Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, so we’re diving into some of the most common yet often misunderstood mental health challenges.
This week, Leah talks with ABC News’ Chief National Correspondent Matt Gutman, who shares his deeply personal battle with panic attacks. After a near career-ending panic attack live on-air in 2020, Matt began a journey to understand and manage his anxiety.
In his book “No Time to Panic”, Matt explores what panic attacks are, their evolutionary roots and why they are a “feature, not a bug.” With humility and vulnerability, he offers tools like mindfulness and breathwork, all aimed at transforming panic from an obstacle into an ally.
As Matt puts it, "Instead of having the humility of thinking, 'I’m a flawed human being trying his best every day,' to say I'll never have a panic attack again is setting myself up for a future disaster."
Subscribe to the Everyday Better newsletter to get more stories about and strategies for turning a stumble into a fresh start: bit.ly/3D91qoe
00:00 - Introduction
02:15 - Panic attacks and public rejection
07:42 - The evolutionary biology behind panic
12:20 - Life-changing lessons from a career in crisis journalism
17:30 - The Kobe Bryant tragedy
22:48 - Matt’s suspension from ABC News
28:15 - Why panic is a feature, not a flaw
34:04 - Strategies to manage anxiety in real time
37:50 - Using psychedelics for healing
42:15 - Mindfulness and gratitude practices
46:40 - Lessons for self-compassion and emotional resilience
49:32 - Conclusion
#linkedinnews #everydaybetter #anxiety #panicattack
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, so we’re diving into some of the most common yet often misunderstood mental health challenges.
This week, Leah talks with ABC News’ Chief National Correspondent Matt Gutman, who shares his deeply personal battle with panic attacks. After a near career-ending panic attack live on-air in 2020, Matt began a journey to understand and manage his anxiety.
In his book “No Time to Panic”, Matt explores what panic attacks are, their evolutionary roots and why they are a “feature, not a bug.” With humility and vulnerability, he offers tools like mindfulness and breathwork, all aimed at transforming panic from an obstacle into an ally.
As Matt puts it, "Instead of having the humility of thinking, 'I’m a flawed human being trying his best every day,' to say I'll never have a panic attack again is setting myself up for a future disaster."
Subscribe to the Everyday Better newsletter to get more stories about and strategies for turning a stumble into a fresh start: bit.ly/3D91qoe
00:00 - Introduction
02:15 - Panic attacks and public rejection
07:42 - The evolutionary biology behind panic
12:20 - Life-changing lessons from a career in crisis journalism
17:30 - The Kobe Bryant tragedy
22:48 - Matt’s suspension from ABC News
28:15 - Why panic is a feature, not a flaw
34:04 - Strategies to manage anxiety in real time
37:50 - Using psychedelics for healing
42:15 - Mindfulness and gratitude practices
46:40 - Lessons for self-compassion and emotional resilience
49:32 - Conclusion
#linkedinnews #everydaybetter #anxiety #panicattack
