Anxiety-Relief Meditation: Help Your Anxious Part

This guided meditation uses an Internal Family Systems–informed approach to help you relate to anxiety differently. Instead of fighting your symptoms, you’ll gently meet the anxious part of you—often a younger part still holding fear—and begin offering it compassion and safety. By shifting your relationship to this part, anxiety can soften and your nervous system can begin to settle.
Created by a licensed clinical mental health counselor with 10 years of experience supporting complex trauma and anxiety recovery.

Transcript

Close your eyes and slow down your breathing. Rest into an even long inhale and long exhale. Use a long inhale to pull you deeper inside into the inner world. And stay here inside. Invite the anxious part of you to please come forward to be with you. What do you notice? Stay right where you are and just wait. It can take a little time sometimes for parts of us that hold pain to trust enough to come forward. If you notice anything else coming in, Simply ask it to please ease back and return your focus to the anxious part. This part of you may be a child. It usually is. On this journey, I will refer to it as the child. How do you feel toward it? If you feel anything other than curious and accepting, Notice what those feelings are. There are other parts of you showing up, Reacting to the child, Maybe wanting to get involved. That's natural. Ask those parts that are feeling those things to please ease back just enough to give you space to move more closely toward the anxious child. Let the child get a good look at you. How is the child responding to your presence? Is the child aware of you? It's okay if not. Just be there. Notice if this child is in a particular place or situation. How old are they? Do you feel far away from them looking on, Or are you close? Notice the space between you. How do you feel toward this child now? If you feel any of those other feelings again, Then they may be asking for more of your attention. And turn to them. Ask the child to please wait. For now, This may be your work in the inner world, To be with one of these other parts. But if you feel curious, Accepting, If you feel compassion for this child, See if it's okay to move closer to them. If it feels right, Ask the child, What would you like me to know? Encourage the child if they want to show you something, Tell you about something. Let the child know, I'm here. If anything feels intense, Tell the child, I can be here for you to listen and see you and understand many, Many times, As much as you want. But let's take it slow. Don't give me all of it all at once, Or I can't help you. See how the child does with that. Ask, What doesn't feel safe? Do you understand that? Does that make sense to you, What your child is showing you, Telling you? Let them know that. Notice how you feel toward the child right now. Do you feel loving sorrow? Do you feel grateful? You feel tenderness? Let that flow directly to the child. Notice how they respond. What does this child need? Do they need you to step into a situation? Do they need you to take them out of a situation? Away from something. Be there with them, Whatever they need. You are there for them now. Ask the child, Is there another place you would like to go? A place that feels safe and good. See how they respond. If they want to stay where they are, Acknowledge that gently. If the child knows where they want to go, Take them there. And once you get there, Take a look around, Notice where the two of you have gone. If you get it, If it makes sense to you, Let the child know that. Ask this anxious part, Do you have a wound? Something that hurts that you want to show me? The child can show their pain in any way they want to. Ask, Would you like to release this? If so, You can help the child release it downriver, Or burn it in a great fire, Bury it. See what they'd like to do. Do this with them. Notice how the child responds. Let yourself really see this child that you're with. Get a good look. How do you feel toward this part of you? If you feel tenderness for this child, Let that flow directly toward them. What do you know that the child does not? If it feels right, Share this with them, What you know. And ask the child, Would they like to stay there in the special place, Or would they like to come with you to where you are in the present in your life now? If the child would like to stay in the special place, Acknowledge that. Would they like to have any spirits or animals or other beings with them to stay with them there? Are there parts of you? What would they like? And you'll be preparing to leave momentarily. But first, Invite your protector, Or any other parts that were showing up earlier, To come to where the two of you are, You and the child. Let them see the child. Reassure your child part. That this is just the beginning. That you can be together as much as they want. And ask, Is there a sign, A signal that the child would like to give you when he or she or they feel upset and need you, When they feel scared? If there is something that is a little signal, A sign, Maybe it's a body sensation, And you can quickly and easily go inside and be with the child. And as you develop and nourish and enjoy your relationship with this child who has been unsafe, Worried, Anxious, As you develop your relationship, You will know how to comfort them. Sometimes, For the child, Simply being acknowledged, Oh, Yes, There you are. You're scared. I get it. Just that can be so comforting. Now, This child is no longer alone in your inner world. You've been there for them, And you can be again. And when you're ready, Say goodbye to the child for now, And notice that you have a ball of golden light inside your chest. It's been there this whole time. Notice that it's right there in your center. And as you take a long inhale that will bring you back up from the inner world, Up behind your eye sockets, And then an exhale brings you back out as you open your eyes. Rest your gaze softly a couple feet in front of you, And know that you are not alone. That that ball of light is still inside you right now with your eyes open. And so is the child, And so is your protector, And any other parts right there.