Mantras for anxiety: 10 mindful mantras to find relief
Clinically reviewed by Dr. Chris Mosunic, PhD, RD, CDCES, MBA
Explore what mantras are, and how they can help you relieve anxiety and manage stress. Plus, 10 mindful mantras for anxiety and how to use them in daily life.
Anyone with anxiety knows that it can have a big impact on daily life. And while sometimes anxiety can be a natural response to stress, if it becomes frequent or intense, it’s important to find ways to manage it. Healing mantras can be a simple, effective way to protect — and even improve — your mental wellbeing and quality of life.
What are mantras (and how do they support mental health)?
Mantras are words, phrases, or sounds that are said over and over to help us meditate or find a more positive mental state. Repeating a healing mantra can calm the mind, help to relieve anxiety, and offer peace in the midst of chaos. A mantra can be silently recited in your mind or whispered under your breath to help with stress management and anxiety relief. Phrases used with intention can help influence our thoughts, emotions, and even our physiological responses to stress.
By choosing mantras that embody empowerment, peace, or self-compassion, we reinforce these values in ourselves. Over time, this can lead to a shift in how we view ourselves. For example, regularly repeating a mantra like, "I am capable of navigating stress," can gradually enhance your belief that you’re equipped to handle stressful situations and whatever life throws your way.
Why use mantras in your meditation practice
Using healing mantras in your meditation practice can significantly enhance your meditation’s effectiveness, especially for anxiety relief, stress management, and mindfulness. But there are plenty of other benefits, too.
Enhancing focus: Repeating mantras can help prevent your mind from wandering, making it easier to stay present. The more focused your mind is during meditation, the more you can experience calm.
Deeper relaxation: Whether out loud or silently, mantra repetition can help regulate your breathing which can bring physical and mental relaxation.
Creating a psychological anchor: Mantras can offer a sense of stability and calm in times of mental turmoil. The repeated phrase can become a refuge for your anxiety, as though you’re creating a mental space to return to whenever you feel anxiety or stress.
Supporting emotional release: Many find mantras can help release pent-up emotions, allowing you to process and move past feelings that might be contributing to your anxiety. A healing mantra can help you stay centered through this process.
Reinforcing positive affirmations: By choosing a mantra that reflects qualities you wish to cultivate, such as peace, strength, or resilience, you're programming your mind to embrace these qualities. Over time, these positive affirmations can help you speak to yourself in a more supportive way, which can be especially beneficial in relieving anxiety caused by negative thought patterns.
Cultivating mindfulness: Focusing on your mantra can enhance your awareness of the present moment, helping you become more attuned to your thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations. Heightened awareness through mindfulness has been shown to bring benefits for mental health, including anxiety relief and improved stress management.
5 mindful mantras for anxiety relief
Mantras can help combat anxiety by offering comfort and strength in moments of stress. Try these five mantras when you’re experiencing anxiety to find the relief you need to release worry and embrace calm.
1. "I am calm and centered."
A reminder of your ability to find calmness within yourself, even in difficult times, this mantra emphasizes self-assurance and stability. Take slow, deep breaths as you repeat this mantra, imagining each breath drawing peace into your being and each exhale releasing tension.
2. "Peace is within me."
Recognizing that peace originates from within can help whenever you feel overwhelmed. When you repeat this phrase, visualize peace as a light expanding within you, enveloping you in its warmth and serenity.
3. "I release worry and embrace calm."
When worry grips you, this mantra can help bring anxiety relief. Envision worry as a physical object in your hands. With each repetition, imagine opening your hands and letting it go, replacing it with a soothing light of calmness.
4. "With every breath, I feel stronger."
Draw strength from breathing to help reinforce your resilience against anxiety. Focus on the sensation of breathing as you repeat this mantra, feeling strength building within you with each breath and reminding you of your capacity to endure and overcome.
5. "I choose peace over anxiety."
This mantra empowers you to make a conscious choice about your emotional state. While you may not have control over external events, you can control how you respond to them. Visualize yourself at a crossroads, with one path leading toward anxiety and the other toward peace. With each repetition, see yourself stepping confidently forward on the path to peace.
How to personalize mantras for specific needs: 5 anxiety-related examples
Personalizing mantras for anxiety relief can help you address your unique challenges and concerns. By creating or adapting mantras to the causes of your anxiety, you can enhance their effectiveness and empower yourself to face your fears calmly and with confidence.
Identify your anxiety triggers
Reflect on situations, thoughts, or feelings that typically trigger your anxiety, like social interactions, work deadlines, worries about the future, or self-doubt. Understanding what triggers your anxiety can help you craft mantras to address it.
1. Social anxiety: Your goal is to bolster your confidence in social settings. Repeat this mantra whenever you feel apprehensive about attending events.
Try this mantra: "I share my true self with ease and confidence."
2. Performance anxiety at work: If you’re aiming to combat feelings of inadequacy or fear of failure at work, remind yourself of your abilities and contributions, especially during challenging tasks or meetings.
