Episode Details

Cathy and Todd discuss Jack Kornfield’s advice for reducing anxiety, and how fear, history, and programming can make it more difficult. They process why back-to-school is particularly challenging for parents, and the simultaneous presence of joy and grief as children grow and transition. They are joined by Millie Hsi, a friend and member of their Team Zen virtual community, who shares her personal experiences and insights on coping with anxiety. For the full show notes, visit zenpopparenting.com.

3 Ways to support us

1. Join Team Zen
2. Subscribe to our YouTube Page
3. Buy and leave a review for Cathy’s Book Zen Parenting: Caring for Ourselves and Our Children in an Unpredictable World

Other Ways to Support Us

• Ask Us Anything!
• Subscribe to Cathy’s weekly Zen Parenting Moment
• Follow us on social media
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Facebook
• Guys- Complete a MenLiving Connect profile
• Find everything ZPR on our Resources Page

This week’s sponsor(s):

• Avid Co DuPage County Area Decorating, Painting, Remodeling by Avid Co includes kitchens, basements, bathrooms, flooring, tiling, fire and flood restoration.
• MenLiving – A virtual and in-person community of guys connecting deeply and living fully. No requirements, no creeds, no gurus, no judgements
• Todd Adams Life & Leadership Coaching for Guys

Time Stamps

(00:00:00) Introduction

(00:01:55) Milli talks about her involvement in the community and her favorite part of community

(00:07:28) Todd Introduces Anxiety and Emotional Well-being

(00:08:09) Parental Role as the Last Line of Defense

(00:10:21) Significance and Prevalence of Anxiety Today

(00:11:00) Step 1: Learning from Jack Kornfield, how to deal with anxiety better

(00:14:17) Importance of Naming Anxiety

(00:16:05) Acknowledgment of anxiety as a human experience and the physiological and cultural reasons behind it are discussed

(00:18:40) Personal Experience with Anxiety

(00:22:53) Step 2: How to work through anxiety?

(00:25:19) What’s the thing that makes you most anxious?

(00:28:45) Step 3 The wisdom of insecurity

(00:30:40) Our partner of the week Koko Sleep – Bedtime Stories & Meditations For Kids

(00:31:30) Discussion about perfectionism

(00:35:50) Shifting away from what you want to say to what you need to hear.

(00:37:55) Step 4: How many of us do something like that when we’re being paralyzed with anxiety?

(00:44:10) Step 5: Question your thoughts

(00:50:40) Step 6: Find where you feel the anxiety most strongly in your body

(00:54:47) Crying in front of your kids

(1:00:00) The parts of us- Richard Schwartz

Resources

Ask Us Anything

If You’ve Come this Far Podcast