The Transforming Anxiety Podcast

How are you this week, my friend? We've made it to December (!)...and this year that's no small thing. This ongoing pandemic is taking a toll and I just want to take a quick moment here to say: yay, you're doing it! Well done you.

Happy Thanksgiving week, fellow Americans! Although we *usually* talk about gratitude at this time of year, I'd like to change things up and focus instead on generosity.  Most of the time, when we're feeling grateful, it's because someone was being generous. And one of the quickest ways out of our (anxious) heads and into our (more steady) souls is to show up with generosity. It's hard to feel overly stressed, overwhelmed, or worried when you're committed to showing up generously. In this episode we'll explore a few different ways to practice generosity (hint: it's not all about spending money or time!)...and remember why it's important to live generously in the first place. For more on The Fierce Calm Project and to join in (and have me as YOUR coach!), visit www.kellyhanlinmccormick.com/fiercecalmproject  Full show notes are located at www.kellyhanlinmccormick.com/podcast/142  Text PODCAST to +1 (816) 354-1279 for anxiety hacks, inspiration, and little love notes straight to your phone! And join the growing

How are you doing this week, my friend? Here in the States we're on the eve of Thanksgiving, which means the eve of the holiday season...and with that, oh boy, with that comes a whooooole bunch of...well, overwhelming, stressful, anxiety-inducing STUFF. Amiright? So I thought we'd kick off the holiday season with a little talk about kindness. Specifically how (and why) we can be kind, not polite.  We all know polite people. They're always good for a nice word, a courteous response, an absolutely approprite way of showing up and saying "the right thing." There's nothing wrong with polite. Politness helps the world spin a little bit more smoothly and gently for sure. It makes moving about the world with all of the humans more pleasant. Definitely. And... ...sometimes polite gets in the way of kind. Because sometimes being polite means we're choosing other people over ourselves. Sometimes politeness requires abandoning our wants and feelings in the interest of what we're "supposed" to be wanting and feeling. Som

This week on the podcast I want to take a look at waiting from 2 different angles: How we're constantly waiting to be better, faster, smarter, stronger...i.e. that some fantasy future is out there for us That we're continuously tumbling towards the next thing, i.e. rarely giving *this thing* the attention it deserves We don't need to fill our lives with so much WAITING. Because PSA: life is happening, right here, right now. It's not out there, it's not going to start when the pandemic is over, and it's not the next thing and the next thing and the next thing... Let's practice being here and stop waiting together this week, yeah? For more on The Fierce Calm Project and to join in (and me as YOUR coach!), visit www.kellyhanlinmccormick.com/fiercecalmproject  Full show notes are located at www.kellyhanlinmccormick.com/podcast/140  Text PODCAST to +1 (816)354-1279 for anxiety hacks, inspiration, and little love notes straight to your phone! And join the growing community in The Transforming Anxiety Podcast Face

I'm coming at you short-and-sweet on The Transforming Anxiety Podcast this week. Because this one doesn't require a whole lot of words and I know most of us have overanalyzed it beyond reason already. We're talking about anxiety and how it's not personal. Look around. I know you're used to seeing the highlight reels from (for instance) picture-perfect Halloween parties on your friends' social media feeds, and idealized versions of beauty online, and that we're fed a load of "here's what you're supposed to do and how you're supposed to feel about it" from the culture that we're swimming in...but the stats on anxiety point to a different reality. Feeling anxious doesn't mean there's something wrong with you. Feeling anxious doesn't mean you're broken in some way and need to be "fixed." Feeling anxious isn't about YOU at all...it's about being human. Let's talk about it together on this week's episode... For more on The Fierce Calm Project and to join in (and have me as YOUR coach!), visit www.kellyhanlinmccormi

