The Anxiety Coaches Podcast

In today;s episode, Gina introduces a new series she is doing on the Anxiety Coaches Podcast, devoted to helping update Claire Weekes' anxiety recovery methods to our contemporary vocabulary and world. Specifically in this episode, the point that anxiety recovery is not about eliminating fear but adapting how we come to meet fear, is emphasized. Listen in for more discussion about Claire Weekes' work and what to expect in upcoming episodes!

Stillpoint Fridays is my once-a-week Friday note — a slower, more personal reflection that’s different from what I share on the podcast.
If you’d like a quiet place to land as the week winds down, you can join here: http://eepurl.com/bR2F9P or on our website anxietycoachespodcast.com and sign up for the newsletter.

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Learn more about anxiety What is anxiety?

Free Guided Meditation for Calming Your Anxious Mind 10-Minute Body-Scan Meditation for Anxiety

Quote:

Recovery lies in the way we meet fear, not in the absence of fear.

-Claire Weekes

Chapters
0:27 Claire Weeks Rediscovered

Summary
In this episode, we begin a new series revisiting the work of Dr. Claire Weekes and her ideas about anxiety recovery. We discuss why her books have been influential over the years and how her observations continue to fit with later language about nervous system regulation, neuroplasticity, and trauma-informed care.

We focus on the idea that recovery is not about eliminating fear, but about how we meet it. We introduce some of Weekes’ terms in modern language, including “nervous illness” as a broad description for anxiety, panic, health anxiety, and chronic stress-related symptoms.

We also address a common misunderstanding of Weekes’ advice. Rather than treating “face, accept, float, and let time pass” as a checklist or technique, we frame them as a different relationship to experience. The emphasis is on stopping the fight with anxiety and learning not to treat every symptom as an emergency.

We connect this to modern neuroscience by explaining that repeated alarm teaches the nervous system to keep noticing the same sensations and thoughts. We then outline topics we will explore in future episodes, including first fear and second fear, acceptance, floating, letting time pass, and why reassurance and self-monitoring can keep anxiety going.

The episode closes with a reflection on asking, “How do I want to relate to this moment?” instead of “What technique should I use?” We return to the idea that recovery unfolds gradually as we become less afraid of our own experience.

#AnxietyRecovery #ClaireWeeks #NervousSystemRegulation #AnxietyCoachesPodcast #HopeAndHelpForYourNerves #FloatAndLetTimePass #MentalHealthMatters #Mindfulness #PanicDisorder #GeneralizedAnxiety #OvercomingAnxiety #NervousSystemHealing #Neuroplasticity #PanicAttackRelief #ChronicAnxiety #InnerPeace #StressManagement #TraumaInformedCare #HealingJourney #MentalHealthPodcast #CalmYourMind #MindBodyConnection #AnxietySupport #EmotionalWellbeing #GinaRyan
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Today's episode we have a listener question from the Send Voicemail Tab on our website. Kellie asks about how to deal with building anxiety when in a social setting.

Stillpoint Fridays is my once-a-week Friday note — a slower, more personal reflection that’s different from what I share on the podcast.
If you’d like a quiet place to land as the week winds down, you can join here: http://eepurl.com/bR2F9P or on our website anxietycoachespodcast.com and sign up for the newsletter.

Please visit our Sponsor Page to find all the links and codes for our awesome sponsors! https://www.theanxietycoachespodcast.com/sponsors/

Website https://www.theanxietycoachespodcast.com

Join our community Group Coaching Join our Group Coaching Full or Mini Membership Program

1:1 Coaching Learn more about our One-on-One Coaching

If you prefer to listen AD-FREE, try our Supercast premium access membership:

Learn more about anxiety What is anxiety?

Free Guided Meditation for Calming Your Anxious Mind 10-Minute Body-Scan Meditation for Anxiety

Quote:

We don't receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us.

