The OCD & Anxiety Podcast

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Hello and welcome to the OCD and Anxiety podcast with me, Robert James, a coach and somebody who's been through it too. In episode 629, Robert explains what to do in the first 10 seconds after an intrusive thought or trigger. He walks through why the instinct to immediately 'fix' the thought feeds OCD, and offers a practical approach: notice the trigger, tolerate the uncomfortable emotion, and gently refocus your attention toward valued activities. Learn how allowing uncertainty within those first moments can reduce OCD's power and help you respond more effectively over time

Disclaimer:

Robert James Pizey (of Robert James Coaching) is not a medical professional and is also not providing therapy or medical treatment. Robert James Pizey recommends that anyone experiencing anxiety or OCD to seek professional medical help straight away to get a medical opinion and rule out other conditions or illnesses. The comments and opinions as written on this site are simply that and are not to be taken as professional medical opinions. Robert James Pizey provides coaching, education, accountability and peer support around Anxiety through his own personal experiences.

Ready for real help with OCD or anxiety? Book a free discovery call with me — no pressure, no obligation: robertjamescoaching.com/book-discovery-call

Prefer to work at your own pace? My 12-week programs are available self-guided:

New here? Start with my free course: robertjamescoaching.com/free

Robert James explains why overthinking traps us, how it becomes an automatic habit, and the difference between helpful problem-solving and unhelpful rumination.

He introduces a practical three-step approach—acknowledge, tolerate, refocus—plus a postponement technique to build tolerance for uncertainty and break the cycle.

Compassionate and actionable, this episode offers simple tools to stop spinning in your head and reclaim your time and attention

Disclaimer:

Robert James Pizey (of Robert James Coaching) is not a medical professional and is also not providing therapy or medical treatment. Robert James Pizey recommends that anyone experiencing anxiety or OCD to seek professional medical help straight away to get a medical opinion and rule out other conditions or illnesses. The comments and opinions as written on this site are simply that and are not to be taken as professional medical opinions. Robert James Pizey provides coaching, education, accountability and peer support around Anxiety through his own personal experiences.

Ready for real help with OCD or anxiety? Book a free discovery call with me — no pressure, no obligation: robertjamescoaching.com/book-discovery-call

Prefer to work at your own pace? My 12-week programs are available self-guided:

New here? Start with my free course: robertjamescoaching.com/free

Hello and welcome to the OCD and Anxiety podcast with Robert James. In this episode Robert explains how prolonged stress and rumination—driven by OCD and anxiety—can drain your energy by affecting mitochondria and keeping your body in a threat response. He outlines why constant checking and resistance are metabolically costly, and offers compassionate, practical guidance on redirecting that energy: allowing discomfort, reducing the fight-or-flight response, and gradually rebuilding presence and connection with the life you value

Disclaimer:

Robert James Pizey (of Robert James Coaching) is not a medical professional and is also not providing therapy or medical treatment. Robert James Pizey recommends that anyone experiencing anxiety or OCD to seek professional medical help straight away to get a medical opinion and rule out other conditions or illnesses. The comments and opinions as written on this site are simply that and are not to be taken as professional medical opinions. Robert James Pizey provides coaching, education, accountability and peer support around Anxiety through his own personal experiences.

Ready for real help with OCD or anxiety? Book a free discovery call with me — no pressure, no obligation: robertjamescoaching.com/book-discovery-call

Prefer to work at your own pace? My 12-week programs are available self-guided:

New here? Start with my free course: robertjamescoaching.com/free

In this episode Robert James explains why setbacks with OCD are a normal part of recovery, using a weather metaphor to show that your progress hasn't disappeared even when anxiety spikes.

He offers simple, practical steps to respond differently—returning to action, taking small values‑based steps, and practicing exposures—and outlines a self‑paced version of his Break Free from OCD program for ongoing support

Disclaimer:

Robert James Pizey (of Robert James Coaching) is not a medical professional and is also not providing therapy or medical treatment. Robert James Pizey recommends that anyone experiencing anxiety or OCD to seek professional medical help straight away to get a medical opinion and rule out other conditions or illnesses. The comments and opinions as written on this site are simply that and are not to be taken as professional medical opinions. Robert James Pizey provides coaching, education, accountability and peer support around Anxiety through his own personal experiences.

