Owning It: The Anxiety Podcast

This week I am joined by one of my favourite actors - Charlene McKenna. You will know her from Peaky Blinders but it was a little show at home called Raw where I first discovered her. I met Charlene in NYC to talk about anxiety and straight away we realised we were two anxious Annies cut from the same cloth. We talk about fear conditioning, dealing with the anxious child inside of us, the habit of asking ourselves 'what if' and thinking about the worst case scenarios, and how she got through a bad bout of anxiety in her mid to late twenties.Buy Owning It here / Own It here (if you are in the US or Canada)Buy The Confidence Kit hereSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm back with another mini episode, this time it's just me and I'm talking about the science behind self-compassion and why it's such an incredibly important tool for owning your anxiety. I talk what it is, why it works and how to implement more of it into your life, especially during periods of anxiety.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this episode I am joined by bestselling author and entrepreneur behind Natural Born Feeder, Roz Purcell to talk about her experience of anxiety. Roz has some incredible insights into how and why we might be feeling more anxiety these days and how we need to get of the numbers game: numbers on the weighing scales, numbers of followers, numbers of books sold - the lot. She believes that if we invested as much time into ourselves offline as we do online, things would be different. I hope you enjoy our conversation. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this brief episode, I talk about the helicopter approach to anxiety - figuring out why you are here dealing with anxiety. I go through my own recent mini flare up with anxiety and track the steps I take, all of which fall under the assess and address approach, to bring myself back to feeling good. No guests, just me. Buy Owning It here.Buy The Confidence Kit here. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode I'm joined by author Louise O'Neill (she's written four books so far, the last being The Surface Breaks, a feminist retelling of The Little Mermaid) to talk all things anxiety, with a particular focus on her experience of anxiety and social media, and how her anxiety has improved after a year away from the apps along with other measures she takes on a daily basis to keep her anxiety at a level she can manage.Buy Owning It hereBuy The Confidence Kit hereBuy The Surface Breaks hereSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of Owning It The Anxiety Podcast, I'm joined by author Holly White who talks about her sensitive nature and the fact that denying this, along with her anxiety, has always been the problem. When she accepted the way she was, and stopped trying to be like everybody else - which involved embracing a vegan lifestyle - things improved dramatically. She shares how she owns her anxiety and how she makes it work for her rather than against her in this episode. Holly is also one of my special guests at the publishing masterclass next month, for which you can buy tickets here. https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/so-you-want-to-write-a-book-publishing-masterclass-with-louise-oneill-holly-white-and-caroline-foran-tickets-62361312364Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As mentioned in the podcast intro, here is the link to my upcoming event in The Alex hotel. It's a publishing masterclass for anyone who's ever dreamed of writing a book. There will be more events coming soon specifically themed around anxiety so stay tuned for those.https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/so-you-want-to-write-a-book-publishing-masterclass-with-louise-oneill-holly-white-and-caroline-foran-tickets-62361312364?aff=ebdssbeacThis week Cassie Stokes of Xpose fame joins me to talk about her recent experience of heartbreak and the anxiety that goes along with it, as well as how anxiety manifested for her from the age of 20, including a fear of prawns, a fear of people in large crowds, a fear of being sick on modes of transport and more. Through therapy and CBT skills that she still uses to this day, she's managing it well. She knows it will always be there but she understands it and has the coping mechanisms necessary to own it.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast. Hosted on Ac

CBT is something that's naturally woven into each and every podcast, you probably use CBT tools yourself without realising it, so I wanted to give this hero therapy some time to shine and discuss what it is, how it works, why it worked for me and how incredibly helpful it is when you're on the road to owning your anxiety. I hope you find this helpful. See mindtools.org psychologytools.com and more for additional CBT resourcesSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, author and YouTuber Melanie Murphy shares her experience of anxiety along with her smart coping strategies from writing, to breathing techniques to something she calls 'hyper-focusing' during moments of panic. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the latest episode of Owning It: The Anxiety Podcast, Claire Balding - who I know as Claire Fullam from school - joins me to talk about her experience with hair loss and the reasons why that happened - stress - the anxiety that went along with this turbulent time in her life, coming out the other side and having a keen awareness of her mental health. Her pearls of wisdom are incredible and I can't wait for you to hear them. She's an amazing woman. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you have ever been diagnosed with IBS, or had any gut issues relating to anxiety - whether your gut flares up when you're anxious or whether you're anxiety flares up when your tummy is irritated - this is the episode for you. Orla Walsh is a bullshit free dietician who talks endless amounts of sense. Full disclosure: we talk a lot about poo and farting in this episode so buckle up and and get ready to get real. We cover everything from the ideal anxiety meal plan to understanding the gut-brain axis and more. