Better.

On Greatness:  My Story Of Leaving Accounting For Psychology There are a lot of avenues we can take to define anxiety.  So with this episode, I’d like to share my own personal story of how anxiety can bubble to the surface if all the best parts about yourself are being bottled.  For me, this meant leaving behind an accounting career I’d worked very hard to build because my body was continuously letting me every day that I was in the wrong place.  In this sense, anxiety can actually serve as a tremendous gift to us, a kind tap on the shoulder from our nervous system letting us know there’s a much better life for us that’s waiting to be tapped into. 

This week’s guest is Akshay Nanavati, author of the forthcoming book “Fearvana: The Revolutionary Science of How To Turn Fear Into Health, Wealth, & Happiness.” Akshay struggled with drug addiction as a youth, but his life was changed after the movie “Black Hawk Down” inspired him to join the US Marines.  After serving in Iraq, and struggling with PTSD as a result, Akshay began to educate himself deeply on the neuroscience behind fear, and developed some very interesting ideas on how fear can be used as a catalyst for many areas of personal growth. Akshay’s high-octane demeanor is contagious, and his enthusiasm for life and his work are highly enviable.  I suspect you’ll enjoy this one and learn a lot like I did! Highlights of this episode include: —How the movie “Black Hawk Down” inspired Akshay to quit using drugs forever —His experiences in the US Marines and the PTSD he experienced afterwards —The differences between post-traumatic stress and post-traumatic stress disorder —The concept of “Fearva

We live in strange, anxiety-inducing times.  Whether it’s the 24-hour cycle of negative news, political drama, natural disasters, or personal troubles, it’s becoming increasingly easier to feel like we’re losing control of both our circumstances and our lives.  So this week Julie and I would like to take some time to talk about the idea of designing your ideal day, which can be done as a simple exercise when you wake up in the morning.  One of the keys to creating a more meaningful life lie in our daily actions, so we’d like to help you make sure your actions are in tune with the vibe you want to put out into the world.  We think you’ll find this both simple and effective.  Try it out and let us know how it goes!

  This week’s podcast is partially inspired by this article, written by one of my favorite writers Frank Bruni:  https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/02/opinion/sunday/college-freshman-mental-health.html?mcubz=0 Bruni makes some fantastic points in the article, so I decided to discuss a few of them while offering some advice to college freshmen who might be struggling with the transition as well as my thoughts on getting right into the mix to hopefully avoid potential growing pains altogether. Enjoy!

I felt compelled to record an additional quick episode of UA this week to talk about Chicago weatherman Tom Skilling, and how he was so moved by the solar eclipse that he shed tears.  Tom's shameless display of emotion can teach us a lot about living life from a place of passion as well as the shifting nature of masculinity in today's world.  Enjoy!

Julie & I just dropped off our son, George, back at college for his senior year, and it got inspired us to talk a little bit this week about periods of transition and change that we encounter throughout our lives, especially as parents as we watch our kids grow up and move to on to do all the great things they’re destined for.  While these times can be scary and uncertain, change is nothing to fear, so tune in to get our extended thoughts on the topic!

Back To School time can sometimes be a harrowing period that where old anxieties re-surface and new ones form seemingly out of thin air.  It doesn’t have to be that way.  So in the spirit of undoing our undue anxiety, I’ve collected a list of thoughts on how you can have your happiest, healthiest school year yet.  This is the stuff I work with most commonly in the therapy room, so take a listen and then take action! Have a great school year!

Sean Griffin is the owner of Chicago Primal Gym, and he’s here today to share some of his incredible insights on how to cultivate strength, health, and happiness.  Sean opened his gym back in 2013, and has managed to build an extremely tight-knit community of more than 250 members.  What interests me about Sean’s philosophies is that they tend to differ from the norm —  he describes the CPG experience as being like the TV show “Cheers,” except you’re in a gym instead of a bar!  Hope you enjoy this one as much as I did! Be sure to check out Sean’s gym on the web at www.chicagoprimal.com Highlights of this episode include: — Why Sean dropped out of corporate America  — How he came to discover his path lie in helping people achieve fitness instead — How he was highly influenced by books like “The Alchemist” and “The Untethered Soul” — Some unconventional habits Sean has adopted for the gym such as friday gratitude circles — What is unconditional positive regard, the importance of taking action, and much m

