The Transforming Anxiety Podcast

Over the last few years, I've found a handful of things that are true when they're put in action, but don't SEEM like they'd be true when you find yourself in a situation that you're not sure how to get out of, how to take care of, or how to navigate. So I pulled together this motley crew of practices and we're going to talk about it today on The Transforming Anxiety Podcast. Today, we're talking about counterintuitive things. Things that really don't make much sense on paper, but when you live it? Makes all the difference. And these practices are things that will support you: If you're feeling anxious When you don't have enough time If you need help at work, at home, or with your family and friends When you're not okay Join me for this week's episode of The Transforming Anxiety Podcast and let's talk about counterintuitive things...and how you can use these ironic practices to uplevel your day-to-day life. Full show notes are located at: www.kellyhanlinmccormick.com/podcast/218 

So, a while back, my therapist called me a "people-pleaser." Which, to be honest, I thought was totally rude.

I have another interview for you this week on The Transforming Anxiety Podcast; this week, I'm talking to author, long-distance hiker, and community-creator, Nicole Antoinette, about her new book How To Be Alone . Nicole hiked all 800 miles of the Arizona Trail from the Utah border to Mexico...alone. She camped and rationed water in the desert and dealt with all the wildlife one imagines coming across, all while dealing with the thoughts, feelings, and discomfort that are an inevitable part of the human experience...especially if you're alone and confronted with 800 miles of your own mental chatter and meaning-making. This is a powerful conversation that covers everything from people-pleasing to the reality of change to hiking gear to sobriety to divorce. We didn't leave much out. And hey: whether you're interested in hiking or not, think of the trail as a microcosm of LIFE. Everything she confronts on the AZT directly relates to the work we do around here: transforming anxiety, tree by tree by tree (you'll s

Today on The Transforming Anxiety Podcast we're going to do an exercise in awareness...and we're going to use the vehicle of complaining to practice. We all complain. It's a very socially-acceptable way of relating and conversing with others. I'm pretty sure it's some peoples' love language (SO FUN!). What is complaining? Why do we go there so often? Does it get us anywhere? This isn't a conversation about trying to convince the people around you to not complain. It's not a how-to fix-it guide for solving the so-called problem of complaining. It IS an investigation into the act of complaining and an invitation to bring awareness in. Which is sometimes all we need. Join me for this week's episode and let's take a look at complaining... Full show notes located at: www.kellyhanlinmccormick.com/podcast/215 

A few weeks ago I did a podcast about your daily routine and I heard from a lot of you that it was helpful and gave you a new way to think about and set up your day. And then I got a great question: what about the WEEKEND? And it made a lot of sense to me; after all, there's a completely different vibe to the weekends than there is to the regular ol' work day. And we still want to feel productive, sure. But our days off from work and school also invite a sense of joy, connection, and rest that maybe doesn't seem as accessible during the week. So...let's take a look at it together. Join me for this week's episode of The Transforming Anxiety Podcast and let's explore your daily routine: the weekend edition. Full show notes are located at: www.kellyhanlinmccormick.com/podcast/214 

You know I like to come at anxiety from all angles and I want to consider something that we haven't talked about on The Transforming Anxiety Podcast yet: victim mentality. This is different from being the victim of a crime, of a natural disaster, of random violence or an accident or disease or some other action or event. Those are real and traumatic and difficult and that is NOT what we're discussing. I'm talking about: Blaming other people for things that happen in your life Not taking responsibility for your words or actions Having big reactions to small things Believing everyone has it easier / better than you These are mindsets that can completely sabotage you...and they all lead straight to spinning out in anxiety. Join me for this week's episode and just *consider* how this one shows up for you. Spoiler alert: we all do it. This isn't something you're immune to. But you can cultivate more self-awareness and self-compassion and take yourself off this hook. Full show notes located at: www.kellyhanlinmcc

This week on The Transforming Anxiety Podcast we're going to explore how you talk to yourself in a really specific way: we're going to find your story. We all have one. A story that we tell about ourselves, our circumstances, our experiences, our LIVES. And this story isn't true, in a real sense. It's "true" only because we tell it over and over and over again...until we absolutely completely totally believe it. And then we go to work to create a reality based on that story. In this week's episode I'm going to share a couple ways you can start to unearth your story + what that story really means...and why you want to see all of this with fresh perspective. Full show notes are located at: www.kellyhanlinmccormick.com/podcast/212 

