Owning It: The Anxiety Podcast

I am joined by Dr Soph for this episode, she is absolutely fantastic, I have adored following her for years now. She is a clinical psychologist and now author of A Manual For Being Human. She breaks down anxiety in way that make it so easy to understand and move forward with. Here we talk through her approach for understanding why you're here (feeling anxious), what's keeping you here and how to move forward. We talk about therapy and therapists, how to flip social comparison on its head and lots more. I'm sure you will find her as wonderful as I do. Her book is out now.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Johann Hari is a really interesting if somewhat controversial character. He is a prolific journalist, an NYTimes bestselling author and his Ted Talks on the reasons why we might be anxious/depressed has been viewed a staggering number of times. He too also struggled significantly with anxiety and depression. He has some really hard-to-argue-with insights on the various reasons why we collectively struggle so much: we have a series of unmet needs, or as his book title suggests, we are suffering from various lost connections. Here he chats to me about some of the key reasons why we struggle (according to him and the research he has done around the world chatting with experts) as well as what we can do about it: social prescription, questioning our junk values and more. A very interesting guy, did I say that already?Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I asked my followers on Instagram where in their life anxiety was most likely to pop up, the most common response was at work. Dealing with a difficult boss, a confrontation colleague that you don't get along with, anxiety about proving your worth in your role and so much more. Lynda Barry - communications expert and career consultant - has been on the series before when we discussed career related anxiety, but that was around getting a job, moving jobs, wondering what to with your career on the whole. Here we drill down further into the job you are in, the day to day anxieties that crop up and can wreak havoc on our wellbeing. Lynda offers plenty of practical advice that should help.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this episode I am joined by life coach and all round straight shooter Mark Fennell. We unpack the whole idea of mindset, which is a word that gets thrown around a lot. What is it? Does it influence anxiety and vice versa? Is it a fixed thing? Can we change it? What would a good mindset be? Buy my anxiety journal here. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to season 6! Dr Judson Brewer is legit amazing; he has his own neuroscience lab in which he and his team carry out lots of research to back up everything you'll find in his latest book Unwinding Anxiety, which is probably one of the best books I've ever read on the subject. In it, and in our conversation here, Jud puts forward the idea that maybe anxiety is simply a habit loop we've got stuck, something that plays out several times a day in the format of trigger, behaviour, result. It's a really interesting and empowering idea because when you start to wrap your head around it, it becomes something you can better manage or almost hack. My journal - OWN IT: THE ANXIETY JOURNAL, is available to order here.My books are all here on AMAZON. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this bonus episode of Owning It, brought to you in partnership with NIVEA, I am joined by Claudia Hammond. Claudia is an award-winning broadcaster, she is visiting Professor of the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Sussex and the author of four books, most recently The Art of Rest.  We talk about the significance of human touch - something we've been seriously missing since lockdown - when it comes to lowering our anxiety in particular. It's not just something that feels nice, it has a real impact on your body at a biological level, boosting the nice hormones and dissolving the bad ones. We talk through the science behind it, the findings from an incredible piece of research called The Touch Test, and how we can gently reintroduce human touch back into our lives as things begin to open up. We also talk about the natural apprehension we're likely to experience as things return to 'normal', and how to circumvent this. NIVEA Cares beyond Skin, to find out more about N

For this final episode of Owning It The Anxiety Podcast (season 5), I am joined by Dr Clare Kambamettu who was actually my very first guest ever on Owning It. A clinical psychologist and wonderful speaker, Clare distills anxiety into something we can very easily understand. For this episode we look at the 5 Ps to help us better understand where our anxiety is coming from, what keeps it going and how we might find a way beyond it. It's a common exercise within CBT, a psychological formulation that many therapists will explore with their clients. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this episode I am joined by Amy Thomson, fellow anxiety sufferer and founder of the hugely successful (globally) Moody Month App and Moody, her new book by the same name, that explores how hormones impact our everyday experience. Here we hone in on anxiety in particular, the hormones involved - how it all happens in the body - as well as Amy's personal experience, which led her down this particular career path. We also talk a lot about the impact of our menstrual cycle on anxiety, and so it as an episode particularly relevant to those who experience periods. Enjoy!Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this episode, I am joined by Layla O'Mara, founder of Nuanua.com, a wonderful online resource with courses that nurture mamas in their postpartum journey. Layla was someone I turned to in a moment of desperation, when I found myself, having come home from hospital with my new baby boy, feeling as though I had plummeted to the depths of anxiety. I didn't feel happy or excited or relieved, I felt consumed by anxiety, physically and emotionally. It's not nice to say this out loud, but it took me a while to feel happy. Layla here explains where this postpartum anxiety comes from, why it makes complete sense and how you, as a listener, can help yourself if you find yourself in the same position. I hope you find this helpful. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this episode of Owning It, it's just me and I'm talking through a very real anxiety that a lot of us are facing: anxiety around returning to normal post covid. It might sound silly, to be anxious about getting back to the life we lived before - when Covid has been a major source of anxiety for many of us, but something has happened. We've found comfort in the discomfort and we've gotten very used to life in lockdown, so emerging out of it brings its own challenges, socially and physically for our bodies. I hope you find this episode helpful and reassuring.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dermot Whelan, comedian and radio presenter Dermot Whelan talks shares his story of anxiety, how he burned himself out to the point of arriving at a comedy festival (where he was due to perform) in an ambulance. After reaching this crescendo, Dermot eventually found meditation, and though it was somewhat underwhelming, he noticed a much calmer version of himself begin to emerge. Now he is a meditation teacher and has learned many techniques to dissolve anxiety, which he shares here. With humour and simplicity, Dermot will convince you that focusing on your breath is perhaps your most under utilised anxiety reducing tool. His new book, Mind Full, is out now and is a super enjoyable and informative read that will open your world to meditation and its many benefits. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this episode I am joined by the wonderful Alyson Stoner. A super successful child star, Alyson appeared to have it all going on: she was the featured dancer (as a little girl) in the Missy Elliot Work It video. She was on several Disney projects, Cheaper by the Dozen franchise, the Step Up franchise and so much more. But with such a high pressure environment that was sent against the backdrop of a chaotic and turbulent home life, things were not as wonderful as they may have seemed. Alyson chats to me here about the trauma she experienced, how her anxiety manifested as an eating disorder, how and when she knew she needed some help, how she came through it, and how she now reconciles her childhood experiences so that they inform her life as a wellbeing and mental health advocate now. She's incredibly articulate and she's just launched a new positive mental health platform called Movement Genius which I urge you to check out.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast. Hosted on A

