What is the Difference Between Mindfulness and Meditation? And How Do They Help with Mental Health?

Written by: Lauran Hahn, LMHC

Do you struggle with anxiety and wonder how mindfulness or meditation can help? There's much talk these days about self-care and the benefits of mindfulness and meditation. It seems like everyone is into these practices. Friends, coworkers, and social media influencers are all talking about how mindfulness and meditation have improved their mental health and well-being.

You may have many concerns, such as: "Do I need mindfulness, meditation, or both?" How can I know which type of meditation is right for me? How can these routines help me with my anxiety? You are not alone. Many people who are trying to take charge of their physical and mental health feel overwhelmed when introduced to the terms mindfulness and meditation.

We at Mindful Living Counseling understand your confusion and want to clear that up for you. Allow us to take you through untangling these terms, understanding the difference, and learning how to use mindfulness and meditation to improve your mental health and overall well-being.

Orlando Therapist Shares About Anxiety Therapy

Have you been tied up in knots lately and paralyzed by anxiety? Have you wanted to relax, but been unsure of exactly how to help yourself? Anxiety can be an all-consuming experience that leaves you feeling powerless and out of control.

But it doesn’t have to stay that way. I have helped many people heal from and overcome anxiety. My name is Lauran Hahn and I am a specialized Anxiety Therapist in Orlando and the owner of Mindful Living Counseling. I have helped many anxious clients feel calm and in control again.

Anxiety Therapist Shares a Guided Meditation for Anxiety: Container and Storage

By: Lauran Hahn, LMHC

Anxiety and overwhelm can be a powerful dictator in someone’s life. However, it can be managed through daily meditation and mindfulness practice. At Mindful Living Counseling Orlando, we provide grounding practices to our clients who struggle with anxiety and trauma. Guided Meditation is one of our favorite grounding techniques.

Get yourself into a comfortable space, and listen to the Container and Storage practice below to give yourself the tools to put away certain events, memories, or situations that are causing you anxiety at the moment and return to them when and if you are ready.

Orlando Anxiety Therapist Providing a Guided Mediation for Anxiety

Did you know that there are scientific benefits to meditation? It is effective in helping to reduce stress, promote emotional health, enhance self awareness, and calm anxiety.

I love to share this tool with my clients as a means to calm their anxiety and I want to share it with you too! This particular meditation is great to do after a difficult event, disagreement, or challenging moment where you are feeling uncomfortable and anxious. It’s also a great meditation to do before bed.

Finding Calm Within the Storm: A Guided Meditation for Anxiety

There is no denying that we are now in a global storm of uncertainty. Our lives have been picked up and thrown around. Going into week four of this (in Orlando, Florida), we continue to be tousled around by the impact of the Coronavirus without the ground in sight.

Orlando Anxiety Therapist: Five Sense Guided Meditation

“I feel like my brain is floating in space, I am so overwhelmed, I have no focus” Have you ever had these types of thoughts? Something Similar? A great way to feel more grounded is through mindfulness and meditation practices. One of the practices I teach my clients that are struggling with anxiety is the Five Sense Grounding Meditation.

Orlando Anxiety Therapist: Tools for Anxiety

As some of you may know, I am a true advocate for regular mindfulness and meditation practices. It is so important in helping you maintain a relaxed, stress and anxiety free life. Is that not how we all want to start and end our days? In a state of relaxation? Mindfulness and meditation practices help us calm our thoughts and change our ways of thinking BUT it takes practice and consistency - it doesn’t just happen overnight.

Guided Meditation for Anxiety: Four Elements

“I am so tired of feeling anxious all the time! I am not sure why I feel so nervous and have such a hard time feeling settled!” If you’ve said these words before, you are like most of the clients that call me for counseling.

Looking for Anxiety Therapy in Orlando?

Welcome to this blog series on alternative approaches for working with anxiety in Orlando. In this series, I will highlight local professionals and resources that help people that are struggling with anxiety feel settled and calm. Our second guest to be featured is Dr. Gulnora Hundley. She uses Neurofeedback to help people work through anxiety. She is located in the Baldwin Park area.

Orlando Therapist Providing Anxiety and Trauma Counseling

If you’re exhausted from feeling anxious and nervous, you’re not alone. So many people struggle with anxiety. One of the many tools I use with my clients is learning a guided meditation practice. Practicing mindfulness and meditation helps to stimulate the part of the brain that can discern the difference between an anxiety trigger and an actual threat of danger.

Guided Meditation for Anxiety: Calm Place

Having a regular mindfulness and meditation practice helps to calm anxiety in a natural way. It brings online the part of the brain that tells the nervous system that you are safe now. If you have been struggling with anxiety, I recommend you start a mindfulness and meditation practice, as this teaches your brain and nervous system the ability to discern the difference between a threat and a trigger.

Orlando Counseling Providing Anxiety Therapy

Your heart is pounding, your throat feels constricted, and your mouth is dry. Your system is geared up and ready to respond as if you’re actually in danger. You know there is no real threat, but you can’t seem to get your brain to calm down and stop acting like you’re being attacked by mountain lion. You’re exhausted from feeling all revved up and on edge.

Orlando Counseling Providing Anxiety Therapy

Your heart is pounding. Your mind is racing. Your mouth is dry. You have butterflies in your stomach. You feel pressured and rushed. You are caught up in the tidal wave of anxiety. When you feel it start to come, you think, “Not again!” and then a sense of dread comes over you.

As an anxiety and trauma therapist providing counseling in Orlando, I help my clients calm their anxious feelings using mindfulness. In this post, I will share some super simple mindfulness tools for soothing those overwhelming and uncomfortable feelings of anxiety.

Orlando Counseling Providing Anxiety Therapy

These days you can respond to your boss’s email, text your partner about the kids, google search a recipe for your dinner, answer your best friend’s phone call, and shop for your mom’s birthday gift all at the same. This makes you a super-efficient human being, right?

Nope, it doesn’t. It makes you a super stressed-out and anxious human doing in a pressure cooker about explode with anxiety.