Be Mighty with Jill A. Stoddard PhD

Anxiety Slayer™ with Shann and Ananga

#525: Shann is speaking with Dr. Jill Stoddard about her new book, Be Mighty: A Woman's Guide to Liberation from Anxiety, Worry, and Stress Using Mindfulness and Acceptance.

Dr. Jill Stoddard’s Be Mighty leads you on a bold quest to gain a deeper understanding of your anxiety by exploring your own “origin story”—how your early experiences led to thoughts and behaviors that may have offered comfort and protection at one time, but are now keeping you from living your best life.

After reading this book you’ll learn to respond to present-day triggers in a new way, making choices from a more conscious, values-driven place.

Jill A. Stoddard, PhD, is founder and director of The Center for Stress and Anxiety Management, a multisite outpatient clinic in San Diego, CA. She specializes in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety and related issues. She lives in San Diego with her husband, two kids, and two French bulldogs.

About a year ago I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Stephen Hayes, Originator of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. He pioneered ACT to help people with mental health issues feel fully, think freely, and live lives that reflect the qualities they choose.

Today Jill and I discuss how ACT can support women who often struggle with health anxiety and anxiety attacks.

We discuss the Anxiety Triumvirate

1. Intolerance of uncertainty
2. A lack of perceived control
3. An overinflated sense of responsibility

Jill shares how we can cultivate Might through mindfulness and acceptance to help us move through our anxiety

We explore the cycle of anxious uncertainty: uncertainty + anxiety + get my fix + temporary relief + more questions and back to the beginning of the cycle with uncertainty.

And finally, we dig into the questions we can ask about ourselves (and our anxiety) to help us live with more confidence

Be Mighty Acronym

• Breathe
• Explore present experience
• Make space for feelings
• Impartially observe thoughts
• Give self-compassion
• Highlight values
• Take action
• Yell from the rooftops

You can get a copy of Jill's new book, Be Mighty wherever books are sold.