src=”https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/6032697/height/90/theme/custom/autoplay/no/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/88AA3C/” height=”90″ width=”100%” placement=”top” theme=”custom”Well, Lets be honest! Sometimes I get so excited about practicing and teaching the deep and helpful concepts of Mindfulness that I forget to remind y’all of how simple it can and should be!
Often, when we experience anxiety (or other strong emotions), we often forget everything we have learned and are left standing helpful and afraid. In this podcast, we return to one of the most simplest and easiest Mindfulness tool available.
Check it out! And, if you are noticing how basic and thinned out this blog is, that is no accident. This week, we are practicing simplicity!! See you next week!
Vulnerability: The Road to Courage, Self-Compassion and Self-Worth
In today’s podcast, I wanted to dissect the concept of Vulnerability.
Brene Brown, reknowned researcher on Vulnerability defines Vulnerability as
“Uncertainty, Risk and Emotional Exposure”
I find this somewhat ironic, as Uncertainty, Risk and Emotional Exposure are the worst nightmare of someone who experiences anxiety, OCD, an eating disorder (such as Anorexia Nervosa or Bulimia Nervosa), trauma, grief or depression.
I think many humans struggle with these concepts, but I feel that it is significantly difficult for those who struggle with these mental health disorders. In many cases, there is a complete rejection of vulnerability.
I believe we think that if we avoid vulnerability, we
can rid ourselves of shame, embarrassment, being judged, feeling sad or hurt.
However, all we end up doing is numbing.
When we have anxiety, we think that if we avoid vulnerability, we could rid ourselves of possible bad or catastrophicoutcomes.
However, all we end up doing is becoming compulsive.
In this podcast, I detail the workings of those who are successful at being vulnerable and take a look at the outcomes that result.
We will outlines ways that you can practice vulnerability in large or small steps.
We look at the repurcussions of staying safe and avoiding vulernability and we detail the research’s findings about self-worth and conectivity.
I hope you enjoy it!This is one of my favorite subjects.
Episode #24: Willingness-Leave It All Out On The Field!
I LOVE the term, “leave it all out on the field!”
There is something totally radical and badass about the idea of “leaving it all out on the field!” It means we are committed to the hard work. It demonstrates that we are ready to feel some discomfort. “Leaving it out on the field” describes giving it your everything. I LOVE it!
How does this apply to Mindfulness? The degree that you “leave it out on the field” is a great way to describe Willingness. Willingness is radically accepting and giving consent to our present experience.
We can conceptualize Willingness as scale, similar to a continuum.
0/10 Willingness implies we have absolutely NO willingness to be uncomfortable (or have anxiety, intrusive thoughts, panic, have uncertainty).
We reject all feelings of discomfort
Fear makes our decisions (causing us to do more compulsions)
Disown any negative experience
10/10 Willingness is saying 100% “YES” to whatever experience of discomfort that arises
Radically accepting the feared outcome
Allowing yourself to have anxiety, fear and intrusive thoughts.
You LEFT IT ALL OUT ON THE FIELD!
Listen to hear ways to increase your WILLINGNESS, even if it is just a teeny, tiny bit.
This podcast is about a topic that is so important and so interesting to me. In this episode, we speak with screen time expert, Dr Dustin Weissman about how to use technology (smart phones, tablets, internet etc) in a mindful and healthy way. We specifically discuss how to manage Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), OCD Spectrum Disorders such as Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), and Eating Disorders.
In this episode, we discussed:
Does technology improve or harm our Self-Esteem?
How can we create a Balanced lifestyle when using technology?
How can Parents monitor and moderate their children’s use?
How can Parents practice sound and mindful discipline using technology as the reward or consequence?
How can we, as adults, monitor and manage our use of technology in this era of information?
How can we manage the compulsive use of internet/mobile devices for those with OCD and BDD?
How can we manage reassurance seeking behaviors related to technology use?
Special tips for those with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) and Eating Disorders.
Earlier this year, Dr Weissman published his dissertation titled, Impacts of Playing Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) on Individuals’ Subjective Sense of Feeling Connected with Others.
