20. Perfectionism in Anxiety Recovery

In Episode 21, Somatic OCD, we explore the experience of becoming hyper-focused on physical sensations, bodily symptoms, and automatic processes such as breathing, swallowing, blinking, or heartbeat awareness. We look at why these sensations can begin to feel intrusive and distressing, and how attention and monitoring magnify the obsession over time.In this episode, I explain the role of compulsions in somatic OCD, including checking, analysing, reassurance seeking, and attempts to force or control bodily sensations. We also explore why the more attention we give these sensations, the more prominent and threatening they can begin to feel.Drawing from both professional experience and lived experience with anxiety, this episode is designed to help people better understand the cycle behind somatic obsessions and begin stepping out of it.Keywords:somatic OCD, sensorimotor OCD, bodily sensations anxiety, breathing OCD, swallowing OCD, hyperawareness anxiety, intrusive thoughts, OCD recovery, Pure O, anxiety disorder, anxiety therapist, anxiety podcast, compulsions, threat response, somatic obsessions

In Episode 20, we explore perfectionism in anxiety recovery and why trying to recover “perfectly” can keep you stuck. Many people approach desensitisation with rigid rules, constant self-monitoring, and pressure to get every step right. Ironically, that perfectionistic mindset often strengthens anxiety rather than weakens it.In this episode, I look at how perfectionism can show up in recovery behaviours, why mistakes and setbacks are part of the process, and how real progress often comes from flexibility rather than flawless execution.Drawing on both my work as a therapist and my own experience with anxiety, this episode helps you step away from recovery perfectionism and focus on what actually moves the needle.Keywords:perfectionism anxiety, anxiety recovery, panic attacks, exposure therapy, desensitisation, overthinking, intrusive thoughts, OCD recovery, Pure O, anxiety therapist, anxiety podcast, fear of failure, recovery setbacks, anxiety perfectionism

In Episode 19, we look at sleep anxiety and the question of how to fall asleep when you feel anxious. Many people with anxiety disorders become preoccupied with sleep, trying to optimise it, worrying about not getting enough, or fearing that poor sleep will make anxiety worse.In this episode, I explore how this fixation can become part of the problem. We look at the role of attention, the urge to force sleep, and how these patterns can turn into subtle compulsions. I also touch on the shift required in the body’s state for sleep to occur, and why trying to control this often backfires.Drawing on both professional insight and personal experience, this episode aims to change your relationship with sleep rather than give another set of rules to follow.Keywords:sleep anxiety, insomnia anxiety, how to fall asleep, anxiety at night, panic attacks at night, overthinking at night, anxiety disorder, threat response, intrusive thoughts, OCD recovery, Pure O, anxiety therapist, anxiety podcast, sleep and anxiety, forcing sleep, night anxiety

In Episode 18, The Best Technique for Anxiety, we look at why many popular techniques from the wellness space or general therapy approaches can become unhelpful when applied to anxiety disorders. What often starts as a tool can quickly turn into a compulsion or a quick fix behaviour that keeps the cycle going.This episode is for anyone searching for the one technique that will take anxiety away. I explain why that search can become part of the problem, and how recovery begins when you recognise that you are the coping technique. You get the credit, not the tool.I share this from both a clinical perspective and lived experience, helping you shift away from chasing relief and towards building real, lasting change.Keywords:anxiety disorder, anxiety recovery, panic attacks, anxiety techniques, overthinking, intrusive thoughts, OCD recovery, Pure O, anxiety therapist, anxiety podcast, quick fix anxiety, anxiety tools, compulsions, reassurance seeking, coping with anxiety

Episode 17 of The Panic Pod is called The Fastest Way to Calm Anxiety.This episode isn’t what you might expect. There are no quick fixes, no hacks, and no step-by-step techniques. Instead, we look at what actually calms anxiety at its core.We explore the role of resistance, how trying to fight or get rid of anxiety often keeps it going, and how your attention shapes the intensity of what you feel. Drawing on psychoeducation and real therapeutic insight, this episode points to a counterintuitive truth: the fastest way to calm anxiety is not through control, but through changing your relationship with it.If you’ve been stuck trying to fix anxiety and getting nowhere, this episode will help you understand why.

In Episode 16, we explore why measuring and monitoring anxiety is one of the most common mistakes people make when they are in a sensitised state. When we constantly check how anxious we feel, we send a message to the brain that anxiety is not allowed. Once a feeling is treated as a problem or a threat, the threat response stays active and the cycle continues.In this episode, I explain why recovery is not measured by the absence of anxiety symptoms, but by a growing willingness to allow anxiety to be present while we continue with life. I share this perspective as both a therapist and a previous sufferer, helping to reframe what progress actually looks like in anxiety recovery.Keywords:anxiety disorder, anxiety recovery, panic attacks, threat response, overthinking, anxiety symptoms, health anxiety, intrusive thoughts, OCD recovery, Pure O, anxiety therapist, anxiety podcast, monitoring anxiety, anxiety cycle, sensitised nervous system

In Episode 15, we look at how to make anxiety smaller by not making it the most important thing in the room. Anxiety grows when it becomes the centre of our attention and starts to dictate our behaviour. In this episode, I explain how shifting focus, continuing with what matters, and reducing the status we give anxiety can gradually shrink its influence.I share this both as a therapist and as someone who has personally struggled with anxiety, offering insight grounded in clinical experience and lived understanding.Keywords:anxiety disorder, how to reduce anxiety, panic attacks, threat response, overthinking, health anxiety, intrusive thoughts, OCD recovery, Pure O, anxiety therapist, anxiety help, anxiety podcast, do what non anxious you would do, making anxiety smaller, fear of fear

In this episode of The Panic Pod we explore driving anxiety, a very common and often misunderstood fear. Most people are not afraid of the mechanics of driving. They are afraid of the internal sensations that might show up behind the wheel. The racing heart, dizziness, intrusive thoughts, the fear of losing control. More accurately, the fear of what anxiety might make them do.We unpack how this becomes a self reinforcing loop, where the fear of fear takes centre stage. We also look at how driving anxiety often overlaps with agoraphobia, particularly when certain roads, distances, or escape routes start to feel unsafe. The episode focuses on understanding the threat response and changing how we relate to it, rather than trying to eliminate anxiety altogether.

In Episode 13, Do What Non-Anxious You Would Do, we explore the role of attention, focus, and intentional behaviour in anxiety recovery. By acting in line with how the non-anxious version of us would behave, we send a signal to the brain that the misfiring threat response is not needed here. We also look at the subtle trap of over-monitoring and over-focusing on our actions, and how this can unintentionally reinforce the very threat response we are trying to disengage from.

In Episode 12, we look at how to explain anxiety to a loved one. Disordered anxiety can be difficult to describe and even harder for others to understand. In this episode, I break down what anxiety actually is, how it feels from the inside, and why reassurance or logic alone often misses the point. This is an episode you can share with partners, family, or friends to help them understand what’s going on and how they can better support you.