I've joked over the years that asking the question "why" over and over again can lead us straight into the depths of what's going on in our minds. And I'm not *really* joking (although it's a gross oversimplification of the process) because to a large extent, this is what we're doing as we're untangling the stories and belief systems that run our lives.  Why did I say that? Why do I feel this? Why do I want this and that and the other thing? But today on The Transforming Anxiety Podcast we're going to explore a different question: WHAT? "What?" leads us in a different direction than, "why?" "What?" tends to keep things based in reality, dealing in facts, simplifying the situation. "Why?" usually stirs up the thoughts and opinions and judgments that go into dealing with the "what"... Today we're going to ask things like: What happened? What's going on here? What do I want? I'm excited for this conversation and can't wait to hear how this shifts things for you and your own personal self-awareness... For more on

Every once in a while I see a theme pop up with my clients and this time it's so universal and so good that I thought we should do an episode of The Transforming Anxiety Podcast all about it. This week we're talking about doing it messy.  Soooo many of us are trying to get through the hard parts of life in a way that "looks pretty" or "feels graceful" or is somehow completely devoid of mistakes and discomfort. I have a better idea, my friend. How about let's NOT pretend anymore. Let's just do it messy. Because the only difference between doing it in a way that looks pretty and doing it in a way that looks like a total dumpster fire is our preferences about it. We don't WANT things to look like a dumpster fire, so we convince ourselves they CAN'T...which is actually not true at all. Done is better than pretty. Moving forward is better than perfection. Being in the flow of your life (instead of stuck on the sidelines) is better than faking it and presenting yourself as the most societally-acceptable version of

I was at the grocery store the other day with my kids and had one of those small moments that kinda changes everything, you know what I mean? We were picking out ice cream. And we were standing there in the freezer section debating between cookie dough and plain chocolate. And all of a sudden, I realized I could get whatever. I. wanted. Pistachio. Butter pecan. Coffee. Something horrendous the kids would *hate*...all of these options were available to me. I could choose anything. Just because I wanted it. (I say all of this with awareness of the privilege I have to even be in this situation in the first place.) Now, I know this seems like a silly example. Ice cream isn't a make-or-break decision, after all. But it's not just ice cream. It's how I earn a living, who I spend time with, my daily routine, the boundaries I set (or don't), what I buy and consume...it's how I live my LIFE. This week on The Transforming Anxiety Podcast we're going to talk about wanting what you want; specifically that you can allow y

I've found, over years of talking to people about how they're feeling (I'm always the wallflower at a party, in a corner with one other person talking about the *big* stuff...I can't do the small talk that most get-togethers require) that not everyone uses the word "anxiety" to describe this experience. In fact, there are a lot of people feeling similar feelings that don't identify with the word "anxiety" at all. Some of the other words I've heard used to describe the same emotional experience are: Fear Worry Overwhelm Perfectionism I bring this up because IMHO it doesn't matter quite so much what we call it, as how we handle ourselves within it. Can we allow ourselves to *feel* how we're feeling? Can we remind ourselves that nothing is *wrong* with us, no matter how we're feeling? Can we have enough care, understanding, and trust in ourselves to know that we can handle whatever is coming our way? That's what we're talking about in this week's episode of The Transforming Anxiety Podcast. Join me for this sh

We're doing something fun on the podcast this week: we're doing a kind of philosophy lesson a la Alanis Morisette. I've chosen a handful of her songs and pulled out a few lines from each and I want to explore this with you this week on the podcast. Because: Alanis is a truth-teller, poet, and she speaks straight to our souls. She's also kind of life coach-y.  Join me for this episode of The Transforming Anxiety Podcast as we take a look at 4 of her lesser-known songs and the powerful lyrics that support us in our practice of taking care of ourselves, handling change, letting go of perfection, and making space for rest. To enroll in the upcoming How to Meditate to Transform Anxiety course visit www.kellyhanlinmccormick.com/howtomeditate  For more on The Fierce Calm Project and to join in (and have me as YOUR coach!), visit www.kellyhanlinmccormick.com/fiercecalmproject  Full show notes are located at www.kellyhanlinmccormick.com/podcast/134  Text PODCAST to +1 (816) 354-1279 for anxiety hacks, inspiration, and