We wanted to post an additional episode this week sharing our thoughts on the breaking news that Steve Bartman will be receiving a 2016 World Series Championship Ring from the Chicago Cubs!  Bartman was the subject of relentless public scrutiny after he accidentally tipped a foul ball in Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS, and we’re pleasantly surprised that his story has a great ending.   In case you need to catch up to speed on the story: http://wgntv.com/2017/07/31/steve-bartman-to-receive-2016-chicago-cubs-world-series-championship-ring/

Joining me on this week’s episode is Matt Quinn, Community Relations Coordinator at Rosecrance, a substance abuse treatment center with locations throughout Illinois.  Matt’s here to help me touch on a number of areas we haven’t really had an opportunity to discuss on the podcast just yet, mainly as it relates to marijuana and alcohol usage in teenagers.  Topics we discuss include: — Substance abuse trends that have surprised him.  What drugs has he seen decreases and increases in? — His biggest concern about teens and young adults using marijuana — Marijuana usage as it related to brain development in teens — Can marijuana be a long-term healing solution overcome anxiety, or does it only have short-term benefits? — Is Connection the opposite of Addiction?  An interesting theory you’ll want to tune into…

Returning to the podcast for this week’s episode is my esteemed colleague Laura Kaehler.  We talking largely about the anxiety that tends to develop in our kids during the late high school to early college transition, and some approached we can take as parents to ensure that we’re sending them out into the world to confidently embrace the challenges of life, and the resilience to bounce back from setbacks.  If you don’t recall Laura’s story, feel free scroll back through the archives for another great listen! Topics we hit in this episode include: — Why are kids growing more and more anxious toward getting their drivers license? — Instilling confidence and resilience in our kids — Is Snapchat is cleverly designed to circumvent us parents? — Is taking the phone away ever an effective punishment? — Why you should make an effort to understand your kid’s music — Our musings on when medication can be useful 

On this week’s episode of the podcast, I’m joined once again by my wife Julie.  After being inspired by the latest Macklemore music video featuring his 100-year-old grandmother, we got onto the topic of family, and had a few musings on how we can all coexist together a little more peacefully.  Also, here is the link to the Macklemore video we talk about in this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OrLroFa0AI

If you’ve listened to this podcast before, you’ll be familiar with the idea that fear, judgement and ego are the big three facilitators of the undue anxieties we all encounter in our daily lives.  Well, today we’re going to focus on the ego part of that with James McCrae, author of the new book “Sh*t Your Ego Says.”  James has a roller coaster of a life story that involves leaving an unfulfilling lifestyle behind, becoming homeless after Hurricane Sandy, and putting it all back together largely thanks to mindfulness practices like yoga and meditation.  If you like what James has to say, and I suspect you will, check out his work at www.shityouregosays.com.  Enjoy! Highlights of this episode include: — How James became unhappy climbing the typical corporate ladder in Minneapolis  — The final “kick in the ass” that inspired James to change his life and move to New York — How he became homeless after Hurricane Sandy — How he became acquainted with the negative aspects of ego, and tools like yoga and meditat

Today’s guest is Alex, a high school English teacher & cross country/track coach.  Alex decided his path was in coaching when he became he realized that hard work alone didn’t always equal success, and as a result became very interested in learning about the remaining puzzle pieces.  His journey has allowed him to cultivate a rather unique approach to coaching teens and he’s here to share his story and wisdom.  Highlights of this episode include: — The unusual reason Alex began coaching (hint: it wasn’t just to win) — What is psychological momentum and how it can help you move toward your goals — How focusing on the process instead of the outcome can create better teams and athletes — How being engaged in athletics can help curb depression and anxiety in teens — Tips for motivating an unmotivated child

Today’s guest is Susan, a long-time friend of my mine who is here to share her story about her battles with anorexia and bulimia throughout college.  We also touch on her husbands’s suicide later on in her life, and how that has affected her family moving forward. 

