Meditation is a good way to reduce anxiety in the moment. But beyond that it has little benefit.

Irrational, unrealistic, negative, pressuring thinking and thinking loops are all self destructive and need to moved on from, but the only way to do that is through re-evaluating your life philosophies.

That happens through thinking, not stopping your thinking.  

Stopping your thinking can help reduce anxiety in the moment, but in the long term, it is your re-thinking of your beliefs, attitudes, opinions, outlooks, evaluations and expectations that changes your life.

Re-thinking things in a rational, realistic, non-judgmental way is the way forward, and the only way to do that is to think things through, and re-construct your philosophies based on fact and not any negativity you may have developed through your life.