The Transforming Anxiety Podcast

Welcome to a 4-part series that I'm doing through The Transforming Anxiety Podcast feed called: Mindfulness Monday. Each Monday from August 8 - August 29 we're going to explore a different aspect of mindfulness meditation. By now, no doubt you've heard about the benefits of meditation. Maybe you've tried it yourself, but it hasn't stuck...or maybe you're not sure where to start. Whatever your experience so far with meditation, you're *here* because you want to find relief from anxiety. And I've heard from many of you that you're looking for a way in with meditation. A way to practice. Some more of the "how and why" behind meditation...and practical ways this approach could support you on your path out of anxiety. These short podcast episodes will give you: An overview of mindfulness meditation (what is it?) What to expect with a meditation practice (why do it?) How meditation supports those of us who tend towards anxiety (will this help me?) This week we're going to be taking a look at compassion. Her

August is here! And I'm traveling like a pre-COVID jetsetter this month. So I'm going to practice what I preach and go a little easy on myself...and I'm hoping that this proves supportive and valuable for both of us.

Welcome to a 4-part series that I'm doing through The Transforming Anxiety Podcast feed called: Mindfulness Monday. Each Monday from August 8 - August 29 we're going to explore a different aspect of mindfulness meditation. By now, no doubt you've heard about the benefits of meditation. Maybe you've tried it yourself, but it hasn't stuck...or maybe you're not sure where to start. Whatever your experience so far with meditation, you're *here* because you want to find relief from anxiety. And I've heard from many of you that you're looking for a way in with meditation. A way to practice. Some more of the "how and why" behind meditation...and practical ways this approach could support you on your path out of anxiety. These short podcast episodes will give you: An overview of mindfulness meditation (what is it?) What to expect with a meditation practice (why do it?) How meditation supports those of us who tend towards anxiety (will this help me?) This week we're going to be taking a look at presence. Just like t

August is here! And I'm traveling like a pre-COVID jetsetter this month. So I'm going to practice what I preach and go a little easy on myself...and I'm hoping that this proves supportive and valuable for both of us.

Welcome to a 4-part series that I'm doing through The Transforming Anxiety Podcast feed called: Mindfulness Monday. Each Monday from August 8 - August 29 we're going to explore a different aspect of mindfulness meditation. By now, no doubt you've heard about the benefits of meditation. Maybe you've tried it yourself, but it hasn't stuck...or maybe you're not sure where to start. Whatever your experience so far with meditation, you're *here* because you want to find relief from anxiety. And I've heard from many of you that you're looking for a way in with meditation. A way to practice. Some more of the "how and why" behind meditation...and practical ways this approach could support you on your path out of anxiety. These short podcast episodes will give you: An overview of mindfulness meditation (what is it?) What to expect with a meditation practice (why do it?) How meditation supports those of us who tend towards anxiety (will this help me?) This week we're going to be taking a look at awareness. Whatever w

August is here! And I'm traveling like a pre-COVID jetsetter this month. So I'm going to practice what I preach and go a little easy on myself...and I'm hoping that this proves supportive and valuable for both of us.

Ever get totally caught up in the to-do list and wind up lost in a sea of going and doing and just completely forget that you're ALIVE?! Yup, me too. This week, on The Transforming Anxiety Podcast, I want us all to hit *pause* and remember: this. is. LIFE. We're living it. And...there's an invitation in this pause to move, with intention, towards those places where you feel the MOST alive. I got to really thinking about this for myself. Where do *I* feel the most alive? What takes me closer to myself? To who I want to be in the world? And I found a few hints that I'm on the right track: Spaces and destinations where I have a strong sense of place - for me this is in the mountains, the woods, certain loved ones' homes, and near the lake Activities where I lose track of time - like on my yoga mat, with a good book, hiking, and when I'm with my kids And (maybe my favorite): the places where I don't have to pretend - this is with my closest girlfriends, my pets, my coach, and (increasingly) myself... Let's expl

Fun times...today we're talking about CONFLICT over on The Transforming Anxiety Podcast. But then, we talk about all sorts of fun stuff around here: anxiety, family drama, feelings, the messiness of life, emotional health...I mean, we were overdue for a chat about conflict, no?

