69. Dealing with the stress of anticipating disasters around every corner

How often do you assume the worst-case-scenario when facing a
difficult situation?


When was the last time someone invited you to a party, and you
started worrying about it months in advance?


Do you stress about situations that have not happened yet?


Anybody can learn how our minds work and how to work with them.
When we are dealing with worries, anxieties, fears, we all
play-it-safe. You might be playing it safe. If you get stuck
thinking of doom and gloomy scenarios, you may find yourself
asking others what to do in order for you to not make any more
mistakes.


In this episode, I interview Dr. Sally Winston, Psy.D., an
anxiety expert. She and I discuss different skills to manage
those thoughts - the future-oriented ones - and those moments in
which you get stuck in imagination. 


As you listen to this episode, you will learn actionable skills
to stop worrying about what might happen and live fully in the
moment. 


Key Takeaways





What is anticipatory anxiety

How to handle those moments when your imagination hijacks you

Three different levels of fear

The difference between rumination and planning

How to shift from “what if” to “what is”

Dr. Winston’s metaphor of how to handle uncertainty

The opposite of uncertainty … is not what you think it is …

Metacognitions

Productive thinking versus unproductive thinking






(*) Show notes and resources of this episode


(*) Receive free weekly science-based, compassionate, and
actionable skills to stop ineffective playing-it-safe


(*) Figure out your playing-it-safe profile in 5 minutes
and identify the key thinking strategies that keep you living in
your head


(*) Learn ACT skills for anxious achievers by taking Dr.
Z. ACT courses


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