Dr. Dustin Weissman holds a Psychology Doctorate and works in private practice in Westlake Village, CA. He works with clients who are struggling with any form of internet addiction or problematic internet use, which include: online gaming, gambling, pornography, or smartphone addiction.
Earlier this year, he published his dissertation, Impacts of Playing Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) on Individuals’ Subjective Sense of Feeling Connected with Others. A link can be found from his personal website, DustinWeissman.com. He was recently featured as an expert on screen time in an online article and has given numerous workshops.
I hope you found this episode helpful. I know I did!
Got something you really want to achieve? I am guessing that you most certainly do. What is holding you back from taking on this thing you want achieve? Why can’t you reach this goal? This is the big question that I am toying with right now. Why can’t I? Why not Me? Why not you? It is a really tough subject, because we have to face ourselves and our possibilities, and this can be SUPER scary.
Sometimes, at least for me, when we look at our big goals, we are forces to tackle our deepest limiting beliefs. “I am not enough.” “I am not strong enough.” “No one cares about me anyway.” “What’s the point. I will only ruin everything anyway.” These are all limiting beliefs that stop us from reaching realistic goals.
Think about it. I am guessing at least one person (or maybe millions of people) have achieved your goal, or a goal like it, already. WHY NOT YOU? “It’s not special if someone else has already done it.” LIMITING BELIEF!!! “I don’t have what it takes!” How do you know?
Thomas Edison failed 1000’s of times to make the light bulb. That is one piece of proof that you probably can! Persistence people!
Let’s really get to know our limiting beliefs and then be SUPER mindful about them. Listen to hear more about how. 🙂
Happy Halloween everyone! It’s one of my favorite months and I LOVE that everyone is so willing to be afraid on this special day. Let’s all commit to being willing to be scared/afraid/anxious every day, shall we?
This episode is a little different to the normal format. Today, I answer questions from Your Anxiety Toolkit listeners about anxiety, OCD, Mindfulness and appropriate treatment for certain disorders.
Questions include:
How to manage Postpartum OCD (including thoughts of hurting our children)
How to help someone with Scrupulocity or Moral Obsessions (including fear of offending God or sinning)
How to help a son with OCD and Tic Disorder
How to manage thoughts about Death
GREAT, GREAT QUESTIONS! I hope my answers were helpful
Hi there guys! I couldn’t finish the day without checking in with you and sending you my support after such a difficult day. This podcast was not planned and I kind of threw it together at the last minute. I hope it is helpful.
For anyone in Las Vegas or Puerto Rico or any other place where there is destruction and pain, please know that I am praying for you and I hold you in my heart.
These scary events can trigger our already high anxiety, so please listen for some tips and tools to manage your anxiety about the current events and affairs in the news.
A couple of important points:
Anger Sadness and Anxiety/Fear are all very human responses to these horrific events.
Obsessions to look out for:
“Will this happen to me, or a loved one?”
Intrusive Imagery (Mental images of people suffering from traumatic events, shootings, hurricanes, earthquakes etc)
Intrusive sounds (Gun shots, people crying, sobbing, screaming, sirens etc)
For those with Harm OCD: “Am I capable of doing such an act?”
Compulsions to look out for
Mental Review or Mental Compulsions about the event or possibility of this happening to you or a loved one
Reassurance Seeking (checking news, checking phones, asking a loved one if they will be ok etc)
Avoidance (future vacations, work, school, thought blocking, etc)
If you are anything like me, the days go by too fast and you find yourself running through the day without stopping to take in the beauty of nature. Is it just me?
Today, I was lucky enough to interview Zoe Gillis, who I consider to be the MASTER of combining mindfulness with a wilderness practice. She combines hiking, backpacking and camping with Mindfulness and Meditation as a way to get a deeper understanding of our self and each other. It is BRILLIANT stuff and it makes me want to pack my bags and go camp in the dessert right now!
Zoe is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a wilderness guide who is the founder of Z Adventures. Z Adventures thrives on the belief that we need to disconnect before we can connect and step out into the wilderness more often.
During this podcast, Zoe and I discuss:
Ways to introduce nature into your mindfulness practice.
