat it at least a few times and notice if anything shifts.
Shifts don’t have to be huge to be meaningful.
Notice whether you’re putting unintentional pressure on yourself with mantras like “I am perfectly calm,” “everything is fine,” or “just calm down.”
You can return to these mantras (or one of your own) again and again. They’ll likely feel different on different days and in different places. It takes time and repetition for a mantra to become a solid touchstone for easing your anxiety. You deserve to feel ease and relief.
Virtual Anxiety Therapy for Highly Sensitive People in New York
If you feel overwhelmed by anxiety and by being a highly sensitive person in this chaotic world, therapy can give you a place to slow down and let your nervous system experience the ease it so badly wants.
You don’t have to brace yourself and push through anymore. You can learn to soothe your anxiety in a way that feels supportive.
I offer virtual anxiety therapy, especially crafted for HSPs, across New York State.
About the Author
Maya Benattar, MA, MT-BC, LCAT is a licensed creative arts therapist and psychotherapist in New York who specializes in helping highly sensitive women soothe their anxiety, calm their chronically overwhelmed nervous systems, and show up with real confidence at work and home.
She has over 15 years of experience and offers telehealth therapy throughout New York, including NYC, the Hudson Valley, Albany, and Rochester. Schedule your free therapy intro call here today.
