How To Deal With Anxiety w/ Michael Clemmens PhD

How to deal with anxiety with Michael Clemmens PhD who is a psychologist, a gestalt therapist, and a good friend of mine. Here we discuss how gestalt views anxiety and some of the many ways that one can work with anxiety when it arises.

Disclaimer: This discussion isn't aimed at "curing" anxiety, but rather working with it and moving through it. This is not a one size fits all kind of discussion either, although the principles herein can be helpful to a broad spectrum of people. As stated in the video, the recommendations in this video may not be relevant for people dealing with severe trauma. At the end of the day It is up to each person to assess their own experience with anxiety and determine which way(s) of dealing with it are right for them.

One of the tips Michael put forward that has helped me greatly is one of the most obvious: breathe. Turning the attention towards the breath in moments of anxiety, and gradually deepening/lengthening the in breath and out breath has helped me ground myself in the midst of anxiety. I was surprised how shallow and tight my breathing is when I'm anxious, and how a few moments of focusing on my breath can re-center my whole system. More about this in the video.

I'd like to send a sincere thank you to Michael for offering your experience and wisdom to the show. Thank you for helping me and many other people become more self aware. And thank you to you reading/watching this for tuning in. I hope this talk helps you find even greater peace, confidence, and strength.