How are you doing this week? I'm doing great...and at the same time, I've been going through some friendship ick over the past year or so and in talking with my clients, I've found I'm not alone in this. Turns out: adult friendships can be tricky. And we've been making ourselves anxious about it. And I thought we'd talk about friendship anxiety this week on The Transforming Anxiety Podcast. Now, I'm not here to dole out any friendship decrees. This is more of a discussion with some general ideas to bear in mind. If you changed your perspective on the friendships in your life, would you feel differently? Could you feel *better* even? We're going to take a look at friendships and the ideas of: Some friends are there for a certain season in our lives Adults get to do whatever they want to do (and we should believe them when they show us who they are) How love languages + boundaries factor into even the closest of friendships If you've experienced any bumps or shifts in your friendships (pandemic-related or not

How are you doing this week? I'm mostly good, and also a little meander-y feeling with the family all out of the house during the week. Now that we're settling in and back-to-school is feeling more like the-routine-of-school I got to thinking about a few old favorites. It seems these friends rushed right back in as soon as things started looking remotely "normal" around here. And by favorites I mean familiars. By friends I mean regulars. So I thought we should talk about it today on The Transforming Anxiety Podcast together. Because I know I'm not alone with these. Specifically, I'm talking about these ideas: I need to get caught up I'm trying to balance all of this I just want everyone to be happy Recognize any of those oldies but goodies? Yeah... I titled this week's episode 3 things to abandon. Because we're going to take a look at each of those ideas and let. them. go. I know your mind is going to say, "wait a second, are we just going to abandon them here?" Yes. Yes we are. Join me for this episode to

I got a GREAT listener question a week ago and I had to bring it to the podcast to talk about because I figure there are a few of you wondering the same thing. Namely: why are you still anxious, Kelly? I mean, I get it. Here I am, an anxiety coach, helping other people navigate anxiety, and I still feel anxious. So what gives? Why do I still feel anxious?! Because all human beings do. Anxiety is part of the deal. Anxiety is an emotion (just like we all get frustrated and sad and mad and excited, we all get anxious) and it's a feature of the human body (the fight-or-flight stress response that gets activated when your brain perceives you are under threat). The goal around here has *never* been to eliminate anxiety from our lives. (Honestly, anyone who is promising you that is lying to you IMHO.) It's just not possible. Just like getting rid of sadness, irritation, anger, the occasional digestive issues, or daily fatigue isn't possible. Humans experience all of it. And my goal as your coach isn't to pull you ou

This week on The Transforming Anxiety Podcast, I want us all to slow. things. down. and talk about FOMO vs. JOMO. FOMO = the fear of missing out JOMO = the joy of missing out And they're two sides of the same coin. FOMO has us going all the time, trying to fit in, hustling for approval, and worrying about what could happen if we say "no" to anyone or anything. JOMO is all about the joy that we miss out on when we fall for FOMO. And the not-so-great cherry on top is that FOMO is one of the biggest anxiety-instigators out there. Join me for this week's episode and let's take a few minutes to explore FOMO vs. JOMO...and consider where you could create more joy and less fear in *your* life. For more on The Fierce Calm Project and to join in (and have me as YOUR coach!), visit www.kellyhanlinmccormick.com/fiercecalmproject  Full show notes are located at www.kellyhanlinmccormick.com/podcast/130  Text PODCAST to +1 (816) 354-1279 for anxiety hacks, inspiration, and little love notes straight to your phone! And join

This week's episode of The Transforming Anxiety Podcast is an interesting journey: we're going to talk about supersizing, rivers, and perspective (I promise this all ties together). Have you felt like the volume has been cranked up on *all the things* lately? The good stuff is amazing (pool parties! back to school! it's almost pumpkin spice season!!) and the rotton stuff feels intense (headlines... busier schedules... never-ending pandemic season... ). Many of my clients are telling me that the highs are high and the lows feel low low low right now. And I get it. Me too. So I wanted to talk this week about supersized anxiety and how we don't have to turn the volume up quite so high. Meaning: we can choose to keep anxiety "right sized" instead of going overboard and supersizing every time it shows up. So if anxiety currently feels overwhelmingly supersized, tune in this week to learn about right sizing it instead. For more on The Fierce Calm Project and to join in (and have me as YOUR coach!), visit www.kellyh

