World Leading Psychologist: How To Detach From Overthinking & Anxiety: Dr Julie Smith | E122

Dr Smith didn’t have a dramatic origin story; she simply followed what fascinated her—people and psychology—through A‑level, university, and eventually clinical work. When advising others, she suggests dropping the pressure to find a single ‘life-changing passion’ and instead repeatedly choosing the next genuinely interesting step. This iterative approach increases the chances you’ll land in work you actually enjoy, without needing a grand, defining moment.

Using ideas from Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT), Smith explains that childhood experiences create ‘core beliefs’ (e.g., “I’m unlovable,” “relationships are prisons”) and survival strategies that become outdated but persist into adulthood. By journaling sequences—what happened, what you did, how you felt, how the other likely felt—you start to see recurring cycles in arguments, dating, or work. First you recognize them in hindsight, then in the moment, where you finally get a chance to choose a different response and slowly rewrite the pattern.

Goals are finite (pass an exam); values are ongoing directions (being a caring partner, a curious learner). Smith suggests doing regular ‘values check‑ins’: list key life areas (family, relationships, health, work, learning, contribution), define how you want to behave in each (e.g., “enthusiastic,” “present,” “kind”), then rate how aligned your recent behavior is. Gaps between importance and alignment highlight where you need to adjust actions (e.g., booking a flight to see your partner, reducing work commitments) instead of letting short-term comfort or stress dictate choices.

Smith cautions against the popular narrative that meaningful change requires a drastic 90‑degree life turn. In therapy and behavior change, big shifts typically emerge from many small adjustments, each followed by reflection and course correction. Building habits by doing a challenging‑but‑manageable version of the new behavior every day leverages the brain’s love of repetition: what you do repeatedly becomes your new comfort zone, whether that’s public speaking, dating, or tolerating discomfort without numbing out.

Thinking your way out of intense anxiety or low mood is hard; it’s often faster to intervene through the body and environment. Smith recommends movement (exercise, walking), music, using your voice (singing), quality human connection (a hug, deep conversation), and especially sleep. For acute anxiety, she teaches slow, structured breathing (e.g., box breathing—inhale, hold, exhale, hold for equal counts—or simply making the exhale longer than the inhale) to down‑regulate the fight‑or‑flight response. These don’t erase problems but create enough shift to respond more skillfully.