Meditation Causes Anxiety: Why Meditation Makes You More Stressed

Meditation Makes Me More Stressed: Understanding Anxious During Meditation

You sit down to meditate, hoping to feel calm and peaceful. But instead, you feel more anxious. Your heart races, your mind spirals, you feel panicky or uncomfortable, and you can't wait for the meditation to end. Instead of relaxation, you experience increased stress, restlessness, or even panic. You're left wondering: why does meditation make me anxious? Isn't meditation supposed to calm you down? Am I doing it wrong? Is meditation just not for me?

Meditation causing anxiety instead of reducing it is more common than people realize. While meditation is often presented as a universal cure for stress, it can actually trigger or worsen anxiety for some people, especially when done incorrectly or when certain underlying issues are present. Understanding why meditation makes you anxious and learning how to meditate in ways that actually calm rather than agitate can help you find peace instead of panic.

Why Meditation Makes You Anxious

1. You're Forcing Yourself to Sit Still

For anxious people, sitting still can feel unbearable.

What happens:

• Anxiety creates physical restlessness and nervous energy
• Forcing yourself to sit still traps that energy
• The trapped energy intensifies, creating more anxiety
• You feel like you need to move or escape
• The meditation becomes a pressure cooker for anxiety

Why it's worse: Anxious people often use movement to regulate their nervous system. Taking that away without addressing the underlying energy creates distress.

Solution: Try moving meditation (walking, yoga, tai chi) instead of sitting still.

2. Silence Amplifies Your Anxious Thoughts

When you remove external distractions, anxious thoughts become louder.

What happens:

• You sit in silence
• Without distractions, your anxious thoughts take center stage
• Worries, fears, and catastrophic thinking flood in
• You become hyperaware of your anxiety
• The meditation makes you focus on what you're trying to escape

Why it's worse: Many anxious people use constant activity and distraction to avoid their thoughts. Meditation removes that coping mechanism.

Solution: Use guided meditation with a voice to focus on, or mantra meditation to occupy your mind.

3. You're Trying Too Hard to Relax

The pressure to "do meditation right" creates performance anxiety.

What happens:

• You think you should feel calm and peaceful
• You're not feeling that way
• You judge yourself for "failing" at meditation
• The judgment creates more anxiety
• You try harder to relax, which makes you more tense

Why it's worse: "Trying to relax" is a paradox. Effort creates tension, not relaxation.

Solution: Let go of expectations. Accept whatever you feel during meditation without judgment.

4. You Have Unprocessed Trauma

Meditation can bring up suppressed emotions and traumatic memories.

What happens:

• Meditation quiets the mind
• Suppressed trauma surfaces
• You feel overwhelmed, panicky, or unsafe
• Your body goes into fight-or-flight
• Meditation feels dangerous or triggering

Why it's worse: If you have PTSD or unresolved trauma, meditation can be destabilizing without proper support.

Solution: Work with a trauma-informed therapist before doing deep meditation. Use grounding techniques and body-based practices.

5. You're Hypervigilant

Closing your eyes and being still can feel unsafe if you're hypervigilant.

What happens:

• Your nervous system is on high alert
• Closing your eyes feels vulnerable
• You can't relax because you're scanning for threats
• Meditation feels like letting your guard down
• Your anxiety spikes to keep you "safe"

Why it's worse: Hypervigilance is a trauma response. Meditation can trigger it.

Solution: Meditate with eyes open, in a safe space, or with grounding objects nearby.

6. You're Breathing Wrong

Some breathing techniques can trigger anxiety if done incorrectly.

What happens:

• You breathe too deeply or too fast
• You hyperventilate slightly
• This triggers physical anxiety symptoms (racing heart, dizziness)
• Your body interprets this as danger
• Panic response kicks in

Why it's worse: Anxious people are often already breathing shallowly or irregularly. Changing breath patterns can feel destabilizing.

Solution: Breathe naturally. Don't force deep breathing. Focus on slow, gentle exhales.

7. You're Experiencing a Healing Crisis

Sometimes meditation brings up anxiety as part of the healing process.

What happens:

• Meditation is working—it's bringing suppressed emotions to the surface
• You feel worse before you feel better
• Old anxiety, grief, or fear is being released
• It's uncomfortable but ultimately healing

Why it's worse: Healing isn't always comfortable. Sometimes you have to feel it to heal it.

Solution: Work with a teacher or therapist. Go slowly. Allow the process.

8. You Have an Anxiety Disorder

Clinical anxiety disorders can make traditional meditation difficult or counterproductive.

Conditions that may worsen with meditation:

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
• Panic Disorder
• PTSD
• OCD (obsessive thoughts can intensify)

Why it's worse: Standard meditation isn't designed for clinical anxiety. It can exacerbate symptoms without proper adaptation.

Solution: Work with a mental health professional. Use anxiety-specific meditation techniques.