Ready for real help with OCD or anxiety? Book a free discovery call with me — no pressure, no obligation: robertjamescoaching.com/book-discovery-call

Prefer to work at your own pace? My 12-week programs are available self-guided:

New here? Start with my free course: robertjamescoaching.com/free

Robert James explores how OCD tricks you into choosing short-term relief and shows why choosing the harder, uncomfortable path leads to long-term freedom.

Using a “fork in the road” metaphor, he explains practical steps—gradual exposure, the three-step practice of acknowledging triggers, tolerating anxiety, and refocusing on valued activities—and how these choices rebuild confidence.

If you want support, Robert mentions a 12-week program and a free discovery call at robertjamescoaching.com

Disclaimer:

Robert James Pizey (of Robert James Coaching) is not a medical professional and is also not providing therapy or medical treatment. Robert James Pizey recommends that anyone experiencing anxiety or OCD to seek professional medical help straight away to get a medical opinion and rule out other conditions or illnesses. The comments and opinions as written on this site are simply that and are not to be taken as professional medical opinions. Robert James Pizey provides coaching, education, accountability and peer support around Anxiety through his own personal experiences.

Join me for my Free Live Workshop - Breaking the OCD Loop : https://robert-james-coaching-ocd.circle.so/join?invitation_token=ba16b63d5ade372807e489000486b39c9b8de17b-478ebf87-dd32-47d9-bc5f-28da501c10d5

Ready for real help with OCD or anxiety? Book a free discovery call with me — no pressure, no obligation: robertjamescoaching.com/book-discovery-call

Prefer to work at your own pace? My 12-week programs are available self-guided:

New here? Start with my free course: robertjamescoaching.com/free

Robert James shares a personal story of locking himself in a bathroom on his 21st birthday after getting trapped in OCD rumination, and explains how staying stuck made the anxiety worse.

He outlines practical lessons he later learned — accepting uncertainty, returning to the present, and living by values — and invites listeners to a live workshop on breaking the OCD loop

Disclaimer:

Robert James Pizey (of Robert James Coaching) is not a medical professional and is also not providing therapy or medical treatment. Robert James Pizey recommends that anyone experiencing anxiety or OCD to seek professional medical help straight away to get a medical opinion and rule out other conditions or illnesses. The comments and opinions as written on this site are simply that and are not to be taken as professional medical opinions. Robert James Pizey provides coaching, education, accountability and peer support around Anxiety through his own personal experiences.

Join me for my Free Live Workshop - Breaking the OCD Loop : https://robert-james-coaching-ocd.circle.so/join?invitation_token=ba16b63d5ade372807e489000486b39c9b8de17b-478ebf87-dd32-47d9-bc5f-28da501c10d5

Ready for real help with OCD or anxiety? Book a free discovery call with me — no pressure, no obligation: robertjamescoaching.com/book-discovery-call

Prefer to work at your own pace? My 12-week programs are available self-guided:

New here? Start with my free course: robertjamescoaching.com/free

In this episode Robert James exposes one of OCD's most powerful tricks: a false, convincing sense of urgency that pushes you to analyse, check, or seek reassurance. He explains how that urgency fuels the cycle of compulsions, shrinks your life, and how pausing to notice the pattern can let you choose a different, value-driven response.

Robert also shares practical steps—spotting triggers, letting sensations be, and refocusing on meaningful activities—and invites listeners to a free live workshop, "Breaking the OCD Loop," to learn first steps out of the cycle

Disclaimer:

Robert James Pizey (of Robert James Coaching) is not a medical professional and is also not providing therapy or medical treatment. Robert James Pizey recommends that anyone experiencing anxiety or OCD to seek professional medical help straight away to get a medical opinion and rule out other conditions or illnesses. The comments and opinions as written on this site are simply that and are not to be taken as professional medical opinions. Robert James Pizey provides coaching, education, accountability and peer support around Anxiety through his own personal experiences.