For this episode I am talking about the power of journalling - with an old school pen and paper - for anxiety management. How can it help? How can we ensure it's not something else to feel pressure with? How can we make sure it's proactively helping us to own our anxiety? I take you on a guided tour of my new journal - Own It: The Anxiety Journal based on my number 1 International bestseller Owning It (on which this podcast is also based!), which is available to purchase here.https://own-it-journal.myshopify.com/products/journalSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this episode I am flying solo to talk about toxic positivity. What is it? Why do we do it? How can we avoid it?Buy Naked: Ten Truths To Change Your Life now, widely available online. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this episode my guest is the incredible cognitive neuroscientist and author Dr Caroline Leaf. We talk about anxiety and how important it is as a messaging system and how we should not want to live a life without any anxiety at all. In her new book, Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess, she talks through the 5 steps of neurocycling - which is a term I had never heard before - and how it will help with phases of considerable stress, anxiety and depression. We use my own experience as an example (I got the date wrong for our recording and FREAKED out when I realised I had messed up). I hope you find this episode and Caroline's insights helpful. Her new book is available now. My new book NAKED is available here. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this episode I am joined by Gareth Mullins, head chef and self described perfectionist and high achiever at Dublin's 5 star hotel The Marker. Gareth reached out to me a few years ago to say he was struggling, he didn't understand why and he didn't want to admit that he was having a hard time with anxiety. He went to the doctor, who suggested medication, which he didn't want to take because to him that meant admitting defeat or weakness. Here we talk about the stigma that unfortunately still lingers around mental health, particularly when it comes to men. Is there room for anxiety in a high pressure, nothing-less-than-perfection work environment? There needs to be. Gareth runs regular cooking courses online - they are brilliant - check him out at @garmullins on Instagram for more details and announcements of upcoming courses and classes.My new book NAKED is out now, get it here! Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informati

Fiona Brennan is a hypnotherapist and two-time author of bestselling wellbeing books. Her latest book, The Self Love Habit, is what we discuss here, in relation to anxiety of course. How can self love really impact our anxiety? What is the divided self she speaks of? How do we engage with our inner critic: the driving force of our anxiety for the most part and what can we do each day to bring more self-compassion into our routine?Fiona's book is out now. You can buy it here. And you can buy my latest book, NAKED, here too.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this episode I am joined by Greg O'Shea, Rugby Sevens star here in Ireland who shot to fame across the UK and Ireland after appearing on Love Island. A reality TV series where everyone wants a piece of you, and as soon as you do something that doesn't please the masses, you're down over 700,000 instagram followers. Is it possible to keep self worth and such a measurable metric of success separate? How do you cope with the opinions of the world coming at you? Greg talks death threats, remembering what's important and knowing how to measure his self worth and keep anxiety at a level he can manage. For 25, he has an impressive perspective on what counts and what doesn't (25 was the age I was when everything fell apart for me) and almost without realising it, he has cultivated a set of skills for keeping his mental health in excellent condition these past few years. He's a genuinely nice, humble guy who knows how important it is to normalise mental health struggles and I was delighted to have him as a guest.M

Ethan Kross, neuroscientist, psychologist and Professor at the University of Michigan joins me on Owning It to talk about his new book - CHATTER - and how we can better understand and then harness the voice in our head that leads us to all sorts of maladaptive issues, namely anxiety. We talk through some seriously effective tools such as 'temporal distancing' which give a useful structure to concepts we've already explored in Owning It, or things you may already practise yourself but aren't even aware of. Ethan's new book is out now and it's a compelling read. Buy it here. You know what else is a compelling read? My new book, NAKED: Ten Truths To Change Your Life, out now. Click the link to order! Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this episode I am joined by the brilliant writer Stefanie Preissner for what I would say is my most radically honest and open conversation on this series to date. Stefanie and I talk about therapy, smart ways of finding the right person for you and knowing whether or not it's working for you, we talk about Stefanie's own anxiety, the fact that she is currently in the midst of not feeling so wonderful (and so often we only talk about bad times once we've come out the other side of them), we talk about both of our needs to be liked by others and we also discuss an issue that had bothered us both: I thought Stefanie didn't like me (she had blocked me on Instagram) and Stefanie thought I didn't like her (so she decided to block me from her Instagram). Both of us feeling the same anxieties, grappling with the same fears and so we talk it out. I hope you find this one as refreshing to listen to as I found discussing it. Stefanie's own podcast is BASICALLY and available wherever you get your podcasts. Buy my new