How to Manage Anxiety and Ruminate Less [from Free Therapy]

This week is about anxiety and rumination, and why trying to get rid of your anxiety is exactly what keeps it going.

Kimberley Quinlan is an amazing therapist who specializes in anxiety and rumination. In this episode she gets into why a thought is not a fact, why avoidance quietly shrinks your entire life, and what she actually does at 3am when her brain won't turn off. It is not what you'd expect!!

We found out during this episode that we've been feeding our anxiety for years without realizing it. She pointed out all the little ways we treat anxious thoughts like they're important, and why attention control is the key to retraining your brain out of the spiral.

If you're the one lying awake at 2am running the same loop, this one is for you.

New episodes every week. Follow on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts and on Instagram at @freetherapy.

And as a reminder, we are not therapists, and while this may feel like therapy, it's not. So if you're struggling, please reach out to a mental health professional who can help.

00:00:00 – Intro
00:02:24 – Why You Can't Get Rid of Anxiety
00:09:32 – A Thought Is Not a Fact
00:15:10 – Why We Ruminate
00:22:12 – Avoidance and Doing It Scared
00:24:55 – The 2AM Spiral 

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