Try this mantra: "I am competent, skilled, and bring value to my team."
3. Generalized anxiety about the future: Encourage trust in your own resilience and decision-making. You’ve got this. You know it, and we know it.
Try this mantra: "I trust in my ability to navigate the future with strength and wisdom."
4. Anxiety over health concerns: This is helpful for anxiety related to health issues, as it focuses on self-care and things in your control.
Try this mantra: "I nurture my body and mind with compassion and care."
5. Overwhelm and stress: When you're overwhelmed by responsibilities or stress, use this mantra to help you focus on the present and manage tasks one at a time.
Try this mantra: "I take life one step at a time with calm and grace."
Implement your personalized mantras
Write them down: Keep a journal of your personalized mantras. Writing helps reinforce memory and can make your intentions stronger.
Set reminders: Use your phone or computer to set mantra reminders, especially during times you'll face anxiety triggers.
Incorporate into daily routines: Find moments in your daily routine for mantra practice, such as during morning preparations, on your commute, or when you’re winding down for the night.
Reflect and adjust
Regularly reflect on the effectiveness of your mantras. Are they helping you manage anxiety? Do they need tweaking? Adapt your mantras as your needs evolve to ensure your mantras remain relevant and supportive.
How to integrate mantras into daily life
Select a healing mantra
Choose an affirmative phrase that speaks that evokes feelings of peace, strength, or resilience. It might be a simple affirmation like, "I am at peace with what I cannot change," or a more traditional mantra, such as the Sanskrit peace hymn, "Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.”
💙 Learn how to harness the power of positive self-talk during the Self-Affirmations session of the Daily Jay.
Practice repetition
Continuous repetition can help embed the affirmation phrase in your subconscious. Repeat your mantra silently in your mind or out loud, depending on what feels most comfortable for you. Set consistent, specific times for mantra practice, such as during morning routines, on your commute, or before going to sleep. Even just a few minutes a day can make a significant difference to your mental state.
💙 Explore the importance of Repetition during this session of the Daily Calm.
Add mantras into daily activities
Use mantras while doing chores, exercising, or while working to make the practice even more effective. Pairing mantras with tasks can help anchor you in the present moment, bringing relief from anxiety and increasing mindfulness.
💙 Explore how Habit Stacking can help you build the behaviors you want during the Daily Jay.
Use technology
Reminders on your phone or computer can prompt you to repeat your mantra throughout the day. Track your mantra practice, and try soothing background sounds to enhance your meditation sessions.
💙 Try the Rain on Leaves soundscape, as the sounds of nature have been proved to reduce anxiety and promote a sense of calm.
Reflect on the impact
Notice how your chosen mantra affects your mood, anxiety levels, and overall wellbeing. You may find you connect more deeply with some mantras than others or that some times of day work better for specific mantras or mindfulness. Adjust your practice to find what works best for you.
💙 Explore The Power of Reflection to help you get the most out of what you’re taking in.
Mantras for anxiety FAQs
Which mantra is powerful for anxiety?
Personalization is key. The most powerful mantra for anxiety relief is one that deeply resonates with you and addresses your specific fears or concerns. You’ll know if it’s effective if it brings you a sense of inner peace and resilience when you’re faced with stress. However, the popular mantra, "This too shall pass,” reminds us of the temporary nature of our current state and encourages a perspective that looks toward a future of calm.
What is the 3-3-3 rule for anxiety?
The 3-3-3 rule is a mindfulness technique to help ground you when you're feeling anxious. It involves looking around and naming three things you can see, three sounds you can hear, and moving three parts of your body, such as your fingers, toes, and shoulders. This method helps divert your attention from the source of anxiety to your immediate surroundings, anchoring you in the present. This can be especially useful during acute episodes of anxiety, helping you regain control over your thoughts and reduce feelings of overwhelm.
Which mantra calms the mind?
"I am at peace," is a widely recognized mantra for its immediate calming effect. It can help cultivate peace and remind you of your capacity to return to a state of calm, regardless of external circumstances. If repeated with intention, it can help quiet the mind, ease tension, and improve wellbeing.
What calms down anxiety?
Several strategies can be effective in calming anxiety and managing stress. Experiment with different approaches to help you discover what best calms your anxiety.
Deep breathing exercises: Deep, controlled breathing can help reduce immediate feelings of anxiety by lowering the heart rate and promoting relaxation.
Mindfulness meditation: Practicing mindfulness can enhance your awareness of the present moment, helping to interrupt the cycle of anxious thoughts.
Physical activity: Regular exercise releases natural mood lifters, which can improve overall mental health and reduce anxiety levels.
Seeking support: Talking to friends, family, or a mental health professional who can offer a sense of understanding or perspective can provide anxiety relief.
Healthy lifestyle choices: A balanced diet, adequate sleep, and limited caffeine and alcohol can help manage anxiety symptoms.
Calm your mind. Change your life.
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