Free Starter Course: Break Free from OCD : https://robert-james-coaching-ocd.circle.so/join?invitation_token=ba16b63d5ade372807e489000486b39c9b8de17b-478ebf87-dd32-47d9-bc5f-28da501c10d5

Ready for real help with OCD or anxiety? Book a free discovery call with me — no pressure, no obligation: robertjamescoaching.com/book-discovery-call

Prefer to work at your own pace? My 12-week programs are available self-guided:

New here? Start with my free course: robertjamescoaching.com/free

In this episode Robert James explains how to let go after being triggered by OCD, using self-compassion and present-moment awareness to stop the urgency that drives compulsions, reassurance-seeking and rumination.

He shares practical insights and analogies (like opening your hand to drop broken glass), plus mentions a free starter course and a 12-week program to help listeners move from panic back to presence

Disclaimer:

Robert James Pizey (of Robert James Coaching) is not a medical professional and is also not providing therapy or medical treatment. Robert James Pizey recommends that anyone experiencing anxiety or OCD to seek professional medical help straight away to get a medical opinion and rule out other conditions or illnesses. The comments and opinions as written on this site are simply that and are not to be taken as professional medical opinions. Robert James Pizey provides coaching, education, accountability and peer support around Anxiety through his own personal experiences.

Free Starter Course: Break Free from OCD : https://robert-james-coaching-ocd.circle.so/join?invitation_token=ba16b63d5ade372807e489000486b39c9b8de17b-478ebf87-dd32-47d9-bc5f-28da501c10d5

Free Starter Course: Break Free from Sensorimotor OCD: https://robert-james-coaching-ocd.circle.so/join?invitation_token=4104e42b7d731dd8aea26d77cdc58ed6d831b9f6-893a367f-b240-420e-b9e8-f5890ef1c3b8

Robert James explains how OCD relies on one repeating trick — creating urgency from uncertainty — to keep you trapped. He uses a running metaphor to show why slowing down and allowing discomfort can break the cycle.

The episode offers practical steps: notice the urgency, pause instead of acting on it, and practice small, steady changes that build resilience over time

Ready for real help with OCD or anxiety? Book a free discovery call with me — no pressure, no obligation: robertjamescoaching.com/book-discovery-call

Prefer to work at your own pace? My 12-week programs are available self-guided:

New here? Start with my free course: robertjamescoaching.com/free

Disclaimer:

Robert James Pizey (of Robert James Coaching) is not a medical professional and is also not providing therapy or medical treatment. Robert James Pizey recommends that anyone experiencing anxiety or OCD to seek professional medical help straight away to get a medical opinion and rule out other conditions or illnesses. The comments and opinions as written on this site are simply that and are not to be taken as professional medical opinions. Robert James Pizey provides coaching, education, accountability and peer support around Anxiety through his own personal experiences.

Ready for real help with OCD or anxiety? Book a free discovery call with me — no pressure, no obligation: robertjamescoaching.com/book-discovery-call

Prefer to work at your own pace? My 12-week programs are available self-guided:

New here? Start with my free course: robertjamescoaching.com/free

Join the Free Robert James Coaching Community & Get Access to the Free Starter Course - Follow the Link Below:

https://robert-james-coaching-ocd.circle.so/join?invitation_token=4051add931af92458ee166eda25ccdad45545107-24505897-ed26-43d7-84a2-0ebd8b269363

In this episode Robert James shares a simple metaphor from surfing to explain OCD recovery: progress comes when you commit despite fear and uncertainty. He encourages taking "one more paddle"—leaning into discomfort, proving you can tolerate uncertainty, and learning from the results.

Practical, hopeful, and brief, the episode offers encouragement and a reminder that small acts of commitment build recovery over time

Disclaimer:

Robert James Pizey (of Robert James Coaching) is not a medical professional and is also not providing therapy or medical treatment. Robert James Pizey recommends that anyone experiencing anxiety or OCD to seek professional medical help straight away to get a medical opinion and rule out other conditions or illnesses. The comments and opinions as written on this site are simply that and are not to be taken as professional medical opinions. Robert James Pizey provides coaching, education, accountability and peer support around Anxiety through his own personal experiences.