1209: Classic ACP The Anxious Yet Changeable Brain
The Anxiety Coaches Podcast
Gina Ryan
4.6 • 1.9K Ratings
🗓️ 7 January 2026
⏱️ 15 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In today's episode, Gina discusses the brain and contemporary thought concerning the plastic and changeable nature of the brain. The ability of individuals to exploit the brain's adaptability with their own minds and guidance is highlighted. Specific steps to change your brain and reduce your anxiety are included.
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Chapters
0:26 Embracing the Changeable Brain
3:38 The Power of Mindfulness
6:20 Understanding Anxiety and Hope
8:11 The Role of Repetition in Change
9:45 Practical Steps for Transformation
12:57 Taking Responsibility for Change
Summary
In this episode of the Anxiety Coaches Podcast, I dive into the fascinating concept of the changeable brain, exploring the implications of neuroplasticity and its profound effects on our mental health. Traditionally, many of us were led to believe that our brains reach a fixed state in adulthood, but recent scientific breakthroughs reveal an exciting reality: our brains are not hardwired and, instead, possess remarkable adaptability and the capacity to change throughout our lives. This understanding offers a sense of hope, empowering us to take charge of our mental wellness.
I emphasize the importance of retraining our brains to navigate away from anxiety. To break free from the anxiety cycle, we must forge new neuropathways while simultaneously dismantling the old ones that tether us to fear. This process is not merely an academic exercise; it happens organically as our brains utilize the remnants of old pathways to build new connections. Thus, whether we consciously train our brains or not, change is inevitable, making it essential for us to guide that change purposefully.
Mindfulness emerges as a cornerstone in this journey, enabling us to cultivate awareness and intentionality in our daily lives. I discuss the impactful role that mindfulness plays in breaking free from automatic responses, compelling us to engage more fully with our thoughts and experiences. By becoming vigilant about our mental habits, we create space for healthier, more peaceful thoughts to flourish. I draw an analogy of a rider managing a horse; just as the rider must train the horse to move in the desired direction, we must learn to direct our thoughts consciously to foster the change we seek.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the anxiety coaches podcast, a relaxing and informative show where we explore anxiety, panic, and PTSD, sharing how you can overcome them for life. |
| 0:23.2 | Aloha. |
| 0:24.3 | Welcome back to the Anxiety Coaches podcast. |
| 0:27.7 | I'm your host and coach, Gina Ryan, |
| 0:30.4 | and I am so happy to be with you again today |
| 0:34.2 | as together we can consider the many ways to bring your mind and body back to its |
| 0:40.6 | natural peace and calm. In today's episode, I want to talk about the anxious yet very changeable |
| 0:49.6 | brain. And I think this is really good news. I hope that you will feel the goodness of all of this. |
| 0:58.5 | When we talk about the changeable brain, what we're talking about is that we used to believe |
| 1:05.2 | that our brain was hardwired when we reached adulthood. |
| 1:19.3 | And maybe you are young enough to not have had that belief because science, since you've been around, was talking about the plasticity of the brain. |
| 1:23.3 | But I was, you know, in that camp that by the time you reached adulthood, your brain was |
| 1:30.9 | pretty much hardwired. And this is just not so. And so we're always learning something new |
| 1:38.1 | every day and sciences unfolding things. And we have to be grateful for that because we can understand ourselves a little bit |
| 1:45.9 | better. This understanding of the changeable brain or the neuroplasticity has given rise to |
| 1:53.7 | many ways of being, of us being able to retrain the brain. |
| 2:08.2 | Finding our way out of the anxiety wormhole requires a lot of new neuro pathways. |
| 2:16.8 | And while we're making those new ones, we have to be simultaneously letting go of the old ones that kept us stuck and in fear. And this is an incredible |
| 2:20.9 | process that happens. And the brain actually uses the material of the old ones that are being |
| 2:28.5 | broken down in building these new narrow pathways. It's quite fascinating. The brain actually changes whether we are |
| 2:38.7 | training it or not. This is important to know. So we can't just run on default because the brain is going |
| 2:47.6 | to change whether we are being aware and conscious of where it's going |
... |
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