Today, Risa is joined by life and business strategic transformation expert, former Mustang Marine and founder of the Take Command Project, Paul Gowin, to discuss how to overcome stress, fear and anxiety especially during stressful times. Anxiety is prevalent right now for so many reasons — the ongoing uncertainty of the Covid-19 pandemic, political unrest, and overall daily stress.
Paul shares several tools to help us get a handle on our emotions. One of the tools that Paul shares is breathwork. He talks us through how to use our breath to gain perspective so that we can orient ourselves to take action. Taking command of our breath creates us space that allows us to check in with ourselves as we are faced with fear, the media, and everything else.
Anxiety often comes out of nowhere and blindsides us. We can’t predict when we’re going to have an anxiety attack, but we can be prepared. Attached below is Paul’s immediate action plan for what to do when you are having a panic attack. Focusing on your breath is the fundamental strategy for dealing with anxiety and fear, but what’s most effective is a combination of breathwork and reverse psychology. So first, give yourself the gift of clarity by taking a deep breath. Now, listen in to dive deeper into how we can take command of our anxiety and fears.
What’s In This Episode
0:00 Introduction
0:39 About Better health
2:26 Introducing Paul
3:18 What to do for self care
3:25 Playing with the breath
7:12 What happens physiologically during anxiety
7:50 Covid-19 and Anxiety
8:35 The three universal reactions to fear
10:09 Fear of the unknown
12:29 Taking command of yourself
12:32 Acknowledging your fear
18:20 Creating perspective
19:00 Creating perspective with the serenity prayer
20:14 Generating Courage
21:20 Creating wisdom
23:03 Taking Action
27:13 Paul’s experience with the Marine Corp
30:26 Using language to navigate what’s going on
32:13 Owning your fears
33:33 Coming up with a plan
35:19 Expressing your emotions
35:44 The immediate action plan
36:52 Answering your questions
40:17 Meditation for anxiety
43:42 Suggestions for someone who lives alone
48:01 Final words from Paul
About Paul
Paul Gowin is a former mustang marine and combat veteran who served prior enlisted, then accepted a full commission. He is also a life and business strategic transformation expert who has helped a lot of people cope with stress, fear and anxiety. He uses his military leader experience, personal development, and cognitive psychology to help create sustainable change in people’s lives.
Website: https://www.PaulGowin.com
Instragram: @paul.gowin.
Facebook: @TakeCommandProject
Listen to Take Command Conversations by Paul Gowin
Link to Paul’s Handout
