Leading Psychologist: How To Finally Overcome Stress & Anxiety - Dr Julie Smith
Oct 19, 2023
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Dr Julie Smith, a psychologist with 4.6 million followers on TikTok, shares brilliant mental health advice in this episode. They discuss managing stress and anxiety, overthinking, burnout, understanding and articulating emotions, the power of mindfulness, thought challenging, loneliness, stress vs anxiety, avoiding burnout, finding fulfillment in the process, empowering challenges, types of burnout, prioritizing values, and supporting someone through difficult times.
Practicing mindfulness can help manage overthinking by observing thoughts without judgment and bringing attention back to the present moment.
Recognizing and managing stress triggers through activities like exercise, relaxation techniques, and seeking support promotes better overall mental health.
Identifying and challenging limiting beliefs fosters personal growth and well-being by gaining a balanced and realistic perspective through evidence examination.
Gaining perspective through mindfulness, seeking support, or brainstorming alternative solutions aids in navigating through challenges and problems effectively.
Thought diffusion and thought challenging techniques provide strategies for managing and reshaping negative thought patterns.
Deep dives
Managing Overthinking
Overthinking is often referred to as worry, where we constantly churn over thoughts and scenarios in our minds. It can be categorized into rumination, focusing on the past, and worry, where we catastrophize about the future. Both types of overthinking can lead to distress and anxiety. To manage overthinking, practicing mindfulness can be helpful. Mindfulness involves observing thoughts without judgment and bringing our attention back to the present moment. By noticing our thoughts and emotions, we can choose whether to engage with them or let them pass. Mindfulness is like a mental workout, where we build the skill of redirecting our attention and staying focused on the present. Using techniques like distancing language, where we create separation from our thoughts and emotions, can also be effective in managing overthinking.
Dealing with Stress
Stress can significantly impact our mental well-being. To manage stress, it is important to recognize our stress triggers and find coping strategies that work for us. This can include activities like exercise, relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or meditation, spending time in nature, engaging in hobbies, or seeking support from loved ones. Finding healthy ways to manage stress helps reduce its negative effects and promotes better overall mental health.
Recognizing Limiting Beliefs
Limiting beliefs can have a significant impact on how we perceive ourselves and the world around us. It is important to identify and challenge these beliefs to foster personal growth and well-being. By examining the evidence for and against these beliefs, we can gain a more balanced and realistic perspective. Seeking support from a therapist or engaging in personal development exercises such as journaling or self-reflection can aid in the process of recognizing and reframing limiting beliefs.
Gaining Perspective on Problems
When faced with challenges or problems, gaining perspective can be beneficial in navigating through them. This involves stepping back and viewing the situation from a broader standpoint. One way to gain perspective is by practicing mindfulness and being fully present in the moment. Additionally, seeking support from others, seeking professional guidance, or brainstorming alternative solutions can help shift our perspective and offer new insights to addressing problems more effectively.
Thought diffusion and its benefits
Thought diffusion is a technique that helps individuals gain distance from their thoughts and see them for what they are, allowing for alternative perspectives. It involves writing down distressing thoughts and labeling them as thoughts, not facts. This simple practice helps weaken the power of the thoughts and reduces their impact on emotions. Another approach is giving names or comments to certain types of thoughts, creating a separation between the individual and the thought itself. By holding thoughts at arm's length and considering other possibilities, individuals can alleviate the influence of negative or anxious thoughts.
Thought challenging and perspective shifting
Thought challenging, similar to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), involves critically examining the truthfulness of a thought. By questioning its accuracy and exploring evidence for and against it, the individual can gain a more balanced perspective. However, in cases of extreme anxiety or depression, thought challenging may lead to rumination and increased distress. In such cases, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), specifically thought diffusion, can be beneficial. By acknowledging the thought but holding it lightly, individuals create distance and focus on the present experience rather than engaging in a back-and-forth internal argument. Both thought challenging and thought diffusion techniques provide strategies for managing and reshaping negative thought patterns.
The importance of values and self-soothing
Values play a crucial role in well-being and fulfillment. Conducting regular values check-ins helps individuals identify what matters most to them in various areas of life. When there is a significant disparity between the importance of a value and how aligned one feels with it, feelings of dissatisfaction or burnout can arise. By recognizing and addressing this misalignment, individuals can make better choices and realign their actions with their values. Additionally, during highly distressing or overwhelming periods, self-soothing techniques, like creating self-soothing boxes with comforting items or engaging in sensory experiences that promote feelings of safety and calm, help individuals navigate through difficult moments with self-compassion and self-care.
Prioritizing Mental Health and Balancing Work
One of the main insights discussed in the podcast is the importance of prioritizing mental health and finding a balance between work and personal well-being. The speakers highlight the tendency to overwork and the pressure to constantly produce more content, which can lead to burnout. They share personal experiences and emphasize the need to set clear boundaries, take breaks, and prioritize activities that promote mental and physical well-being. By recognizing the importance of self-care and finding a sustainable work-life balance, individuals can enhance their overall mental health and prevent burnout.
Supporting Others with Mental Health Challenges
The podcast also explores how to approach supporting someone who may be struggling with mental health issues. Instead of trying to solve the person's problems, the speakers emphasize the value of human connection and being there for the person. They highlight the importance of making the individual feel heard, understood, and supported. The speakers suggest asking the person directly how they can be supportive and acknowledging that it's okay to not have all the answers. Being present, engaging in activities together, and offering a listening ear can create a sense of connection and help provide emotional support in difficult times.
Have you ever struggled with stress and anxiety? Maybe you’ve been feeling overwhelmed at work or school, or things have been difficult at home and you’re having a hard time. You might find yourself overthinking for hours, or panicking, or struggling to sleep, which only makes you feel worse. Or, maybe a friend or a loved one is struggling with their mental health and you’re not sure how to help. In this episode of, I speak to Dr Julie Smith, a psychologist with 4.6 million followers on TikTok who shares brilliant mental health advice. Her book ‘Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?’ is a Sunday Times Bestseller and is full of simple, actionable insights to help you take control of your wellbeing. While Dr Julie's expertise cover a whole range of topics, in this conversation we focus on how to manage stress and anxiety, overthinking, and burnout. Enjoy :)
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