We have another interview this week, this time it's with Dr. Ellen Vora, author of The Anatomy of Anxiety: Understanding and Overcoming the Body's Fear Response.  I read this about Ellen's work: "This is a paradigm shift in how we view anxiety and the mind-body connection... Anxiety truly is our teacher, and this book is a must-have for anyone looking to heal." ~ Dr. Nicole LePera I. Couldn't. Agree. MORE. Ellen's whole-body approach to anxiety, her work on healing, and her deeply kind presence is a balm in our stress-fueled world. And her book gives solid, practical ways to take care of ourselves in a real way. If you'd like to see the video version of our conversation, visit www.kellyhanlinmccormick.com/podcast/211  You can find out more about Dr. Ellen Vora and her work by visiting www.ellenvora.com  Full show notes located at: www.kellyhanlinmccormick.com/podcast/211 

If I were to ask you, "what is the opposite of anxiety? " I'm guessing you'd say something like: calm, peace, relaxation. Right? Sounds pretty good. And on the surface of things, I think this makes sense. If anxiety is an agitated, wound up, nervous energy, then something soothing like calm or peace seems to be the opposing emotional experience. Except...I'm teaching a path out of anxiety. I'm offering a "how to" roadmap to create change and turn the volume way down on anxiety. I'm interested in actually *transforming anxiety*. And I've been working on a theory about a deeper, truer converse to anxiety. This is one of those MUST LISTEN episodes of the podcast . Join me for this week's show to learn more about the opposite of anxiety...and why it isn't as simple as calm, peace, and relaxation. (Hint: it has to do with telling the TRUTH...) Full show notes are located at: www.kellyhanlinmccormick.com/podcast/210 

It's the little, ordinary, daily things that we do that make the biggest difference in our lives because: we do them so often. It's what makes up the biggest part of our lives. Today on The Transforming Anxiety Podcast, I want to focus on your daily routine and how it's working, or not working, for you. In talking with students, I get the sense that it's not WHAT they're doing throughout the day that's problematic and creating anxiety for them, it could be WHEN they're doing what they're doing. I want to consider the arc of your day and give you a framework to structure the building blocks of your day around. So that you can get what you need, and want, to do done and so you can optimize your time, work with your natural flow of energy, and create a healthy lifestyle. Join me for this episode and let's explore your daily routine together. Full show notes located at: www.kellyhanlinmccormick.com/podcast/209 

For most of us, there are things we know we want to change in our lives: habits, thoughts, ways of showing up in our relationships, career paths, how we're spending our time, what we do with our money... But knowing we want, or even need, to change something vs. actually making the change? Well. That's tricky. Because: change is hard. You follow The Transforming Anxiety Podcast and, I'm guessing, are looking to make some changes for yourself re: anxiety, at the very least. That's the whole name of the game around here. But...it can be a pretty serious struggle. And we're going to talk about it today on the podcast. Why change is so hard + what you can do to start facing change head-on and integrate the shifts you want to see in your life. Join me for this episode...it's a pretty important one. Full show notes are located at: www.kellyhanlinmccormick.com/podcast/208 

This week on The Transforming Anxiety Podcast  I have another interview for you: this time with Dr. Kirk J. Schneider about his brand-new book, Life-Enhancing Anxiety...and can we talk about how amazing just that phrase is?? What if anxiety were life ENHANCING instead of, as he talks about, life DENYING? In this interview we explore: Life-denying anxiety - the pull towards black-and-white thinking and how keeping this mindset leads to dead-end living. How to counter life-denying anxiety - being more aware of the wonder and awe of life and engaging there instead of bombarding ourselves with fear and fairy tales. Life-enhancing anxiety - the kind of anxiety that "enables us to live with and make the best of the depth and mystery of existence." The tyranny of sameness - and how "the desire for sameness can actually be one of the most destructive aspects of being alive." How to move from anxiety to awe - and the importance of allowing ourselves to grapple with the discomfort of emotions like anxiety as a way to

This week on The Transforming Anxiety Podcast we're talking about intense, negative, or uncomfortable emotional experiences...and how you can allow yourself to ebb and flow through them. When you're up against something difficult, it can be tempting to avoid the hell out of it. Cut and run. Push it all WAY down so that you don't have to look at it. But I want to offer you a way to intentionally and deliberately move in and out of intense experiences and *why* you'd want to do that. How it can help. And what letting yourself ebb and flow can do to alleviate the overall experience. Join me for this week's episode and let's explore ebbing and flowing together... Full show notes located at: www.kellyhanlinmccormick.com/podcast/206 

This week on The Transforming Anxiety Podcast, I want to talk about something important: sleep. And not just that you should get quality sleep (sure) or that sleep is good for you (duh), but I want to explore the idea of befriending sleep  with you. This is more of a mindset kind of thing. How do you approach sleep in your head? How do you talk to yourself about sleep? When you go to bed, are you going to war with yourself? Do you value rest, and sleep, or think of it as something that gets in your way? These are all important things to consider. Sleep, after all, is at the core of our physical, mental, and emotional health. Join me for this conversation and let's explore befriending sleep... Full show notes located at: www.kellyhanlinmccormick.com/podcast/205 

"I feel so bad about it..."

