Practical Tools for a Less Anxious Life - Donald Robertson

Donald Robertson is a cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist, an author and an expert on ancient philosophy. Why are we so anxious in the safest time in human history? Our brains evolved for real danger, predators, hunger, survival, not notifications and deadlines. So what are the modern tools for calming our primitive nervous system in a modern world? And is the answer something our ancestors already knew? Expect to learn what Donald wishes more people knew about anxiety, how it works and what causes it, how CBT might be the best therapy to combat chronic anxiety, what the main problem with the major psychoanalytic theorists is, why CBT is just a modern extension of Stoicism, why modern American culture has become extraordinarily passive aggressive, how people can keep their life in alignment with their values and much more… - 0:00 How Does Anxiety Really Work? 15:40 Is Self-Help Actually Helpful? 25:55 Why Avoidance is the Worst Coping Strategy 39:22 Useful Skills to Tackle Your Anxiety 48:47 Top Down vs Bottom Up: What’s the Best Approach? 01:03:08 Were the Stoics the Original Psychotherapists? 01:11:14 Why Everyone Hates Exposure Therapy 01:26:42 Should We Prioritise Targeting Anger? 01:41:01 Why Donald Quit Psychodynamic Therapy 01:52:24 Where to Find Donald - Get 10% discount on all Gymshark products at https://gym.sh/modernwisdom (use code MODERNWISDOM10) Get up to $50 off the RP Hypertrophy App at https://rpstrength.com/modernwisdom Get the brand new Whoop 5.0 and your first month for free at https://join.whoop.com/modernwisdom Get 35% off your first subscription on the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom - Get access to every episode 10 hours before YouTube by subscribing for free on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2LSimPn or Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/2MNqIgw Get my free Reading List of 100 life-changing books here - https://chriswillx.com/books/ Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic here - https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom - Get in touch in the comments below or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/

Chris WilliamsonhostDonald Robertsonguest

Jan 24, 20261h 52mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: January 24, 2026
Duration: 1h 52m
Channel: Modern Wisdom
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Donald Robertson is a cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist, an author and an expert on ancient philosophy. Why are we so anxious in the safest time in human history? Our brains evolved for real danger, predators, hunger, survival, not notifications and deadlines. So what are the modern tools for calming our primitive nervous system in a modern world? And is the answer something our ancestors already knew? Expect to learn what Donald wishes more people knew about anxiety, how it works and what causes it, how CBT might be the best therapy to combat chronic anxiety, what the main problem with the major psychoanalytic theorists is, why CBT is just a modern extension of Stoicism, why modern American culture has become extraordinarily passive aggressive, how people can keep their life in alignment with their values and much more… - 0:00 How Does Anxiety Really Work? 15:40 Is Self-Help Actually Helpful? 25:55 Why Avoidance is the Worst Coping Strategy 39:22 Useful Skills to Tackle Your Anxiety 48:47 Top Down vs Bottom Up: What’s the Best Approach? 01:03:08 Were the Stoics the Original Psychotherapists? 01:11:14 Why Everyone Hates Exposure Therapy 01:26:42 Should We Prioritise Targeting Anger? 01:41:01 Why Donald Quit Psychodynamic Therapy 01:52:24 Where to Find Donald - Get 10% discount on all Gymshark products at https://gym.sh/modernwisdom (use code MODERNWISDOM10) Get up to $50 off the RP Hypertrophy App at https://rpstrength.com/modernwisdom Get the brand new Whoop 5.0 and your first month for free at https://join.whoop.com/modernwisdom Get 35% off your first subscription on the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom - Get access to every episode 10 hours before YouTube by subscribing for free on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2LSimPn or Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/2MNqIgw Get my free Reading List of 100 life-changing books here - https://chriswillx.com/books/ Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic here - https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom - Get in touch in the comments below or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/

SPEAKERS

Chris Williamson
host
Donald Robertson
guest

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Modern Wisdom, featuring Chris Williamson and Donald Robertson, Practical Tools for a Less Anxious Life - Donald Robertson explores cBT, Stoicism, and exposure-based habits for lasting anxiety relief tools Anxiety is not a single “blob” of emotion but a recipe made of thoughts, sensations, images, memories, and behaviors that interact and reinforce one another.

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