It's hot, hot, hot here in Kansas City, so I wanted to offer something this week on The Transforming Anxiety Podcast to help cool things down. I work with SO many clients who are experiencing some form of burnout: at work, at home, with their families, even with their friends. And what's happening is that they're holding on *so tightly* to whatever they're doing that they're building tension...physical tension, mental tension, and emotional tension. That tension is HOT...there's a reason they call it "burnout," after all. This week we're talking about cooling your mind (because that's where this all starts) and exploring what cooling it down looks like, and how that could serve you. Listen: if tension and burnout got you where you wanted to go, you'd be there by now. It doesn't work... Meaning: you need to cool it.

How are you doing? I hope summer is treating you well...although I know the news and events just keep hitting + the pandemic that just. won't. end. I hope your heart is doing alright in the midst of all of this. I know it's a lot. That's why we're here...to drop in and take care of ourselves. Even for a few minutes each week with the podcast. With awareness. With compassion and kindness. This week on The Transforming Anxiety Podcast we're going to talk about running away from yourself...specifically how *most* of us are packing our schedules full and cramming our to-do lists with junk as a way to flee from ourselves. It seems so noble, being busy. But in this week's episode, I invite you to consider: WHY are you so busy? What is all that busy-ness about? And is it possible that you're using your calendar and to-do list as a way to run away from yourself (and your habits, emotions, wants, and thoughts)? Full show notes located at www.kellyhanlinmccormick.com/podcast/174 

There's anxiety...and then there's the ANXIETY of anxiety. The anxiety on top of anxiety. The anxiety we feel about anxiety. Y'know what I mean? This is a wild ride. It’s a multi-layered, tornado spin of pure adrenaline. We’re going to talk about it today on The Transforming Anxiety Podcast because even though it’s no good, it’s VERY common. And normalizing this experience, knowing and reminding yourself that nothing has gone wrong because you get anxious over being anxious, is super helpful. You can feel better. Anxiety doesn’t have to be quite so gobsmacking and total. And it certainly doesn’t have to be in control of you. Let's talk about it together... Full show notes located at www.kellyhanlinmccormick.com/podcast/173 

Happy SUMMER! It's officially here and I'm on vacation this week. I'm visiting my home-away-from-home, Chicago, and right now I'm probably walking along Lake Michigan with an iced coffee in hand, hanging out with my adopted city, visiting my old apartment, and making sure some of my favorite places (like Ann Sather's, Unabridged Books, and Intelligentsia) are still there.  Annnnyway, this week, since I'm gone, I'm sharing a talk on Happiness & Joy that I recently gave to a mindfulness meditation group. I'm doing more and more of this work as I finalize my meditation teacher certification and I wanted to share a bit of it with YOU this week on The Transforming Anxiety Podcast. I have found that mindfulness and meditation are 2 of the most important tools I have in transforming anxiety. This talk will give you a little taste of that world and I hope you find it helpful.

One of the most valuable things we, as people who tend towards anxiety, can learn to do is regulate our nervous systems.  Why? Feeling anxious ups the adrenaline and cortisol in your system. And you become a bit of a pressure cooker, constantly turning up the volume with more to-do lists, more people-pleasing, and more perfectionism. Regulating your nervous system on purpose is like hitting the release valve and blowing off all that extra steam...it helps to recalibrate your nervous system and bring things back to steady state. *phew* In this week's episode of The Transforming Anxiety Podcast we're going to talk through 5 ways to regulate your nervous system. These are things you can put into place *right away*. You know how it is to feel anxious, like your nervous system is totally amped up, on overdrive, and pouring gas on an already panicky fire. Let's turn that down by practicing the opposite - soothing, easing, and down-regulating yourself. Sound good? Full show notes are located at: www.kellyhanlinmccor

