Episode Overview

Podcast: Your Anxiety Toolkit – Practical Skills for Anxiety, Panic & Depression
Episode: 473 – Mindfulness vs. Distraction: Which is Better for Anxiety & Panic? (A Therapist Explains)
Host: Kimberley Quinlan, LMFT, Anxiety & OCD Specialist
Air Date: February 18, 2026

Kimberley Quinlan breaks down the often-confusing debate between mindfulness and distraction as tools for coping with anxiety and panic. With her signature compassionate and evidence-informed approach, she examines when, why, and how each strategy can be helpful, drawing from her clinical expertise guiding people through anxiety, OCD, depression, and related struggles.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Anxiety Cycle and Unhelpful Short-Term Relief

• Cycle Explanation: Anxiety is triggered by internal or external factors. Common responses: fight, flight, freeze, or fawn.

• Avoidant Behaviors: Immediate efforts to eliminate anxiety (avoidance, rumination, compulsions) bring short-term relief but reinforce long-term anxiety.

  “We want the uncertainty to go away...so we engage in these avoidant compulsions or avoidant behaviors. But what that does is it gets us some short-term relief, but it reinforces the fear and ... keeps you stuck in a long-term trap.” (01:38)

2. Understanding Mindfulness

• Definition: Observing thoughts, feelings, and sensations non-judgmentally and with acceptance.

• Key Benefit: Mindfulness creates lasting change by rewiring responses to fear, reducing triggers, and increasing emotional regulation.

  “Mindfulness involves observing your thoughts and your feelings and your sensations...without judgment. ... It’s a long-term strategy and it helps you to rewire your response to fear.” (04:18)

3. The Role of Distraction: Short-Term Relief, Not a Cure

• Potential Pros: Distraction can provide a temporary pause or relief, especially in moments of overwhelming distress, and sometimes can help someone “go back to” mindfulness.

• Cons: Overuse reinforces avoidance and can block long-term recovery.

  “The pros of distraction: it can provide temporary relief and help you get that pause so that you can move into mindfulness. ... The con here is it can reinforce avoidance, it can prevent long-term recovery.” (06:16)

4. HOW TO CHOOSE: Intensity & Timing Matter

Kimberley introduces a practical “graph” to guide choice:

• Intensity Axis: From low (0/10) to high (10/10) anxiety.
• Time Axis: From no time to lots of time.

Decision Making:

• High Intensity + Plenty of Time: Prioritize mindfulness if possible; distraction may be used briefly if unable to access mindfulness.
• High Intensity + No Time: Use distraction to get through the moment (e.g., getting on a plane), but shift to mindfulness when able.
• Low Intensity: Always aim for mindfulness—best for long term; use the opportunity to practice “reps” of mindfulness.
• Intention Matters: Is the goal to avoid anxiety forever or to functionally get through a challenge when no other tool is available?

“The distraction is only there to help you regulate enough so that you can come back to doing the mindful activity.” (08:37)

5. Common Misunderstandings: “Is Distraction Just Mindfulness?”

• Overlap & Differences: Sometimes distraction (focusing on a crossword, Tetris, video, etc.) resembles mindfulness, but intention typically differs. True mindfulness means not pushing away discomfort, while distraction is often about escape.

• Example: Boarding a plane when extremely anxious—sometimes the goal is just to "survive" the situation.

  “Some people say, well, isn’t distraction mindfulness? Well, yeah, it can be, but I think the real difference is distraction is often done because you’ve got to, like, push your anxiety away.” (10:38)

6. Application to Specific Diagnoses

• OCD: Distraction can act as thought suppression and often backfires (“what you resist persists”). Use only sparingly.

• Health Anxiety: Distraction (e.g., doing a puzzle in the waiting room) can be functional if it helps complete necessary actions, but intention is key.

• Panic Disorder: Distraction can help in acute moments but shouldn’t become the default, as avoidance reinforces panic.

• Generalized Anxiety: Mindfulness is best; daily practice is encouraged even when not anxious.

• Eating Disorders: Sometimes distraction helps during difficult exposures (eating challenging foods), but ideally, mindfulness is preferred unless over-focusing is an issue.

• Depression: Distraction (often called “occupation” in DBT) can be helpful when depressive thinking is overwhelming, as a temporary break.

  “With OCD and a lot of other conditions...if you’re trying to push [intrusive thoughts] away, if you’re trying to suppress them, you will actually end up having more of them.” (14:34)

  “With depression...a lot of DBT therapists will encourage distraction. And we actually call it occupation.” (19:07)

7. Key Takeaway: Self-Compassion & Progress Over Perfection

• Self-Compassion: There is no perfect application; both strategies have a place.

• Don’t Get Stuck in Perfectionism: Striving for “the right” tool can itself cause distress.

• Kimberley’s Philosophy: Aim for “B minus” effort, not an A+—real recovery is about progress, not perfection.

  “We are not here to aim for perfect. ... Real recovery usually is around a B minus because that B minus helps manage the anxiety of having to be perfect.” (20:38)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Choosing Strategies:
  • “Think of [distraction] as a life vest ... that you wear for the most emergent situation when you’ve got nothing else. And it’s okay to use it if it helps you to get through that moment so that you can get back on the horse and get back to your mindfulness skills.” (15:45)
• On Intention:
  • “If you need to use distraction for the sake of facing a fear or doing something that aligns with your values, that is functional and helps you function better in very short spurts, it’s okay, don’t be hard on yourself ...” (13:50)
• Summing Up:
  • “Both mindfulness and distraction can belong in your toolkit. ... Please do practice self compassion when you’re choosing your approach. ... We don’t need A pluses in recovery.” (20:08)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:01 – Introduction: The anxiety cycle and why this topic matters
• 04:18 – What is mindfulness?
• 06:16 – Pros and cons of distraction
• 08:00 – The timing/intensity decision graph
• 10:38 – Nuance: When mindfulness isn’t possible, use distraction strategically
• 13:43 – Removing judgment from your coping skills (distraction = life vest analogy)
• 14:34 – OCD and thought suppression
• 15:45 – Distraction as a life vest; role in exposures
• 19:07 – Depression & “occupation” as functional distraction
• 20:08–20:38 – Final reminder: self-compassion and “B minus” effort in recovery

Conclusion

Kimberley Quinlan offers a balanced, compassionate perspective on mindfulness versus distraction for managing anxiety and panic. Mindfulness is generally the preferred, long-term solution for rewiring anxiety responses, but distraction has its rightful place as a "life vest" during moments of overwhelming distress—particularly when it helps you live in accordance with your values. The key is intention and self-compassion: use both tools wisely, avoid perfectionism, and focus on what helps you move forward rather than what is “correct” in the moment.

Resources & Further Support:
Visit cbtschool.com for practical courses on anxiety, OCD, depression, and more.