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this episode I am joined by James Kavanagh, TV presenter, broadcaster, social media superstar and co-founder and co-author of the award winning and bestselling Currabinny book and brand. James shares his experience of anxiety in recent years - manifested in midnight panic attacks - at a time in his life when everything is - on paper - very good. So why now? We trace back over his experience of being badly bullied for being gay throughout school and how perhaps his anxiety now, at a time when he accepts himself entirely, might be in fact a delayed reaction to having gone through a very hard time growing up, coupled with the anxiety of leaving a full time job and going out on your own in the unreliable freelance world. We chat about the comfort zone, social anxiety, panic attacks and so much more.  Buy Own It in the US and Canada here. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey guys, sorry for the break last week but I was in NYC to launch Own It - out now! - and life took over. I'm thrilled to share the latest episode of the anxiety podcast with you, featuring one of the nicest girls I've met - Joanna Cooper. She's just 25, she's from Derry in Northern Ireland and she shares her experience of anxiety which she pinpoints back to a scary childhood experience. These days she's got a firm grasp on her anxiety and for 25, it's VERY impressive. From hypochondria to what we share and don't share on social media, I hope you enjoy this one.  Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I am joined by the incredible Laura Whitmore - presenter, writer, actor, broadcaster. We have the best chat about anxiety, how it affects her, what she does to keep it in check, imposter syndrome  - which can be quite extreme in her line of work - worrying about what other people will think about you, how her confidence has grown, and so much more. I really hope you enjoy this episode and as always please subscribe and review.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I am joined by my brother Daniel who experienced a social kind of anxiety brought on by his stammer. Daniel has had a stammer for as long as I can remember but I never knew quite how much it affected him and gave him anxiety until recent years (he's in his mid 30s now) because he simply didn't want to discuss it. To go from a fear of saying his name out loud to recording with me, he has come a long way and I'm so proud of him. I've learned so much from this episode about triumph in the face adversity and I hope you will too. RESOURCES - www.stammering.orgstammeringireland.iewww.mcguireprogramme.comtoastmasters.org Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I had some time to spare and rather than relax I recorded this quick little episode on the common mind traps that we might fall into that give rise to stress and anxiety in our day to day lives. For example, a big one is 'catastrophizing' (I'm using a 'z' in that word for US listeners). So maybe you're not really struggling to get your head off the pillow with anxiety, but maybe you find that there's a low level anxiety that's just kind of always there and getting slightly in the way of your life. If that's the case, you may be experiencing some of the common mind traps that we'll discuss. This is more of a dip into CBT which is one of my essential tools for managing and owning my anxiety on an ongoing basis. Pre order Own It here Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So in among the experts with whom I will consult to get you the most practical advice and tools you need to own your anxiety, I also try to sit down with people who are just like me - not professionals when it comes to anxiety - but those who've experienced it from one end of the spectrum to the other, and can relate to how you're feeling as well as share their coping strategies. This week I am joined by Vogue Williams to talk about anxiety after a bad breakup, anxiety in a former partner when she didn't really understand it, and how having a baby has left her with no time to feel too anxious these days. We talk about her experience with medication and lots more. Please do subscribe and enjoy! PRE ORDER THE US VERSION OF OWN IT - MAKE YOUR ANXIETY WORK FOR YOU here Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this episode, we will do a deep dive into the world of anti anxiety medication. Rosie is a psychiatrist who deals with a lot of patients presenting with anxiety symptoms. She helps me to breakdown the different kinds of medication, how anti-depressants work in treating anxiety, what you need to know about the first few weeks on medication and what you need to know about coming off it if you decide to do so. We also chat about the stigma that very much exists around medication - I personally felt that taking medication was a sign of weakness and I still struggle with worrying what people might think about the fact that I'm still on it. Whatever questions you have about anti anxiety medication should be answered here. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode of Owning It: The Anxiety Podcast, I go in the direction of physical health and the fear or anxiety about the prospect of getting sick or receiving a bad diagnosis. I'm joined by cancer survivor and breast cancer awareness champion Georgie Crawford who shares her story of getting sick with me, through the lens of mental health. The anxiety that went with it, the empowering moment of getting the diagnosis and taking action and how her experience has shifted her perspective on day to day anxieties and stresses. Georgie has some great advice and I do hope you enjoy. Please subscribe and review as always and know that the books are available to buy around the world on Amazon. Owning It - buy now The Confidence Kit - buy now Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningittheanxietypodcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I'm joined by Pat Divilly for a brilliant discussion around the topic of public speaking. It was his biggest fear, it's one of mine - STILL! - and I know it's something that affects so many readers of both Owning It and The Confidence Kit. Pat Divilly is an author, public speaker and all round legend - he takes complex ideas and articulates them in a way that is just so easy to digest and I feel we are on the very same page when it comes to things like acceptance and working with ourselves rather than against ourselves. Pat also shares his own story of anxiety, along with chats about imposter syndrome and as is always my goal - we share some very practical tips and exercises to get you feeling a little bit less afraid at the prospect of public speaking - even if that just means speaking up in a meeting or at a social event. Pat doesn't claim to be fearless, and neither do I, but despite our fears and anxieties we can still forge ahead. Enjoy! Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/owningitthea