Mindfulness can increase anxiety when the practice is performed with mistaken expectations, excessive intensity, or without adapting it to the person's emotional state. This does not mean that mindful awareness is harmful, but that not every way of practicing is suitable for every situation.
In this article, you will understand why observing the mind can make certain inner states more evident, when the practice needs to be adjusted, and which precautions make the process safer.
Mindful awareness should not become a forced confrontation with discomfort. Continue reading to understand how to practice with greater moderation, bodily presence, and respect for your limits.
Why Can Mindfulness Increase Anxiety?
Mindfulness directs attention toward experiences that often go unnoticed.
When you stop your activities and remain silent, you may perceive more clearly:
- worrying thoughts;
- muscle tension;
- rapid heartbeat;
- changes in breathing;
- uncomfortable memories;
- fear of losing control.
These experiences may already have been present but were partially concealed by work, entertainment, conversations, and other distractions.
In some cases, the practice did not create the anxiety. It merely made what was already happening more visible.
In others, the way of practicing can truly intensify the discomfort. Prolonged bodily attention, long sessions, silence, closed eyes, or rigid instructions can increase activation in certain people.
Recent reviews of adverse effects report anxiety, depression, and traumatic reexperiencing among the negative experiences observed, although important limitations remain in the way these effects are investigated and recorded.
Can Observing the Breath Worsen Anxiety?
It can happen.
For some people, the breath functions as a stable anchor. For others, directing too much attention to it increases concern about shortness of breath, heart rhythm, or sensations connected to panic.
The person begins to check:
“Am I breathing correctly?”
“Why is my breathing shallow?”
“Am I going to lose control?”
Then they try to breathe more deeply, control every cycle, and become even more tense.
In this case, it is not necessary to keep using the breath.
Try an external anchor:
- sounds in the environment;
- contact between your feet and the floor;
- colors and shapes;
- the texture of an object;
- movement during a walk.
The breath is only one of the possibilities in mindfulness.
It is not a test you need to pass in order to practice correctly.
Can Closing the Eyes Cause Discomfort?
Yes.
Closing the eyes reduces visual information and can increase attention directed toward thoughts, images, and internal sensations.
Some people feel tranquility. Others feel vulnerable, disoriented, or disconnected from the environment.
Keep your eyes open when this offers greater stability.
Rest your gaze on a nearby object and observe its shape, color, texture, and position. At the same time, feel your feet on the floor and listen to the sounds around you.
You are not practicing in an inferior way by maintaining visual contact with the environment.
A safe practice preserves orientation, choice, and the ability to stop.
Does Anxiety During Practice Mean Mindfulness Is Working?
Not necessarily.
Some discomfort can appear because you are recognizing experiences that you normally avoid. However, increasing suffering should not automatically be interpreted as a sign of progress.
The idea that “it is getting worse because it is working” can lead a person to ignore important signs.
Mild and passing anxiety may be observed for a few moments.
An intense, persistent, or disorganizing experience, on the other hand, requires adaptation or interruption.
Ask:
“Can I remain oriented and choose whether to continue?”
“Does the anxiety decrease when I change anchors?”
“Am I merely uncomfortable, or do I feel threatened and out of control?”
“Does the worsening continue after the practice ends?”
Mindfulness should expand your ability to respond.
Not remove your sense of choice.
What Is the Difference Between Discomfort and an Adverse Effect?
There is no identical dividing line for everyone, but some criteria help.
Manageable discomfort is usually temporary. You notice restlessness, impatience, or tension but remain oriented, can change anchors, and return to your usual state after the practice.
A possible adverse effect may involve:
- an intense or persistent increase in anxiety;
- panic attacks;
- significant worsening of mood;
- more frequent intrusive thoughts;
- traumatic memories that are difficult to manage;
- a feeling of unreality or disconnection;
- loss of sleep;
- impairment at work or in relationships;
- growing fear of continuing to practice.
A systematic review of adverse events in meditation found reports of anxiety, depression, cognitive changes, and unusual perceptual experiences. The authors also emphasized that many studies do not investigate possible harm in a sufficiently standardized way.
Therefore, an absence of reports in a study does not automatically prove an absence of risk.
What Should You Do When Anxiety Increases?
First, stop trying to complete the session.
Open your eyes and acknowledge the environment.
Look around and identify where you are. Notice surfaces, objects, colors, and sounds.
Then gently press your feet against the floor or your hands against a stable surface.
You can say:
“I am here.”
“I can see the environment.”
“I can stop this practice.”
Do not try to analyze the anxiety deeply at that moment.
Nor should you force slow or deep breathing if this increases concern.
When you are more oriented, choose whether to continue with an external practice, walk, or stop completely.
Stopping consciously does not represent failure.
It is a response based on what you perceived.
How Can You Adapt the Practice to Reduce Discomfort?
Begin by reducing the intensity.
Replace a twenty-minute session with two or three minutes. Keep your eyes open and choose an external anchor.
You can also practice while moving.
During a walk, observe contact between your feet and the ground, the movement of your body, and elements in the environment. Maintain enough attention to walk safely.
Another alternative is to practice during everyday activities:
- washing dishes;
- taking a shower;
- preparing a meal;
- organizing a space;
- drinking water.
These activities offer structure and contact with the environment, reducing the feeling of being trapped inside your own mind.
Try only one adaptation at a time. This allows you to observe more clearly what helps and what increases discomfort.