Decisions, decisions...we all make decisions throughout the day, but how we approach those decisions and what we believe about decisions makes a HUGE difference. This week on The Transforming Anxiety Podcast we're going to talk about decision anxiety.  Because recently, I got a *great* question from a new listener. She DM'd me on Instagram and asked: "How do I make a decision about whether or not to travel right now...especially when the group I'm traveling with all has a different POV on COVID than I do?" And between the flights, the restaurants, the delta variant, the risk of bringing COVID home to her family, she started feeling like she didn’t know how to make this decision AT ALL. Decisions don't have to be anxiety-inducing. Let's take a look at decisions and break down how you can approach any decision with solid clarity. See you there. For more on The Fierce Calm Project and to join in (and have me as YOUR coach!), visit www.kellyhanlinmccormick.com/fiercecalmproject  Full show notes are located at www

This week on The Transforming Anxiety Podcast we're talking about something new: empty thoughts. Empty thoughts are: Thoughts that pop into your head that have absolutely nothing to do with reality...like, "I can't handle this," or, "I don't know what to do here"

Remember in elementary school how you learned to make sense of new words based on context clues? The words and circumstances around the new word gave you hints to what that word meant. You used everything surrounding that new word to better understand what you were reading. Well, turns out we still use this trick to learn new things about the world...and thanks to those early lessons, it comes pretty quickly to us. This week on The Transforming Anxiety Podcast, we're going to take a look at the power of context to understand it even more. Because: while this is a clever mental trick to help us make sense of the world around us, it's always based on our past experience and knowledge. And when you want something (like freedom from anxiety, or a promotion, or patience with the kids) that you haven't had before? Well, you can't go searching around in your past for it. You'll come up empty-handed that way every. single. time. Join me for this week's episode where we take a look at the power of context + I'm going

We haven't had a good talk about TIME for a while, so let's do it. Specifically, I want to talk about the idea that "we all have 24 hours in a day..." ...and what total B.S. that is. Most of us think some form of this thought. If you've heard, "Beyonce has the same 24 hours in a day" or thought, "I should be able to get more done, look at what Oprah has accomplished" then you know what I mean. I mean, it seems factual. On paper, we DO all have 24 hours in the day. Buuuuut, many of us are using this belief as a "compare-and-despair" weapon against ourselves. And I want to take you off that hook. Join me on this week's episode of The Transforming Anxiety Podcast to explore one of the most prevalent, and harmful, time beliefs out there. Let's debunk this one together, yeah? Find out more about The Fierce Calm Project by visiting www.kellyhanlinmccormick.com/fiercecalmproject  Full show notes are located at www.kellyhanlinmccormick.com/podcast/125  Text PODCAST to +1 (816) 354-1279 for inspiration, anxiety hacks,

Last week we covered part 1 (if you missed it no biggie, you can catch it here) and this week we're looking at another round of 5 of the most common thought errors in our sweet minds. Things like: Mental filtering Negativity bias "Should" statements Emotional reasoning Labeling Our minds feed us plot lines the way the Earth spins around the sun: it just happens. Nothing has gone wrong here. If you can find yourself falling for one (or all) of these thought errors great: you're human! We all do this. Tune in to learn more about how these show up in everyday life + a few tips for catching these errors before you start living your life believing in them. Find out more about The Fierce Calm Project by visiting www.kellyhanlinmccormick.com/fiercecalmproject  Full show notes are located at www.kellyhanlinmccormick.com/podcast/124  Text PODCAST to +1 (816) 354-1279 for inspiration, anxiety hacks, and little love notes straight to your phone! And join the growing community by visiting The Transforming Anxiety Podca