What to Do When Meditation Makes You Anxious

Step 1: Stop Forcing It

If meditation is making you more anxious, stop:

• Don't push through panic
• Don't force yourself to sit still if it's unbearable
• Listen to your body
• It's okay to stop

Step 2: Try Different Types of Meditation

Not all meditation is the same. Experiment:

For anxious people, try:

• Walking meditation: Movement helps discharge nervous energy
• Guided meditation: A voice to focus on prevents spiraling thoughts
• Body scan: Focuses on sensation, not thoughts
• Mantra meditation: Gives the mind something to do
• Loving-kindness meditation: Generates positive emotions

Avoid if anxious:

• Long silent meditation
• Intense breathwork
• Deep trance states
• Meditation that emphasizes "emptying the mind"

Step 3: Shorten Your Practice

Start with tiny doses:

• 1-2 minutes instead of 20
• Build up gradually
• Success with short sessions builds confidence
• Don't force long sessions if they trigger anxiety

Step 4: Meditate With Eyes Open

If closing your eyes feels unsafe:

• Keep eyes open with soft gaze
• Look at a candle flame or peaceful object
• This can feel less vulnerable
• Still effective for meditation

Step 5: Ground Before Meditating

Calm your nervous system first:

• Do physical exercise before sitting
• Use grounding techniques (5-4-3-2-1 senses)
• Ensure you feel safe in your environment
• Have grounding objects nearby (stone, blanket)

Step 6: Use Anxiety-Specific Techniques

Meditation adapted for anxiety:

4-7-8 Breathing (calming):

• Inhale for 4 counts
• Hold for 7 counts
• Exhale for 8 counts
• The long exhale activates the parasympathetic nervous system

Progressive Muscle Relaxation:

• Tense and release muscle groups
• Gives you something active to do
• Releases physical tension

Noting Practice:

• Label thoughts as they arise ("worry," "planning," "fear")
• Don't engage, just note and let go
• Creates distance from anxious thoughts

Step 7: Seek Professional Support

If meditation consistently triggers anxiety:

• Work with a therapist who understands meditation
• Consider trauma-informed meditation teachers
• Address underlying anxiety or trauma first
• Meditation may not be appropriate for you right now

Meditation Alternatives for Anxious People

If traditional meditation doesn't work, try:

Movement-Based Practices

• Yoga (gentle, not intense)
• Tai chi or qigong
• Walking in nature
• Dance or free movement

Creative Practices

• Art or coloring
• Journaling
• Music (playing or listening)
• Gardening

Somatic Practices

• Body-based therapy
• Massage or bodywork
• Somatic experiencing
• Sensory grounding

Mindfulness in Action

• Mindful eating
• Mindful walking
• Mindful cleaning or cooking
• Present-moment awareness during daily activities

When Meditation Isn't Right for You

It's okay if meditation doesn't work for you:

Meditation may not be appropriate if:

• You have active PTSD or severe trauma
• You're in acute mental health crisis
• You have severe anxiety or panic disorder
• It consistently makes you feel worse
• You have psychosis or dissociative disorders

In these cases:

• Focus on therapy and medical treatment first
• Use other stress-reduction methods
• Meditation can come later when you're more stable
• Don't force something that harms you

How to Make Meditation Work for Anxiety

If you want to continue meditating:

Start small: 1-2 minutes, build gradually

Choose the right type: Guided, walking, or mantra meditation

Let go of expectations: Accept whatever you feel

Ground first: Calm your nervous system before sitting

Keep eyes open: If closing them feels unsafe

Move if needed: Don't force stillness

Use support: Work with a teacher or therapist

Be patient: It may take time to find what works

Know when to stop: If it's consistently harmful, try something else

FAQs About Meditation and Anxiety

Is it normal for meditation to make me anxious?

It's common, especially for people with anxiety disorders or trauma. It doesn't mean you're doing it wrong—it means you need a different approach.

Should I push through the anxiety?

No. If meditation is causing panic or severe distress, stop. Don't force it. Find gentler methods.

Will meditation ever work for me?

Possibly, with the right type and approach. But it's also okay if meditation isn't your path. There are many ways to find peace.

Can meditation cure my anxiety?

Meditation can help manage anxiety for some people, but it's not a cure and shouldn't replace professional treatment for anxiety disorders.

What if everyone says meditation helps anxiety but it makes mine worse?

Trust your experience over others' claims. What works for most people doesn't work for everyone. Find what actually helps you.

The Bottom Line

Meditation making you anxious instead of calm is a real problem that affects many people, especially those with anxiety disorders, trauma, or hypervigilance. It's not your fault, and it doesn't mean you're doing it wrong—it means traditional meditation isn't the right fit for you right now.

Try different types of meditation (walking, guided, mantra), shorten your practice, keep your eyes open, ground before meditating, and use anxiety-specific techniques. If meditation consistently makes you worse, it's okay to stop and try other stress-reduction methods.

And remember: meditation is a tool, not a requirement. If it doesn't serve you, don't force it. There are many paths to peace, and you deserve to find one that actually helps rather than harms.