The Anxiety Toolkit: How to Tolerate Uncertainty with Joshua Fletcher

Anxiety is something we all experience from time to time, and because it’s so common it can be easy to take it lightly. But anxiety dominates the lives of many people, and in this episode psychotherapist Joshua Fletcher joins Forrest for an in-depth exploration of anxiety. They talk about the anxiety cycle, moving away from thinking in terms of a “cure,” and the key target of the “willful tolerance of uncertainty.” Josh also shares insights on exposure therapy, managing self-criticism, and developing greater self-awareness.  About our Guest: Joshua Fletcher, also known as Anxiety Josh, is a psychotherapist based in Manchester, UK, and the author of several books, including his newest, "and how does that make you feel?" Joshua also co-hosts the podcast "Disordered," and you may have bumped into his content on Tiktok or Instagram, where he has over a quarter million followers.  You can watch this episode on YouTube. Key Topics: 0:00: Introduction 3:30: Josh’s first panic attack 10:15: The vicious cycle of threat monitoring 14:00: The three magic words: “just in case” 20:00: The “willful tolerance of uncertainty” 27:00: Exposure therapy 31:55: Working with self-criticism 41:20: Reward, punishment, and trauma 48:05: Identifying our varied inner voices 52:10: Worried voice, false comfort, and wise mind 54:00: Approaching anxiety as a neurodivergent person 58:10: Healthy disenchantment 1:00:15: Recap I am now writing on Substack, check out my work there.  Support the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link. Sponsors Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/beingwell.  Transform your health with the ZOE Science & Nutrition podcast. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts. Trust your gut with Seed’s DS-01 Daily Synbiotic. Go to Seed.com/BEINGWELL and use code 25BEINGWELL to get 25% off your first month.  Get 15% off OneSkin with the code BEINGWELL at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod  Join over a million people using BetterHelp, the world’s largest online counseling platform. Visit betterhelp.com/beingwell for 10% off your first month! Connect with the show: Subscribe on iTunes Follow Forrest on YouTube Follow us on Instagram Follow Forrest on Instagram Follow Rick on Facebook Follow Forrest on Facebook Visit Forrest's website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices