Joe Wicks puts himself to the test by experiencing one of his greatest fears — then joins psychotherapist Owen O’Kane to explore why anxiety isn’t our enemy.
Psychotherapist and author
As a leading psychotherapist and the bestselling author of Addicted To Anxiety, Owen helps people to demystify mental health and transform their relationship with anxiety and fear. In this episode, he unpacks the mechanisms behind our threat, drive and soothing systems – explaining why trying to eliminate anxiety often backfires, and sharing practical tools to help reclaim calm.
Breathwork coach and founder of We The Conscious
Liza specializes in using targeted breathing mechanics to soothe acute stress. In this episode, she designs a claustrophobia-inducing sensory challenge to test Joe's stress threshold – then helps Joe with breathing exercises designed to downregulate the nervous system.
Rugby world champion
As a world-class rugby player, Olympic gold medallist, and mental health advocate, Ruby has frequently harnessed breathwork to navigate high-stakes pressure and personal adversity. In this episode, she shares the grounding rituals that helped her win gold, then teams up with Joe to coach him through the mental and physiological tools needed to master his nerves and conquer the box.
Reframe your relationship with stress and anxiety with three simple tips from Owen O’Kane.
Anxiety is not an enemy to fight, repress, or push down – it’s trying to protect you. “Giving it permission to exist alongside you is a massive step in the right direction,” says O’Kane.
Difficult, critical, or overwhelming thoughts are temporary mental events, not permanent definitions of your character. Remind yourself: “This is an experience I’m having at this given moment in time.” You are the observer of the thoughts, not the thoughts themselves.
"Anxiety is an intolerance of uncertainty and not being in control," says O'Kane. "The more you can work with that intolerance and learn to let go a bit more, the more freedom you're going to have."
Separating social media trends from evidence-backed advice to find out what can actually work when it comes to our health.
