The Calm Living Blueprint: Social Anxiety, Anxiety, Stress & Mindfulness
This podcast, originally published between 2015 and 2017, explores social anxiety, anxiety, stress, mindfulness, and the journey toward lasting inner peace. It documents an earlier chapter of Candice Esposito's work, offering conversations that many listeners still find meaningful years later. A decade later, Candice revisited these themes in *The Calm Living Blueprint Revisited*, reflecting on how her understanding has evolved. The episodes provide practical insights and personal reflections for those seeking calm and self-awareness.
Episodes
Dealing with Grief Over the Holidays
An exploration on grief, especially when felt during the holidays.
Love or Fear
Love or fear? Which do you choose?As I was reflecting on what the topic could be for this podcast episode I became aware that we’ve talked a lot about fear. And, rightly so… I believe that at the heart of all anxiety, depression, self-hatred, feelings of unworthiness… if we go deep enough, if we peel back enough layers… we always find fear at their root.But I find myself being a bit concerned abou
Comparing Yourself to Others
Okay, fess up. We all do it. I’m talking about comparing ourselves to others.Yeah. You ever catch yourself doing that while you’re browsing Instagram or Facebook? When you overhear someone’s good news about a job promotion or a vacation that they are taking?How does comparing yourself to others make you feel? Generally not good, right? So in this episode we’re going to explore why we compare, how
Be the Hero of Your Life
What if you could be the hero of your life?What if I told you that there is formula to living a heroic life? What if there was a basic framework, a roadmap that anybody could follow in order to become the hero of their own life?Well, there is. In this episode I’ll walk you through the exact formula step by step…You can download the transcript of this episode by clicking here.
The Only Problem You Really Have
What’s the only problem you really have?What is the one illusion that most of us believe, that if we were to question it, to let go of it, would solve all of our so-called problems?Big set-up, I know.Have a listen to this podcast episode and decide for yourself if I “deliver’ on the answer .You can download the transcript of this episode by clicking here.
Dealing With Expectations
How do you know if you have trouble dealing with expectations? Well…Ever have thoughts like “I have to be this, “I should be that,” “I must do this or that?”Or perhaps you perceive external pressure from others believing that they think you should, have to or must?Or maybe you say that of others… he or she should, has to or must…Yeah, we all have had these thoughts at points in our lives. These ar
Loneliness is a Choice
Is loneliness a choice?Now, I know the title of this podcast episode may be controversial.I mean no offence by it and I think you’ll understand that, along with what I mean by it once you’ve listened to the episode. So, as always, I just ask you to keep an open mind and notice if what I say resonates with you or not. If it does, wonderful, I encourage you to put it into practice in your own life.
How to Prevent Your Ego From Holding You Back
What if your ego is contributing to your anxiety? Find out how to prevent your ego from holding you back…Our ego, when we let it, has a tendency to hold us back from living the life we truly want to live. If we’re not aware of how it traps us, we can easily fall under its illusion of reality. And when this happens there’s the risk of furthering uncomfortable feelings like anxiety.You can download
How to Find Focus Amidst Distraction
Are you having trouble finding focus amidst distraction?Is it just me or does it seem like we are becoming more and more bombarded by distractions?Email notifications, Twitter and Facebook messages, ringing phones, beeps from mobile devices. As I’m writing this I probably have a dozen tabs open in my internet browser. All these gadgets, all this information battling for our attention. Not to menti
Thoughts of Suicide
Have you had thoughts of suicide?I want to have an honest conversation about suicide.I know there’s many people who work in suicide prevention that say you have to be careful about this kind of thing. I get that. But I think sometimes we’re a little too careful… so careful that little ends up being said. People feel like they can’t talk about suicide… or can only do so behind closed doors.Unfortun
You're Exactly Where You Need to Be
So there’s something that I’ve been reflecting on lately that I thought I would share… this aspect of life that sometimes the hardest thing to do is to live exactly where you are and as who you are.Have you ever felt that?It’s a funny thing… growing up no one teaches you how to do that – to just live.Each morning we wake up caught between the person we once were and the person we are becoming, bet
How to Meditate Effortlessly Even if You've Never Meditated Before
Do you have a desire to learn how to meditate effortlessly?A question I often receive from clients and listeners of the podcast is, “How do I meditate?” I think we’re all pretty familiar with the benefits of meditation so I’m not going to use this time to go over that… the issue seems more about how to bring the act of meditation into our busy lives.Where do I even start?How do I even start?Some p
How to Make Resolutions Actually Stick
Do you set New Year’s resolutions? Do you know how to make resolutions so that they actually stick?I know some people laugh off the idea of setting resolutions and I don’t blame them… I think the statistic is that by the end of January something like 92% of resolutions have already failed.Doesn’t exactly conjure up hope, does it? If most people fail when it comes to sticking to their resolutions n
Loneliness Over the Holidays
Do you experience loneliness over the holidays?It’s that season again. Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas it’s hard not be touched in some way by the festivities and sentiment of the season. I mean we’re inundated with it – Christmas music playing on the radio and in the department stores, Christmas lights hung on your neighbors’ homes, Santa Claus greeting kids at your local mall.And, it’s als
Mandela’s Example
I often find myself incorporating Nelson Mandela’s story and how he approached life, his attitude, into the Calm Living Blueprint because I think it offers a wonderful example of taking committed action even in the face of fear, pain and discomfort.So that’s what I want to examine in this podcast episode – five lessons I’ve learned from Mr. Mandela’s example.You can download the transcript of this
Is It Ever Too Late?
