“Now I have all this time to just sit and think, then all the health anxiety symptoms started firing like that. And that’s when I was like, there is no way this is anxiety. I’m either dying or losing my mind.”
In this week’s episode of Off the Cuff, I am speaking with content creator, mental health advocate and self-development enthusiast, Jesse Katches. Growing up, Jesse struggled with OCD, anxiety and panic attacks. He eventually learned to recognize the triggers and how to tackle them instead of avoiding them altogether. My long discussion with Jesse is full of useful information and tips mixed with humor. Nothing is off the table in this episode of Off the Cuff, as we talk anxiety triggers, staying fit, making movies, relationships, and much more.
“For me to call 911, it was very extreme. And so I ended up doing it. They talked to me on the phone. Right when the paramedics got there, I was completely fine. They checked me. They made sure but, in that moment, I was like something in my life needs to change right now because I can’t go on living this way.” – Jesse (18:44)
People struggling with anxiety are often told to recognize the triggers and avoid them. Jesse adopted a different approach. He took them head on and learned how to successfully negotiate them in order to live a normal, fun filled life.
“You’re essentially training your body to say, I had a panic attack at the theatre. Now I am avoiding it. So that confirms that there is a real threat at that place. Instead of saying, wait I had a panic attack there but it’s something deeper; it’s something deeper routed, It comes from something else; that theatre is not the problem.” – Jesse (1:01:50)
During the podcast, Jesse coins one of the best phrases to describe and counter anxiety; Anxiety is not a call to avoid. It’s a call to action.
“For me it’s less about avoiding triggers, more about exploring why they have come up. I have started to view anxiety overall as a call to action in a sense. Because every time I felt anxiety and experienced a lot of it, it been when there is deeper rooted problems and traumas that I haven’t addressed. So, if I’m feeling anxiety now there is something within me that I need to explore and that I need to grow in.” Jesse – (1:02:30)
Listen in on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and check out our Off the Cuff with Danny LoPriore Instagram to stay up-to-date on our podcast news! Off The Cuff with Danny LoPriore is presented by 1AND1. Become 1% Better, together at www.1and1life.com.
