Why Facing Your Fears Isn't Working

Fear Is Good For You

This week we're flipping the script on fear. Fear is not just the enemy we've been treating it as for years. In this episode of The 18 Minutes podcast I walk through the reframes that helped me come to love this work, including how fear builds your tolerance for discomfort, what it actually takes to move through fear (instead of around it), and how fear shows us what really matters to us. Plus a quick update on how the very first RECLAIM cohort is going (spoiler: incredible). Enjoy!  FREE Fear to Freedom Guide: https://the18minutes.com/   TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the18minutes [https://www.tiktok.com/@the18minutes] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the18minutes/ [https://www.instagram.com/the18minutes/] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the18minutes [https://www.youtube.com/@the18minutes] Email: amanda@the18minutes.com [amanda@the18minutes.com]

Moving From Fear to Freedom

This episode is the heart of everything I talk about on the show: the path from fear to freedom. I share some of my own story and then walk you through the four shifts that made all the difference for me: learning that we can actually change, that we are more capable than we've been told, what real bravery actually looks like, and how confidence and feeling empowered get built. If you've been peering around every corner and prioritizing comfort and you want a change, this one's for you.   FREE Fear to Freedom Guide: https://the18minutes.com/   TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the18minutes [https://www.tiktok.com/@the18minutes] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the18minutes/ [https://www.instagram.com/the18minutes/] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the18minutes [https://www.youtube.com/@the18minutes] Email: amanda@the18minutes.com [amanda@the18minutes.com]

Why Facing Your Fears Isn't Working

If you're doing the work and feel like your exposure practice isn't paying off, this one's for you! I walk through what I think are some of the most reasons facing your fears might not be moving you forward. Plus a couple of reminders most of us need to hear (recovery is measured by what you're doing with your life, not by how anxious you feel doing it!). Most "stuck" exposure routines just need a small adjustment, and this is where to start. Plus: sign-ups are open for the RECLAIM cohort kicking off July 1st! SOURCES: -Craske, M.G., Treanor, M., Conway, C.C., Zbozinek, T., & Vervliet, B. (2014). Maximizing exposure therapy: an inhibitory learning approach. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 58, 10-23. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4114726/ (The inhibitory learning framework behind doing exposure right, including expectancy violation, consistency, and varied context.) FREE Fear to Freedom Guide: https://the18minutes.com/   TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the18minutes [https://www.tiktok.com/@the18minutes] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the18minutes/ [https://www.instagram.com/the18minutes/] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the18minutes [https://www.youtube.com/@the18minutes] Email: amanda@the18minutes.com [amanda@the18minutes.com]

Healthy Anxiety Habits Gone Wrong

Some of the most common "healthy" habits in the wellness and anxiety recovery world (breathing exercises, grounding techniques, meditation) can actually be the thing keeping you stuck. In this episode I walk through five of them, the genuine pros of each one, the trap each one falls into when it turns into a safety behavior, and the simple way to tell whether a habit is helping you or holding you in place. The line is almost never the habit itself, it's your intention.  FREE Fear to Freedom Guide: https://the18minutes.com/   TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the18minutes [https://www.tiktok.com/@the18minutes] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the18minutes/ [https://www.instagram.com/the18minutes/] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the18minutes [https://www.youtube.com/@the18minutes] Email: amanda@the18minutes.com [amanda@the18minutes.com]

Who Are You Without The Anxiety?

What's left when the anxiety finally subsides? In this episode I talk about a part of recovery I LOVE: when anxiety has been part of you for years, you get to actually rediscover who you are without it. I share how anxiety became the center of my own identity, why losing it can feel disorienting, and the practical work of reclaiming the person underneath the fear. Plus - a few things I discovered I love on the other side of the fear. If you've ever wondered who you'd be without anxiety making your decisions, this one's for you! SOURCES:  -https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25547522/ (ACT is effective across anxiety, depression, and other problems, and is roughly comparable to established treatments like CBT.) -https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11837766/ (Valued action and psychological flexibility are linked to better wellbeing.) -https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352250X15001062 (The role of values and committed action in ACT.) FREE Fear to Freedom Guide: https://the18minutes.com/   TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the18minutes [https://www.tiktok.com/@the18minutes] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the18minutes/ [https://www.instagram.com/the18minutes/] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the18minutes [https://www.youtube.com/@the18minutes] Email: amanda@the18minutes.com [amanda@the18minutes.com]