-Marcel Proust

Chapters
0:27 SpeakPipe Question
3:31 Social Anxiety Tools
7:22 Relax the Body
12:46 Stop Adding Fuel
16:20 Shake It Out
19:06 Proust’s Wisdom

Summary
In this episode, we speak about a listener question from Kelly, who describes living with long-term anxiety that has affected work, driving, being alone, and social situations. We focus on what to do when anxiety rises in the middle of everyday settings where it is not practical to step away and process it privately.

We explain that the main practice is to prepare in quieter moments, especially during meditation or other practice time, so acceptance and “floating” become more familiar. When anxiety shows up in the moment, we suggest noticing the body’s signals and using physical relaxation as a cue of safety.

We describe simple techniques such as tensing and releasing muscles, relaxing the shoulders, jaw, hands, feet, and legs, and using small movements or shaking out tension when appropriate. The point is to send the brain a message that there is no immediate danger, rather than trying to force away thoughts.

We also address the tendency to add a second layer of distress by worrying about how we look, whether others notice, or whether we can get through the situation. We encourage noticing that extra self-criticism and not feeding it, since that can intensify the anxiety.

Finally, we emphasize that repeated practice makes these responses easier to access in daily life. The episode closes with a quote about discovering wisdom through our own journey.

#Anxiety #AnxietyRelief #SocialAnxiety #AnxietyCoachesPodcast #GinaRyan #StressManagement #MentalHealth #Meditation #Mindfulness #CopingStrategies #RelaxationTechniques #ProgressiveMuscleRelaxation #PettingTheLizard #Amygdala #FightOrFlight #SelfCare #EmotionalWellness #SecondArrow #AnxiousThoughts #CopingWithAnxiety #SocialAnxietyTips #PhysicalRelaxation #Calm #Peace #NervousSystemRegulation #SomaticTracking #PublicAnxiety #GroundingTechniques #MentalHealthAwareness #AnxietySupport #CopingMechanisms #SelfCompassion
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In today's episode, Gina shares a number of affirmations designed especially for when we are feeling anxiety around time pressure, urgency and the feeling of being behind in our lives. Repeating these affirmations to ourselves throughout the day can take advantage of a shaping and adaptation process our body and mind undergo based on what we give our attention. Use these affirmations throughout the day and begin to adapt your mind and body to a better, more peaceful life today!

Stillpoint Fridays is my once-a-week Friday note — a slower, more personal reflection that’s different from what I share on the podcast.
If you’d like a quiet place to land as the week winds down, you can join here: http://eepurl.com/bR2F9P or on our website anxietycoachespodcast.com and sign up for the newsletter.

Please visit our Sponsor Page to find all the links and codes for our awesome sponsors! https://www.theanxietycoachespodcast.com/sponsors/

Website https://www.theanxietycoachespodcast.com

Join our community Group Coaching Join our Group Coaching Full or Mini Membership Program

1:1 Coaching Learn more about our One-on-One Coaching

If you prefer to listen AD-FREE, try our Supercast premium access membership:

Learn more about anxiety What is anxiety?

Free Guided Meditation for Calming Your Anxious Mind 10-Minute Body-Scan Meditation for Anxiety

Quote:

The trouble is, you think you have time.

-Jack Kornfield

Chapters
0:27 Affirmations and Anxiety
4:48 Bridge Thoughts for Calm
8:05 Gentle Phrases to Try
10:58 Summer Slows the Pace
14:09 Repeat to Reassure

Summary
In this episode we talk about affirmations and how we can use them in a more grounded way, especially when we feel time pressure, urgency, and a constant sense of being behind. We explain that our mind is already repeating messages all day, and that many of those messages increase tension in the body.

We discuss why affirmations are not meant to deny reality or force overly positive statements. Instead, we use them to gently shift attention toward thoughts that the nervous system can actually स्वीकार or tolerate, because repeated attention can shape perception and the body’s response.

We focus on starting with believable phrases that feel possible rather than overwhelming. Examples include taking things one moment at a time, being with a feeling and still breathing, or learning to slow down. We describe these as bridge thoughts that soften internal pressure instead of creating more resistance.

