LibraryScenariosWhen mindfulness amplifies the very problems it's supposed to solve
Scenario

When mindfulness amplifies the very problems it's supposed to solve

I tried mindfulness to help with anxiety but now I am hyper-aware of every anxious thought and sensation and it feels worse than when I was just distracted all the time.

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More people experience this than they realize.

What we've seen

Awareness without skillful relationship to experience can intensify suffering rather than create the promised peace.

Ideas that help explain it
Worth thinking about

“Where Are You with Attention and focus — the science?”

If this sounds familiar, the Library can help you find the bigger picture.