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Can’t stop replaying that awkward conversation from yesterday? Still anxious about something that might happen next week? If your brain keeps dragging you back to the same worries over and over, telling yourself to “just stop thinking about it” isn’t going to work.

In fact, research shows trying to suppress thoughts makes the worry come back even harder. But there’s a science-backed play that can contain your worrying to a small window of time, and it works fast. Today, I’m walking you through exactly how to run it.

Some of the things I talk about are:

• Why your brain treats unresolved problems like threats — and keeps sounding the alarm even when there’s nothing you can do
• The “white bear effect” and why suppressing a worry guarantees it comes back stronger
• How worrying can cut your productivity in half
• The 5-step formula for scheduling time to worry — and why it works within days, not weeks
• How I used this exact play to manage my own Anxiety about an issue I faced just this week
• The difference between problem-solving and worrying — and why confusing the two keeps you stuck
• Three mistakes that will make this play backfire
• Why giving your brain permission to worry is more powerful than trying to shut it down

Related Episodes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• 208 — Coping With Anxiety: An Anxiety Toolkit for Fast Relief⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• 296 — 5 Ways to Build Emotional Strength When Life Keeps Knocking You Down

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Amy Morin Therapist, Bestselling Author, Host of the Mentally Stronger Podcast

Amy Morin is a psychotherapist, international bestselling author and the host of the Mentally Stronger podcast. Her books on mental strength, including 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do, have sold more than 1 million copies and been translated into more than 40 languages.

She’s practiced therapy for over 20 years and she’s a sought after speaker whose TEDx talk, The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong, has become one of the most popular talks of all time with more than 22 million views.

Amy lives on a sailboat in the Florida Keys.