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Change Your Mind with New Scientist

Rethinking Anxiety - The Simple Shift that Changed my Life

5/14/202640 min

In the very first episode of Change Your Mind, New Scientist journalists Cat de Lange and Helen Thomson tackle one of the most common, and misunderstood, mental health challenges: anxiety. Why do some people bounce back from stress while others feel trapped in a constant state of alarm? And why is anxiety rising so sharply, especially among younger generations? Helen opens up about her own experiences with overwhelming anxiety, from panic on a flight home to the quieter daily dread that so many people hide beneath the surface. Together, Cat and Helen cut through the social media quick fixes to explore what neuroscience really tells us about anxious minds. They’re joined by psychotherapist, former NHS clinical lead and bestselling author Owen O’Kane, whose radically compassionate approach reframes anxiety not as a flaw to eliminate, but as a protective system that’s working overtime. Drawing on neuroscience, therapy and personal experience, Owen explains why calming the body must come before calming the mind and shares practical strategies that can genuinely help. We want to hear your thoughts, leave a comment or send in your ideas for future episodes to changeyourmind@newscientist.com Learn more about Anxiety:  https://www.newscientist.com/definition/anxiety/ Learn more our sponsor Alzheimer’s Association:  newscientist.com/alzheimers-society

Clips

Body First, Brain Later
Make Anxiety An Ally
Invite All Emotions In
When The Fire Alarm Blares
Updating The Threat System
Your Brain, The Storyteller
You’re Not A Disorder

Transcript preview

First 90 seconds

  1. Cat de Lange· Host0:00

    You're listening to Change Your Mind from New Scientist. We're sponsored by Alzheimer's Society. [instrumental music] So this week we're gonna be talking about anxiety, which I think is a subject that a lot of our listeners are gonna be able to relate to, and we wanna bring the no-nonsense neuroscience to this quite complex subject. And across this whole series, we're going to be drawing on our amazing network of New Scientist experts to find out what keeps your memory strong and your mood balanced.

  2. Helen Thomson· Host0:34

    Yeah, and this episode is really close to my heart, because this week's guest, Eoin O'Kane, honestly changed my life.

  3. Cat de Lange· Host0:42

    [instrumental music] So Helen, I've known you, I've had the pleasure of knowing you [laughs] [laughs] ... for about 20 years now. We've worked together, we've become friends, we've studied together, and honestly, like, I don't wanna s- blow smoke up your arse, but you are somebody who I've always thought of as, like, extremely well put-together, very organized, hugely successful.

  4. Helen Thomson· Host1:06

    [laughs] Yeah, just keep that coming.

  5. Cat de Lange· Host1:08

    I can't imagine you ever having a problem with anxiety.

  6. Helen Thomson· Host1:11

    Yeah, that's so funny, because I just feel like I'm the most anxious person in the whole world, and it's really obvious to everybody. Um, but I guess that goes to show that anxiety is just, like, this hidden epidemic, and it's really hard to tell when somebody's got it, and they might be, like, crumbling on the inside, but you can't necessarily tell.

  7. Cat de Lange· Host1:26

    Yeah, it really doesn't come across.

  8. Helen Thomson· Host1:28

    I mean, I was thinking about how to introduce

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