I have been practicing meditation for many years now and it was the one thing that helped me overcome anxiety and shyness and was such a lifesaver for me all those years ago. Thankfully it is still my go-to remedy even today.
Meditation is not just about taking time out and being alone with your thoughts or banishing thoughts...there is a lot more to it.
Meditation is about connection. It's about shutting out the noise of other people and the 'should's' and 'should not's' of those around you and pulling yourself back into your power and making that true connection to your life source.
It's about opening the doors of your mind and freeing all the garbage and the negative self talk out and clearing it up once and for all and replacing it with the connection to positivity from the essence of who you truly are.
Often when we are stressed, we need a release, something that takes us away from it all and gives us the headspace to breathe. Meditation is perfect for this...if you allow yourself to do it.