Ohhhh I have something so FUN for you this week: my dear friend, Becky Vollmer, has a new book out in the world (birthed on January 3, 2023) and I brought her on The Transforming Anxiety Podcast to talk all about it. Becky is like that wise, sassy, older sister who is full of encouragement and shares her hard-earned life lessons, and she's heavy on the love part of "tough love." Her book reads *just like* having a conversation with her. And if you've found yourself in tough spots, navigating big decisions in life, or generally feeling trapped in inaction thanks to what Other People think, I'm telling ya, this book will wiggle you loose and point you firmly in the direction of FREEDOM. If you'd like to see the video version of our conversation, visit www.kellyhanlinmccormick.com/podcast/203 (another fun perk of doing interviews!). The audio will come straight to your regular podcast feed through all major platforms. I so hope you enjoy the conversation, energy, and offering from Becky. You can find out more ab

I have something really important for you this week on  The Transforming Anxiety Podcast : we're going to talk about  breathing for anxiety . For sure, someone somewhere along the way has suggested you "take a deep breath" when they noticed you were feeling anxious or overwhelmed. You've likely handed out this advice yourself; it's almost a knee-jerk response when we see someone is upset. "Ok...take a deep breath..." And there's a solid reason for that: IT WORKS. I want to share a bit of the how and why behind this so that you have a deeper appreciation for the power of the breath, particularly in transforming anxiety. And towards the end of the episode I share 2 breath practices you can use right away to support yourself in actually transforming anxiety. It's one thing to know these things in your mind; it's a whole other thing to implement them and practice with them so they become yours. That's where the transformations occur. Join me for this episode and let's breathe together... Full show notes are locat

Now that winter is upon us and we're into the cold, dark, quiet of the season I thought we'd explore this together. Winter is a time of year, but it's also something that we experience in our lives: those fallow, dormant, even painful periods of wintering that we all cycle through. Plenty of people throw energy against winter, hating the wintry weather and dreading the long, dark nights. But this week on The Transforming Anxiety Podcast, I want to rethink wintering and approach the season with a new sense of perspective and even, perhaps, appreciation. Winter isn't something just be endured. There is restoration in the season, renewal in the stillness, and recovery in the quiet down time. Spring and summer are only possible because of the winter...and that's true literally, in the seasons of the year, and metaphorically, in the seasons of our lives. Experiencing the dark of a personal winter season makes the light of an airy summer situation all that much brighter. As Rumi says, "Don't think the garden loses

Well this is fun...this week is episode #200 (!) of  The Transforming Anxiety Podcast ! That's 200 conversations, 200 times we've hung out together, 200 weeks, of transforming anxiety. First of all: thank you. Thank you for showing up and being here with me. Thank you for sharing the show with your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences with me by writing in and letting me know how it's impacting you. I'll keep it coming, every Wednesday, and I sincerely look forward to all we'll do together in our next 200 episodes... Now...THIS week we're going to talk about  your only job . There's a theme that I started in last week's episode on  no goal new year  that I want to keep with as we get into 2023 and that is: you only have one job, ever, and that is to take care of yourself. That's it. Join me for this episode and let's explore what that looks like, how you can think about your daily activities differently, and what taking care of you means re: anxiety.

Welp, it's that time of year. When we all get serious about New Year's resolutions, plans for 2023, and goals. But I have an idea and want to explore it with you on this week's episode of  The Transforming Anxiety Podcast : how about a  no goal new year ? We are SO obsessed with more, better, faster, further. We think the only measure of our worth is what we can achieve, accomplish, and produce. But there's a better way. Because also, please let's not forget what the last 3 years have been like, my goodness. A global pandemic, wild political and social unrest, fear and uncertainty, more mass shootings, war, the deepening climate crisis...not to mention the individual struggles and pains we've all experienced. Maybe now, more than ever, we need to let go of the idea of pushing harder, achieving more, and keeping our nose to the grindstone. This moment calls for more steadiness, more deep breaths, bids for connection and offers of kindness, a focus on self-compassion, and listening to what we really want and ne