How Ashton August Transforms Anxiety into Mindful Presence

Join host Danielle Hutchinson in the Authors on Mission podcast as she sits down with Ashton August, author of "101 Mindfulness Practices to Ease Anxiety." In their conversation, Ashton reveals her journey from English professor to mindfulness expert, shares personal strategies that helped manage her own anxiety, and explains how she persisted through multiple publisher rejections before landing her book deal. She also discusses teaching mindfulness to her 91-year-old grandfather and finding practices that work uniquely for each person.

Key Takeaways:

• Practice the 4-7-8 breathing technique to quickly calm your nervous system
• Incorporate mindfulness into everyday activities like driving or brushing teeth
• Let your breath be your "first word" before responding in stressful situations
• Take breaks when feeling uninspired as a writer—your energy shows in your work
• Be persistent with publishing goals—Ashton received multiple rejections before landing her book deal
• Build your author platform through consistent content creation across multiple channels
• Remember that mindfulness is being present without judgment—simple but not always easy