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Why Meditation May Increase Your Anxiety and What To Do About It
- Jessicah Walker Herche, PhD, HSPP
- May 7
- 3 min read
Meditation is often recommended as a tool for anxiety and for good reason. Many people find that mindfulness and meditation practices help them feel calmer, more grounded, and less reactive over time.
But there’s something people don’t talk about enough: Sometimes meditation makes anxiety feel worse before it feels better.
And when that happens, many people assume: “Meditation just doesn’t work for me.”
So they stop. Which is understandable.
Anxiety already carries a sense of urgency and discomfort. If sitting quietly with yourself seems to increase those feelings, it can feel discouraging or even alarming.
Especially when what you wanted was relief.
We Often Take an Anxious Approach to Fixing Anxiety
When anxiety has been present for a long time, it’s common to approach healing with urgency:
searching for the right tool
trying to “fix” the feeling quickly
needing immediate relief
And while that makes sense, it can also create a difficult dynamic:
We become anxious about our anxiety.
So when meditation doesn’t immediately calm the nervous system, many people interpret that as failure. But often, something else is happening.
Meditation Often Increases Awareness Before It Increases Calm
Meditation does not create anxiety out of nowhere.
More often, it increases awareness of what is already happening internally.
When the mind quiets - even briefly - you may begin noticing:
tension in your chest
racing thoughts
shallow breathing
restlessness
emotional discomfort
fear or unease you were previously distracted from
This can feel like anxiety is increasing. But in many cases, your awareness is increasing.
That distinction matters. Because awareness is often the first step toward regulation and healing.
Why This Can Feel So Uncomfortable
Many people with anxiety are deeply accustomed to internal noise:
constant thinking
planning
scanning
overanalyzing
mental rehearsal
For high-achieving or chronically anxious individuals, this internal activity can become so familiar that stillness itself begins to feel unfamiliar or even unsafe.
The nervous system learns:
“Busy means prepared.”
“Thinking means control.”
“Stillness means vulnerability.”
So when meditation begins to quiet some of that noise, the system may initially respond with discomfort or alarm. Not because meditation is harmful, but because your nervous system is adjusting to a different internal experience.
Meditation Is Not About Eliminating Emotion
A common misconception is that meditation should immediately create peace or calm. But meditation is not about never feeling anxious.
It’s about learning how to stay present with your internal experience without immediately reacting to it, avoiding it, or becoming consumed by it.
Over time, this can create:
greater emotional flexibility
increased self-awareness
more nervous system regulation
and a deeper sense of steadiness
But for many people, especially those with trauma histories or highly activated nervous systems, this process takes patience.
And Sometimes Meditation Isn’t the Right Starting Point
For some individuals, especially those with unresolved trauma, quiet stillness can feel overwhelming rather than regulating.
If your nervous system has spent years in survival mode, turning inward may initially intensify distress instead of soothing it.
That doesn’t mean you are failing. And it doesn’t mean meditation is “bad.” It may simply mean your system needs additional support, safety, or trauma processing first.
This is one reason trauma-informed therapies like EMDR can be so helpful. By helping the nervous system process unresolved experiences, many people find that grounding practices like meditation eventually become more accessible and effective.
You can learn more about our approach to EMDR therapy, trauma therapy, and anxiety therapy and how we support clients in building greater emotional regulation and nervous system safety.
Approach Yourself Gently
If meditation increases your awareness of anxiety, try not to interpret that experience as failure.
Instead, consider the possibility that your nervous system is beginning to notice what has been there all along.
And noticing is not the end of the process. Often, it’s the beginning.
At Cadence Psychology Studio, we work with individuals navigating anxiety, trauma, emotional overwhelm, and high-functioning stress. We offer in-person therapy in Fishers, Indiana, as well as secure online therapy throughout Indiana and PSYPACT-participating states.
If you’re ready for deeper support, we’re here to help.
Call or text 317-747-0574 or visit our contact page to get started.
About the Author
Jessicah Walker Herche, PhD, HSPP, is a counseling psychologist and founder of Cadence Psychology Studio, a therapy practice in Indiana. She specializes in working with high-achieving adults and couples to navigate trauma, anxiety, and relationship challenges, offering care that is both clinically grounded and deeply relational.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this blog is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional psychological care, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
