What if that bump I felt while driving means I hit someone? What if I forgot to unplug the coffee pot before I left and the house burns down? What if I touched something at the grocery store and get really sick? From impulsivity to intrusive thoughts, from uncertainty to terror, people who suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder struggle to manage their anxiety and fear to live their lives more freely.

But by practicing awareness—"I acknowledge having this thought"—people with anxiety and OCD can ease the pain of chronic, constant worry.

Dr. Joan Davidson, licensed psychologist, co-director of the San Francisco Bay Area Center for Cognitive Therapy, and assistant professor in the Clinical Science Program at the University of California, Berkeley, joined The Most Days Show to explain precisely how mindfulness can make the essential difference.