Is it ever too late?The other day one of my clients said, “Maybe it’s too late for me.” She felt defeated, like things had never gone right for her and she felt hopeless that things would ever go right for her.Now, this wasn’t a one-time thought. This particular person had this thought before. I’ve had other clients share similar hopeless thoughts and feelings before. I myself have had these thoug
The Seeds of Calm in Anxiety
What do I mean by the seeds of calm lie in anxiety?Well… the idea for today’s podcast episode came to me as I was reflecting on how to better help people open up and make space for feelings of anxiety rather than continuing to struggle with them. That’s something we’ve talked about in previous episodes, however it’s also one of those things that can be easier said than done.So upon reflecting on m
How to Stop Ruminating and Gain Meaning from Painful Memories
Ever wonder how to stop ruminating?Have you ever gotten stuck thinking about a past trauma or negative event, a problem or really any kind of setback… over and over again… you just can’t stop thinking about it… like a hamster running in a hamster wheel in his cage your thoughts just seem to run around and around and around…?Yeah, that’s called rumination. And the results of a massive study just ca
How to Stop Blushing and Relax
Have you ever blushed?Of course you have. We all blush.There’s nothing wrong with blushing however blushing can become a concern when we feel anxious about blushing. We’re afraid of blushing or when we blush we get anxious about blushing and that just further adds to our overall anxiety.So this episode is devoted to blushing – specifically how to deal with blushing so that it no longer causes anxi
How to Sleep Like A Baby Even if You Have Anxiety Part II
So, how have you been sleeping? What changes have you made since the last episode to improve your sleep?In episode 19 we tackled the environmental and behavioural factors that can affect our sleep and what we can do to overcome them and improve upon them to optimize our sleep.In this episode we’re going to continue to cover the top tips and strategies to help you sleep like a baby, even if you exp
How to Sleep Like a Baby Even if You Have Anxiety
Do you sleep like a baby?Or… Have you ever found yourself lying in bed, staring at the ceiling and wanting to scream out in frustration because you just can’t fall asleep?You peak at your alarm clock out of the corner of your eye and it reads 3 o’clock! 3 in the freaking morning… And you have to be up at 6! Now you get even more anxious about not falling asleep, thinking, “I have to fall asleep. I
The Ultimate Superfoods List to Boost Your Mood
Would you like to know more about superfoods to boost your mood?Last episode we talked about how our gut bacteria can affect our mood, including anxiety, depression and how we react to stress. So I thought it would be a good idea to carry over that theme into today’s episode and build upon the specific foods that can help calm anxiety and boost mood.We’re going to go even one step further than we
Are Your Gut Bacteria Causing Anxiety and Depression?
Are gut bacteria causing anxiety in you?When you think about strategies to calm anxiety or treat depression maybe you think of psychotherapy, medication, hypnosis, affirmations … right, something along those lines. I’m betting that you would not automatically think about your gut.Well, our guts may very well hold the secret to improving your mood and mental health. That’s what this episode is abou
How to Survive an Emotional Crisis
Connect with Candice → https://candiceesposito.com/Have you ever experienced an emotional crisis? Where you were flooded by a storm of difficult thoughts and feelings. What did you do?A crisis can present in many different forms, from the death of a loved one, to loss of a job, to collapse of a marriage, to financial disaster.When you’re hit by a crisis, an emotional storm is likely to whip thro
Answers to Listeners' Questions
Connect with Candice → https://candiceesposito.com/In this episode what I’ve decided to do is answer a couple of questions from listeners.Question #1 from Jacqueline: ““I’m confused about what you call acceptance. Are you saying we should just live with the pain, to tolerate it? I don’t understand how that would be helpful.”Question #2 from Kevin: “How do I know if something is really, truly hol
How to Create Your Own Reality
Connect with Candice → https://candiceesposito.com/In this episode you’re going to discover a technique, that when used optimally, can actually help you create your own reality. Everyone who has achieved great success in life has used this power consciously or unconsciously.What is this simple technique?Have a listen to the episode to find out…Key PointsOur mind brings up stories all the time an
Why Self-Esteem is Over-rated
Connect with Candice → https://candiceesposito.com/In this episode you’re going to discover why self-esteem is overrated. Yes, I said OVER-rated. I know a lot of self-help books and programs out there are all about boosting your self-esteem.Well, I’m going to tell why those don’t work and why you don’t need to waste your money on them.Key PointsMost people can relate to the core belief of “I’m n
Anxiety Medication – Should I Take It?
