Optimal Relationships Daily - Dating, Marriage and Parenting

3147: Deal With Anxiety By Making a "Dread" List by Tonya Lester on Asking For Help

September 20, 2026·10 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

Get the 200+ Page Optimal Living Daily Workbook (PDF) - Free. Want to turn today's episode into an actionable plan? Join the Optimal Living Weekly newsletter and I'll send you our 200-page digital workbook immediately. It's packed with the best takeaways from the show, formatted for easy reading and implementation at home. Get your free PDF workbook here: https://oldpodcast.eo.page/join Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com Episode 3147: Tonya Lester tells the story of the college transcript problem she avoided for eighteen months, and what finally moved it: writing down every single thing she was dreading, then telling one friend about the biggest one. She explains why avoidance costs more energy than the task itself, and how a supportive person who is not carrying your story about yourself can see a paralyzing problem as the clerical matter it actually is. She closes with the question she puts to clients who insist they should be able to handle it alone: how can I make this easier? Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.tonyalester.com/blog/deal-with-anxiety-by-making-a-dread-list Quotes to ponder: "Unfinished business creates open loops of anxiety that slowly drain you of energy and contentment, and hurt your ability to focus and be present." "Long-term avoidance is paradoxically really hard work!" "At the end of your life, you won't have points detracted based on how many times you had to ask for help." Optimal Relationships Daily is a daily relationship advice podcast where we narrate the best articles on healthy relationships, dating, marriage, and parenting, read to you by a professional narrator so you can strengthen your closest connections a little more every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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