Skip to content
Home » Breaking the Loop of Anxiety: Colin Bien (Full Transcript)

Breaking the Loop of Anxiety: Colin Bien (Full Transcript)

Here is the transcript and summary of Colin Bien’s talk titled “Breaking the Loop of Anxiety” at TEDxLeuphanaUniversityLüneburg conference.

In this TEDx talk, economist Colin Bien shares his personal experience with anxiety and panic attacks, which he describes as a geometrical figure that appears in both the physical and mental worlds. He highlights the negative effects of stress on our lives and how it can lead to feelings of exhaustion, purposelessness, and burnout.

Listen to the MP3 Audio here:

TRANSCRIPT:

Colin Bien – Founder of True Fabrics

This is a cycle. You may have heard about it. Some people also call it a loop or a circle. This geometrical figure tends to appear almost anywhere in the physical world but they also appear in our minds for better or worse.

Four years ago, I experienced something that changed my life dramatically. I remember it was a snowy day and I was attending a workshop for an international conference in Beijing. And all of a sudden, this weird feeling catches my attention. I couldn’t breathe. I mean, I was technically able to breathe but it felt that there wasn’t enough oxygen in the air.

So, I ran outside and I grabbed some snow, I shoveled it into my face but it would immediately melt because I was on fire and I was burning from the inside. And this was my first panic attack.

In Germany, 14% to 15% of all adults suffer from a panic disorder once in their life, and this is often due to a lot of stress.

Now, stress can come from many different sources but it’s often our job that produces the bulk of it. Although, that we know that stress is not good, it seems to be a good thing for a lot of people.