Connect with Candice → https://candiceesposito.com/In this podcast episode I answer a question that I get a lot from fellow podcast listeners and my Calm Living clients … Should I take anxiety medication?Key Points Re: Anxiety MedicationEach individual’s situation is differentRe-frame the question from “Should I take anxiety medication?” to “What do I want to get from taking medication?” “What a
The Most Important Step to Free Yourself From Anxiety
Connect with Candice → https://candiceesposito.com/In my opinion this is the most important step of the Calm Living Blueprint, of setting yourself free from fear, free from your struggles with anxiety.Values alone aren’t enough. Our journey begins only when we start taking action.When we move forward guided by our values, we feel a sense of meaning and purpose, even in the face of major challeng
Get Clear on What You Really Want
Connect with Candice → https://candiceesposito.com/So up to this point we’ve been placing a lot of our focus on the painful feelings you struggle with and the painful thoughts you get entangled by … basically, all the things that you don’t want. But we haven’t yet focused on what you do want – what sort of person you want to be, what sort of relationships you want to build, what you want to do w
Tap Into Pure Awareness to Relieve Anxiety and Fear
Connect with Candice → https://candiceesposito.com/In this episode we are going to swerve back to discussing one of the steps of the Calm Living Blueprint, the blueprint to overcoming social anxiety.Pure awareness. A powerful aspect of the mind that has largely been ignored by western psychology. And as you get to know this part of yourself you will further transform your relationship with diffi
Is Inflammation Causing Your Anxiety and Depression?
Connect with Candice → https://candiceesposito.com/Is inflammation causing your anxiety and depression?Inflammation is our body’s basic reaction to protecting itself to whatever it perceives to be harmful – toxins, irritants, infection, stress, and as we’ll talk about later, even thoughts or emotions.Essentially inflammation is the body’s attempt to heal itself. So a certain amount of inflammati
Be Here and Now to Relieve Anxiety
Connect with Candice → https://candiceesposito.com/Your mind is like a time machine.Yup, a time machine.It’s lucky for us that our mind can conceptualize the past and the future. It’s a hugely useful ability. It allows us to reflect on and learn from the past and to predict and plan for the future.As we grow older, our mind gets better and better at doing tricks like conjuring up the past and th
How to Handle Feelings of Anxiety and Fear
Connect with Candice → https://candiceesposito.com/ In this episode we’re going to learn how to handle painful feelings – feelings of anxiety and fear and depression. How to open up and make room for them, how to drop the struggle with them.Opening up to them and making room for them sounds a bit counter-intuitive doesn’t it? The opposite of what you probably want to do. “Why would I want to do
How to Calm Anxiety with Food
Connect with Candice → https://candiceesposito.com/In this episode we’re going to take a bit of a break from mindfulness practice to focus on nutrition, in particular how to calm anxiety with food.More and more research indicates that diet affects mental health. Now, the research examining diet has focused more so on generalized anxiety and depression than social anxiety specifically, but I thin
How to Unhook Yourself From Your Thoughts
Connect with Candice → https://candiceesposito.com/What do we do when those negative thoughts impact our behaviour or hold us back from doing the things we want to do?For example, having the thought, “I have nothing to say” may lead to avoiding social situations or trying to get out of a social situation. Having the thought, “I blush too much” may lead to trying to hide your face.So how do we de
Are Your Thoughts Controlling You?
Connect with Candice → https://candiceesposito.com/ If you recall from episode 2, one of the myths surrounding social anxiety (or any fear or anxiety for that matter) is that you should be able to control what you think and feel.It’d be nice if life were that simple, but that’s actually a complete fallacy. This myth, this illusion of control is so prevalent in our society (it’s even touted by ma
Are You Playing By The Wrong Rules?
Connect with Candice → https://candiceesposito.com/In this episode we are going to shatter some common, widely held myths surrounding anxiety, fear and confidence that may be stopping you from living the life you want to live. These myths are like rules for the game of life, but they are the wrong rules!You can never win if you are playing by the wrong rules.So let’s find out what those myths ar
A Daring Adventure of Nothing
Connect with Candice → https://candiceesposito.com/“Life is a daring adventure, or nothing.” - Helen KellerWelcome to the first episode of the Calm Living Blueprint podcast. Thank you for joining me and taking the time to listen. My name is Candice Esposito and I will be your humble host the Calm Living podcast series.The format of this first episode is going to be a bit different than future epis
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