This week I’m flying solo on the podcast. It’s great to be back with you and I have a few updates since the last episode. I’ll also tell you more about my new book, Mindful Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which will be released on Dec. 6, 2022, and will read a passage from the first chapter. In the rest of the episode I’ll share with you some of the most effective ways to manage constant and uncontrollable worry.

Things I discussed included:

• Things that have happened since our last episode
• The upcoming publication of Mindful Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Simple Path to Healing, Hope, & Peace
• My own experience with worry related to glaucoma
• How worry-driven thoughts, feelings, and actions interact
• Why the future is so unmanageable
• Coming into the present
• The unease that comes with disconnection from our bodies
• Relaxing the body to calm the mind
• Dropping the struggle with worry
• Focusing on valued action and facing anxiety on purpose

Please let me know if you enjoyed this format (or didn’t enjoy it!) so I’ll know whether to do more like this.

Here’s a bonus exercise that comes from Mindful CBT. Give it a try when you’re feeling overly stressed by all you have to do: 

Be: Pause and come back to yourself, using a single slow breath to find your center.

Think: Then ask yourself what the story is, such as, “I can’t get it all done,” or “I can’t afford to take a break.” Are your thoughts completely true, or is there a more realistic alternative?

Act: Finally, see what type of rest you can offer yourself, like a 5-minute walk around the block or a relaxing shower. If you can’t rest immediately, can you plan to do it soon as something to look forward to?