On this episode of the Being Well Podcast, Dr. Rick Hanson and Forrest discuss avoiding needless fear and how we can manage and reduce experiences related to it.
Sometimes fear is obvious, such as feeling nervous or panicked. But much of the time, fear operates behind the scenes. For example, fear is at work when a person stays within a small comfort zone, procrastinates to avoid a challenge, feels emotionally inhibited, or avoids speaking up and standing out.
Specifically, this episode focuses on a particular kind of fear: paper tiger paranoia. This fear is characterized by needless anxiety that comes from the brain’s creation of imaginary threats.
During this episode they explore:
- The evolution of the nervous system, and how it created paper tiger paranoia.
- The “two mistakes.”
- The hidden costs of needless fear.
- How we can use mindfulness to combat anxiety.
- How we can see threats more clearly.
Timestamps:
- 1:00: What does “paper tiger paranoia” mean?
- 3:25: How do “tigers” appear in the modern day?
- 4:45: Why paper tigers crowd out real ones.
- 6:20: Hidden costs of paper tiger paranoia.
- 8:20: The insidiousness of fear.
- 11:00: Recognizing sources of needless anxiety.
- 17:45: Fighting back against fear.
- 20:30: Fear, agency, and acceptance.
- 23:30: Recap
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