The Truth About Your Worries

So, what to do when you know that you’re worrying for no reason but you can’t help it? Try meditating: In a 2013 study, scientists at Wake Forest found that while meditating, participants showed greater brain activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, the area that controls worrying. And when activity increased in the anterior cingulate cortex (the part of the brain that controls thinking and emotions), anxiety levels also decreased. You don’t even have to sit for 30 minutes to reap the benefits: Even a few minutes of mindfulness meditation can help reduce normal everyday anxiety!