Jaimal Yogis is the author of three books (arguably with the most awesome titles ever), “Saltwater Buddha,” “The Fear Project,” and the forthcoming “All Our Waves Are Water.”  His work centers around the intersections of surfing, fear, meditation, eastern philosophy and personal memoir, the journey of which began when he ran away from home at age 16 to go learn how to surf in Hawaii in the wake of his parents’ divorce.  Jaimal has taken the lessons he’s learned from the ocean and his travels and applied them everyday life in way that’s pretty awe-inspiring.  Highlights of this episode include: — Why Jaimal ran way at home at age 16 to learn how to surf in Hawaii — How his adventures as a youth influenced his parenting style today — All the great ways surfing serves as a metaphor for life — Why spending time in the water is like magic — Why he decided to write an entire book about fear following a break-up — The ancient roots of fear, and how we’re biologically wired to “fight, flight or flee”

It’s hard to believe, but Undue Anxiety has been around for an entire year now!  To celebrate, I’m joined once again by my wife, Julie, to talk about some of the most significant observations we’ve made and the lessons we’ve learned in the process of hosting this very podcast.  While we touch on a range of topics that are bulleted below, perhaps the most important takeaway is that you should never, ever forget what it is that’s great about YOU… What you’ll hear in this episode: -Why we changed the name of the podcast to “Undue Anxiety” -Why we should be honest and forthcoming with our stories versus hiding our anxieties -My first experience with panic attacks at age 14 -What we’ve noticed when people are forthcoming in sharing their stories -The inability to hear yourself in a world of constant external stimuli -Therapy as a means of self optimization -The mental & emotional roots of many physical problems -A crucial exercise to help you reconnect to what’s great about you (Editor's note:  I've had the

Andrea Petersen is a contributing writer to the Wall Street Journal, where she writes about health, psychology and neuroscience.  She’s also the author of the recently-published memoir “On Edge: A Journey Through Anxiety,” which is an incredible read that’s quite the page turner.  In our conversation, Andrea is kind enough to talk about some of the more harrowing aspects of her journey, as well as some of the most important tools in her toolbox for managing anxiety.  Highlights of this episode include:  — Andrea recalls the first time she ever experienced anxiety — Her extensive journey through the medical world to arrive at an anxiety diagnosis — The long list of avoidance behaviors she acquired and whether she judged herself for them — The way a childhood illness can be a precursor for developing anxiety later in life — Why she thinks anxiety is increasing among young people — How anxiety disorders have actually improved Andrea’s life

Summoning the confidence to follow your dreams is a much more difficult task for the average college student than it may seem. Take today’s guest, Aaron, for example — he’s been a gifted soccer player all his life, and earned a tremendous opportunity to play soccer at a NCAA Division 1 school.  But something wasn’t quite right.  He had all sorts of fears and doubts about whether or not he could actually succeed, and a history of six concussions telling him maybe it wasn’t such a good idea. The root of what Aaron was dealing with, was simply a lack of confidence, and with this episode we delve deeply into the nature of it, and it how’s such a key player in shaping our lives.    What we talk about in this episode:  — Aaron’s history of concussions as a soccer player, and the how they affected his daily functioning —  His lack of confidence in pursuing a soccer career, even in the face of big opportunities —  Where he suspects his lack of confidence originates — His path back to playing soccer again, once

Dr. Joe Tatta is a doctor of physical therapy and the author the new book titled “Heal Your Pain Now: The Revolutionary Program to Reset Your Brain and Body for a Pain-Free Life.”  If you or a loved one is experiencing any sort of chronic pain, you’re definitely going to want to tune into our conversation, which was illuminating in terms of the role that our brains and emotions play in the larger picture of pain.  Dr. Tatta believes that resolving pain has a lot more to do with the brain than the body, and makes a very strong argument for his case.  TOPICS WE DISCUSS IN THIS EPISODE: — Joe’s surprising philosophy on how to alleviate chronic pain for good  [2:00] — The difference between acute pain and chronic pain  [3:12] — Why pain persists sometimes even after an injury had healed  [6:00] — The types of people who may be pre-disposed to developing chronic pain  [9:00] — The correlation between chronic pain and depression/anxiety  [12:15] — How re-framing the way you think about chronic pain can possi