I know you've noticed that all day, every day, your mind is talking to you. It has ideas, stories, and opinions. And those ideas, stories, and opinions are pretty much the *same* ones from yesterday...and the day before...and the day before that. And just like the songs on the radio, if you hear something often enough, you start humming along. You start singing the words. Basically: you fall for it. You start to believe the latest Justin Bieber song is the best thing out there...and that your mind must be right about that whole, "you're not good enough" thing. So in this episode of The Transforming Anxiety Podcast, we're going to take a closer look... ...like, imagine you're walking down a city street and you pass a shop with one of those sidewalk signs out front. It's all cute with its chalk artwork, enticing you to come inside. You know the drill. Now: imagine your mind is that sidewalk sign. And one of those top 10 ideas that your mind thinks all day every day (usually something like, "you’ve got to get al

I'm sure you've noticed the never-ending nature of life. More emails, more laundry, more projects, more dinners to cook...and then clean up after. We're all in an infinity loop of doing and going. Yet, we're also stuck in this weird trap of believing that somehow, someday, we'll be caught up. That we'll have achieved, accomplished, and completed enough that we can finally sit down and relax. I want to take a closer look at this phenomenon with you today on this week's episode. I'm calling this one: there's always something. And I want to debunk the myth that there's NOT always something. Let's just embrace that. Because it's true! But this doesn't have to be bad news. How we approach this is key. Let's discuss... Full show notes are located at www.kellyhanlinmccormick.com/podcast/169 

I recently finished reading Jane Goodall's newest book, The Book About Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times and I got to thinking...we should talk about hope. Because no matter what your personal experience with anxiety looks like, no matter whether anxiety is something new to you or a very old companion, no matter how often anxiety ebbs and flows in your life, there's a common thing that brings all of us together each week for The Transforming Anxiety Podcast. That thing is hope. Without hope, what's the point? Without hope, we lose touch with the hunch we have that things can feel better. Without hope, we stop trying to create what we want in our relationships, at work, with our kids, and in our friendships. Without hope, we stop moving forward. Hope may not always be at the forefront of your emotional landscape, but hope is always there. Let's talk about it this week: what hope is, how to harness hope, and what you can take away from this and into your week immediately. Hope is necessary... Full show no

Q for you: how do you show up? How do you show up with your family? How do you show up at work? How do you show up with your friends? How do you show up for the things you enjoy, the causes you believe in, and the activities that you engage in? ...a lot of us are *barely* showing up. And I don't mean we aren't getting stuff done. Look around. We

Quick poll: on a scale of 1 - 10 (1 being not at all, 10 being totally tuned in), how readily are you paying attention to YOURSELF? Uh huh...most of us are saying a big fat, "umm..." to that one and, if we're honest, landing closer to the 1 than the 10 on that scale. This week on The Transforming Anxiety Podcast we're going to talk about it. Listening to your body is something I mention in passing a lot around here, and I thought it was time to give this topic the deep dive it deserves. We're going to look at this one from several angles: a few fundamental elements, like listening to your body when it's tired, sick, or injured. But also listening to your emotions, knowing that your body (physically and emotionally) will *always* win, and getting curious about what your body is holding on to... Full show notes are located at www.kellyhanlinmccormick.com/podcast/166 

If you've been hanging around with me for a while, you know I talk a *lot* about acceptance (if you're new, buckle up...it's a very common theme here). But I've bumped into something interesting in my own personal work and I wanted to bring it to the podcast and explore it with you and that's: acceptance vs. apathy. The thing with acceptance is that we don't have to LIKE it in order to ACCEPT it. This is tricky. We fall into believing that if we don't like it, we can't accept it. That's not the case. Our collective acceptance of COVID is a good example: we accept that it's part of the reality of the world, we don't like it whatsoever. You follow me? But sometimes we veer away from acceptance towards apathy, adopting a "I don't care, whatever" kind of attitude and calling THAT come-what-may approach "acceptance." There's a biiiiig difference between acceptance and apathy. And it's worth discussing because we can't leapfrog ourselves into acceptance from apathy...dammit. Join me for this week's episode and let'

Anyone else feel like they're trying to be Wonderwoman on a daily basis?