In this week’s episode of Off the Cuff with Danny LoPriore, my guest is content creator, mental health advocate and self-development enthusiast, Jesse Katches. Growing up, Jesse struggled with OCD and anxiety and panic attacks. I sat down with Jesse to talk about anxiety triggers, staying fit, relationships, and much more. It’s all happening right here On the Cuff.

“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, at 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)

My conversation with Jesse is full of useful tips and tricks bundled with humor. Jesse talks about how to tackle anxiety triggers and offers the simplest solution ever: Address the reason the attack came up in the first place instead of avoiding it.

“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 was when there are 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)