An External Orientation Practice
Keep your eyes open and your feet supported.
First, identify three objects in the environment.
Observe the color, position, and shape of each one.
Then listen to three sounds. Begin with the closest and expand attention toward the more distant ones.
Notice three points of contact in the body: your feet on the floor, your hands, and the support of the chair.
When an anxious thought arises, acknowledge:
“There is worry.”
Then return to a visible element.
Practice for one or two minutes.
The goal is not to make anxiety disappear. It is to strengthen contact with the environment and recover some ability to choose.
Can Trauma Influence the Experience?
It can.
People with a history of trauma do not all respond to mindfulness in the same way. Some find benefits in adapted contemplative interventions. Others experience increased memories, fear, shame, bodily activation, or disconnection.
A study published in 2025, conducted with people in mindfulness programs for active depression, found an association among childhood trauma, post-traumatic stress symptoms, a greater occurrence of adverse effects, and less favorable outcomes. The authors advocated screening, monitoring, and trauma-sensitive adaptations.
An adapted approach may include:
- open eyes;
- brief sessions;
- external anchors;
- freedom to change position;
- practices in movement;
- instructions that preserve choice;
- qualified support.
The person should not be pressured to intensely observe a region of the body, a memory, or an emotion.
Trauma-sensitive mindfulness does not force contact.
It offers options.
Is It Safe to Practice During an Anxiety Attack?
It depends on the person and the type of practice.
During an attack, observing the breath, heartbeat, or other internal sensations in detail can increase fear.
At this moment, prioritize external orientation.
Keep your eyes open, recognize where you are, feel your feet, and observe objects around you.
Do not force yourself to complete a full meditation.
The practice may last only a few seconds:
“I am in this environment.”
“I can feel the floor.”
“I will seek support if I need it.”
Mindfulness can be used as a complement, but an intense attack should not be treated as a test of meditative ability.
When there is risk, concerning physical symptoms, or a feeling that you cannot remain safe, seek appropriate care.
Should You Continue Practicing After a Negative Experience?
Before continuing, assess the intensity and duration of what happened.
When the discomfort was mild and ended after changing the anchor, it may be possible to resume with a shorter, more external practice.
When panic, dissociation, traumatic reexperiencing, or persistent worsening occurred, do not automatically resume the same exercise.
Talk with a qualified professional or instructor who understands mental health and trauma-sensitive adaptations.
It is also valid to decide that mindfulness is not the right tool at this moment.
No practice should be maintained simply because it works for other people or because it was presented as universal.
Is an App Enough?
Apps can provide structure, reminders, and guided practices, but they cannot fully assess your individual response.
A recording does not notice when you are becoming disoriented, entering panic, or interpreting an instruction in a harmful way.
Be cautious with audio recordings that tell you to insist, push through any resistance, or remain with an intense emotion without offering alternatives.
Responsible guidance should allow you to:
open your eyes;
change posture;
change the anchor;
reduce the time;
stop the session.
When there is a history of trauma, panic, dissociation, or significant psychological suffering, qualified human support may be more appropriate than relying exclusively on a generic practice.
When Should You Seek Professional Help?
Seek an assessment when anxiety is intense, frequent, or is impairing sleep, work, study, and relationships.
Also seek support when mindfulness causes:
- recurring attacks;
- persistent worsening of symptoms;
- intense intrusive thoughts;
- traumatic memories;
- a feeling of disconnection;
- fear of losing control;
- significant changes in mood or sleep.
Mindfulness can be part of care, but it should not replace or delay necessary treatment. Health institutions treat meditation as a possible complementary approach, not as a universal substitute for psychotherapy, medical care, or other evidence-based interventions.
The Practice Should Adapt to the Person
Mindfulness can help reduce anxiety symptoms in some people, but it does not work in the same way for everyone.
You do not need to observe the breath.
You do not need to close your eyes.
You do not need to remain seated.
You do not need to continue until the timer ends.
A responsible practice offers different anchors, durations, and forms of participation.
When anxiety increases, the first question should not be:
“How can I endure this until the end?”
Ask:
“What do I need to change to recover safety and choice?”
Sometimes, opening your eyes and feeling your feet will be enough.
At other moments, it will be necessary to stop and seek guidance.
Mindfulness is not remaining before any experience at any cost.
It is noticing what is happening and responding consciously — including when the most appropriate response is to stop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, in some situations. When paying attention, a person may notice thoughts, tension, and sensations that were previously being avoided or ignored.
Not necessarily. It often means that the practice needs to be adjusted in duration, posture, focus, or intensity.
Reduce the time, use practices with your eyes open, focus on sounds or the body, and avoid remaining alone with intense sensations for too long.
Yes, but carefully. In intense cases, it is better to practice with proper guidance and adapt the exercises to the person's emotional condition.
No. Relaxation may happen, but the main goal is to perceive the present experience more clearly without forcing a specific state.
Continue your mindfulness practice
When mindfulness increases anxiety, the answer does not need to be insisting in the same way or abandoning everything. The safest path is usually to adapt the practice to the body, the moment, and the level of discomfort.
Mindfulness for Beginners offers clear guidance for understanding the foundations and bringing mindful awareness into everyday life without turning practice into another source of pressure.
Explore Mindfulness for Beginners
About the author
Prof. Tibério Z has more than 30 years of experience teaching spirituality, metaphysics, holistic therapies and consciousness development.