How being in nature can help us identify how we see ourselves
How being in nature can help us identify our strengths and weaknesses.
The benefits of doing short vs. longer wilderness activities
This is possibly one of my favorite episodes so far, so check it out!
How to Heal Self-Blame with Self-Forgiveness using Ho’oponopono Meditation
If you are anything like me, you are quick to blame yourself for any of the below reasons:
You have not achieved some level or expectation.
You tried to better yourself and you “failed.”
You made a mistake (unintentional) or had an accident (I call this, “You Did a human” AKA Making a human mistake)
Especially for you, if you have OCD; You have “bad” thoughts, intrusive thoughts, thoughts you deem “unacceptable.”
You feel like you are a BAD person who doesn’t EVER deserve to be forgiven.
You are attempting to work through your mental health issues.
You struggle to do exposures or follow some treatment goal.
You experience self-disgust (for having pimples, cellulite, intrusive thoughts etc.
My main message in this podcast is this:
HUMANS ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE PERFECT!
HUMANS ARE ALWAYS AND FOREVER GOING TO MAKE MISTAKES!
This podcast details a practice called Ho’oponopono. Ho-oponopon is a spiritual practice of harmony between people, nature and spirit that has been used in Hawaiian and other Polynesian cultures for centuries.
Ho’oponopono Key Concept: We can heal our own wounds and then we can then go out and heal our world.
Ho’oponopono Meditation Foundation:
I’m sorry.
Please forgive me.
I love you.
Thank you.
Here are some ridiculous reason to not practice Self-Forgiveness:
You only deserve Self-Forgiveness after you make the world better (giving service to others).
If you forgive myself, you will stop caring and let yourself go and become and even worse person.
Once you are perfect, then you can forgive yourself.
If you blame myself first, it will hurt less if someone else blames you or notices your imperfections.
Please do not let these reason stop you from freeing yourself from Self-Blame.
Give it a try and see if it works for you! I found it to be a very powerful practice.
More importantly, what you say to yourself about anxiety matters!
In this podcast, I delve into the importance of accurate and mindful language, specifically related to how to experience and manage anxiety. Believe it or not, the story you tell yourself can greatly change the way you see yourself and the world around you.
The way we talk to ourselves about our experience of anxiety can greatly affect the management of our anxiety, and can create a platform for whether we thrive or merely survive our anxiety.
To help us conceptualize this subject, I use a fictional example, Mary. My hope is that Mary can help us understand the complexity of our negative thinking and help us to find new ways to talk to ourselves about our anxiety.
Example:
Mary has anxiety and wakes up and feeling anxious. She immediately thinks, “I am so anxious”, “Something bad is going to happen”, “It isn’t fair that this is happening”, and “Why me?” She goes off to work, repeating in her head, “I can’t do this, I can’t do this, I can’t do this…”
What she is telling herself:
Things are bad
Things aren’t going to get better
She is the victim. That she has no choices here
She doesn’t have coping skills/ She will not survive this event
What you can do differently:
During this podcast, I discuss four key steps you can take to improve your personal narrative about your anxiety. They steps will lead you towards more mindful and helpful approach to talking about your anxiety.
I have outlined a step-by-step plan to help you better manage your narrative related to anxiety. We go into greater detail in the podcast, so enjoy listening!
To help you along with practicing these steps, I have also created a fun PDF that you can download/print and use at your leisure.
Sign up below to get access to all the Podcast Add-ons!
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I challenge you to try this as much as you can and see the difference it makes. Small changes lead to large changes, so don’t be afraid to try it a little at a time. Even trying it once a day can get the ball rolling.
Enjoy!
This podcast should not replace professional mental health care. This podcast is for education purposes only. If you feel you would benefit by seeing a clinical professional, please contact a professional mental health care provider in your area.
Today, I was lucky enough to interview Zoe Gillis, who I consider to be the MASTER of combining mindfulness with a wilderness practice. She combines hiking, backpacking and camping with Mindfulness and Meditation as a way to get a deeper understanding of our self and each other. It is BRILLIANT stuff and it makes me want to pack my bags and go camp in the dessert right now!
During this podcast, Zoe and I discuss:
