In my 30s and 40s...
• My mind was a maze.
• I made reckless choices.
• Anxiety trapped me for years.
Then, I read Martin Heidegger's philosophies, and it became impossible to be trapped, stressed, and anxious.
Here's his 4-step protocol to unlocking mental freedom: 🧵
• My mind was a maze.
• I made reckless choices.
• Anxiety trapped me for years.
Then, I read Martin Heidegger's philosophies, and it became impossible to be trapped, stressed, and anxious.
Here's his 4-step protocol to unlocking mental freedom: 🧵
- Freud saw anxiety as repressed conflict.
- Jung saw it as the shadow pressing for recognition.
Both believed anxiety signals something deeper.
But Heidegger went further...
- Jung saw it as the shadow pressing for recognition.
Both believed anxiety signals something deeper.
But Heidegger went further...
For him, anxiety was not a disorder. It was the raw truth of existence.
“At once so near and so uncanny.”
That’s how Heidegger described anxiety.
It strips away our daily illusions—career, status, even our sense of “home.”
“At once so near and so uncanny.”
That’s how Heidegger described anxiety.
It strips away our daily illusions—career, status, even our sense of “home.”
When that scaffolding collapses, we feel groundless.
And in that groundlessness lies our freedom.
Here are Heidegger’s 4 steps to transform anxiety into authentic living:
And in that groundlessness lies our freedom.
Here are Heidegger’s 4 steps to transform anxiety into authentic living:
Step 1: See Anxiety as a Signal, Not a Symptom
Freud called anxiety “the guardian of the soul.”
Heidegger agreed—it is not an illness to be suppressed.
Anxiety tells you what in your life is false.
The next time it rises, pause and ask: What illusion is breaking up right now for me?
Freud called anxiety “the guardian of the soul.”
Heidegger agreed—it is not an illness to be suppressed.
Anxiety tells you what in your life is false.
The next time it rises, pause and ask: What illusion is breaking up right now for me?
Before proceeding to Heidegger's 2nd step...
Like Heidegger, I see anxiety as the gateway to your true self.
This month, I am looking to help 5 people overcome anxiety, stress, and overthinking.
If this is you, book your free strategy call here:
calendly.com/lorwen_consult…
Like Heidegger, I see anxiety as the gateway to your true self.
This month, I am looking to help 5 people overcome anxiety, stress, and overthinking.
If this is you, book your free strategy call here:
calendly.com/lorwen_consult…
Step 2: Stop Borrowing Meaning
Jung warned that we hide behind a “persona”—a mask built by society.
Heidegger saw this as inauthentic living.
• We chase borrowed goals.
• Money. Approval. Status.
But anxiety rips those away, demanding we choose our own path.
Jung warned that we hide behind a “persona”—a mask built by society.
Heidegger saw this as inauthentic living.
• We chase borrowed goals.
• Money. Approval. Status.
But anxiety rips those away, demanding we choose our own path.
To break free:
• Write down your top 3 life goals
• Cross out the ones shaped by others’ expectations
• Circle the one(s) you’d still choose if no one ever knew
That’s the beginning of authentic living.
• Write down your top 3 life goals
• Cross out the ones shaped by others’ expectations
• Circle the one(s) you’d still choose if no one ever knew
That’s the beginning of authentic living.
Step 3: Act from Authentic Choice
Every anxious moment is a crossroads.
Do you conform automatically?
Or do you act from what is authentically yours?
Psychology shows that avoidance fuels anxiety, while authentic action reduces it.
Every anxious moment is a crossroads.
Do you conform automatically?
Or do you act from what is authentically yours?
Psychology shows that avoidance fuels anxiety, while authentic action reduces it.
To practice:
• Before saying “yes,” pause
• Ask: If no one judged me, would I still do this?
• If the answer is no, decline politely and move on
Every “no” to the false self is a “yes” to freedom.
• Before saying “yes,” pause
• Ask: If no one judged me, would I still do this?
• If the answer is no, decline politely and move on
Every “no” to the false self is a “yes” to freedom.
Step 4: Use Mortality as a Compass
Freud saw death as the hidden driver of behavior.
Heidegger reframed it: mortality is not terror—it is our greatest teacher. Every anxious thought reminds us that time is finite.
Instead of despair, use this awareness to act with urgency.
Freud saw death as the hidden driver of behavior.
Heidegger reframed it: mortality is not terror—it is our greatest teacher. Every anxious thought reminds us that time is finite.
Instead of despair, use this awareness to act with urgency.
To apply:
• Each morning, remind yourself: life is finite
• Write one action you’d be proud of if today were your last
Mortality stops being fear—it becomes fuel for meaning.
• Each morning, remind yourself: life is finite
• Write one action you’d be proud of if today were your last
Mortality stops being fear—it becomes fuel for meaning.
Modern psychology echoes this.
Research on “existential therapy” shows that facing death anxiety directly increases resilience, meaning, and vitality.
Heidegger intuited what science now validates:
Mortality makes life matter.
Research on “existential therapy” shows that facing death anxiety directly increases resilience, meaning, and vitality.
Heidegger intuited what science now validates:
Mortality makes life matter.
Here are some practical takeaways:
When anxiety strikes—
• Pause and write down what triggered it
• Notice what false belief is collapsing
• Choose one authentic step forward
• Act as if time is short
Anxiety shifts from a prison → to a doorway --to YOUR freedom.
When anxiety strikes—
• Pause and write down what triggered it
• Notice what false belief is collapsing
• Choose one authentic step forward
• Act as if time is short
Anxiety shifts from a prison → to a doorway --to YOUR freedom.
The beauty of Heidegger’s approach:
• No denial of suffering
• No shallow positive thinking
• No endless avoidance strategies
This journey is hard to do alone. That’s why guidance and accountability matter.
• No denial of suffering
• No shallow positive thinking
• No endless avoidance strategies
This journey is hard to do alone. That’s why guidance and accountability matter.
P.S. As a Ph.D. psychology grad from @UTAustin with a Postdoc from
@Harvard, I help people identify their shadows and fix their minds beyond conditioned thinking.
This month, I want to help 5 more people one-on-one. Book a free discovery session below:
calendly.com/lorwen_consult…
@Harvard, I help people identify their shadows and fix their minds beyond conditioned thinking.
This month, I want to help 5 more people one-on-one. Book a free discovery session below:
calendly.com/lorwen_consult…
Hi, I’m Lorwen Nagle.
I’ve spent 40 years as a Harvard-trained psychologist, studying consciousness with the Dalai Lama and helping thousands untangle their minds.
Follow @Lorwen108 for more threads on anxiety, mindfulness, and the science of inner peace.
I’ve spent 40 years as a Harvard-trained psychologist, studying consciousness with the Dalai Lama and helping thousands untangle their minds.
Follow @Lorwen108 for more threads on anxiety, mindfulness, and the science of inner peace.
If this thread resonated with you, I explore psychology, philosophy, and personal transformation in my work.
Follow @Lorwen108 for more insights on the journey to authenticity.
Repost if this helped you. 🙏
Follow @Lorwen108 for more insights on the journey to authenticity.
Repost if this helped you. 🙏
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