We also talk about practicing this in daily life without treating it like another task. The aim is to notice urgency when it shows up, introduce steadier thoughts, and create a little more space between reactions. We close with a set of gentle affirmations and encourage noticing how they feel in the body.

#anxiety, #mindfulness, #affirmations, #podcast, #mentalhealth, #calm, #selfcare, #personalgrowth, #stressrelief, #relaxation, #healing, #meditation, #peace, #wellness, #mentalwellness, #innerpeace, #anxietyrelief, #selflove, #gentleliving, #slowdown, #mindfulliving, #nervoussystem, #timepressure, #urgency, #breath, #practices, #support, #coaching, #aloha, #jackkornfield, #anxietycoachespodcast, #ginaryan, #bridgethoughts, #safetypatterns, #nervoussystemregulation, #stoprushing, #presentmoment, #summercalm, #mentalspace, #overcomingurgency #ACP
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In today's episode, Gina discusses the role of time in our anxiety healing journey, and specifically, our thoughts and perceptions of time. Urgency and the role of technology, constant notifications and information overload in exacerbating our anxiety are important factors discussed in this show. Listen in for tools and strategies you can use to reduce the effects of these factors that seem to rob us of our time and space. Start feeling better today!

Stillpoint Fridays is my once-a-week Friday note — a slower, more personal reflection that’s different from what I share on the podcast.
If you’d like a quiet place to land as the week winds down, you can join here: http://eepurl.com/bR2F9P or on our website anxietycoachespodcast.com and sign up for the newsletter.

Please visit our Sponsor Page to find all the links and codes for our awesome sponsors! https://www.theanxietycoachespodcast.com/sponsors/

Website https://www.theanxietycoachespodcast.com

Join our community Group Coaching Join our Group Coaching Full or Mini Membership Program

1:1 Coaching Learn more about our One-on-One Coaching

If you prefer to listen AD-FREE, try our Supercast premium access membership:

Learn more about anxiety What is anxiety?

Free Guided Meditation for Calming Your Anxious Mind 10-Minute Body-Scan Meditation for Anxiety

Quote:

Life is available only in the present moment.

-Thích Nhat Hạnh

Chapters
0:27 Time and Urgency
3:29 Anxiety Warps Time
8:59 Chronic Urgency Harms Body
11:32 Rhythm Over Rush
14:06 Four Doors Away From Now
15:38 A Practice for Presence
17:23 You Haven't Missed Life

Summary
In this episode we talk about urgency and how it sits beneath much of our anxiety. We reflect on how time pressure has changed over the years, with constant notifications, information overload, and the expectation of being always available making many of us feel perpetually behind.

We explore how anxiety changes our relationship to time. We describe how the mind turns ordinary time into a threat, making us feel that we are running out of time, late in life, or behind in healing. We also note how language such as “I don’t have time” or “I’m killing time” reflects a strained view of time.

We consider the impact of chronic urgency on the body. We say that long-term time stress can affect sleep, digestion, concentration, irritability, inflammation, and overall nervous system activation. We also point out that people often mistake hurry for productivity and live in constant preparation rather than participation.

We offer a different approach based on rhythm and presence. We distinguish healthy planning from rehearsing disaster or replaying regret, and we identify four ways we leave the present: regret, guilt, fear, and urgency. We close with a simple practice of pausing, taking one slow breath, and focusing on what needs attention right now, with the reminder that healing begins when we stop racing toward a future version of ourselves.

#TimeUrgency, #AnxietyCoachesPodcast, #GinaRyan, #NervousSystem, #SlowingDown, #PresentMoment, #AnxietyRelief, #MentalHealth, #Overwhelm, #AlwaysAvailable, #DigitalDetox, #SocialMediaStress, #ComparisonCulture, #HealingJourney, #TimePressure, #Mindfulness, #InnerPeace, #StressManagement, #ChronicStress, #ProductivityTrap, #NatureRhythms, #ThichNhatHanh, #Presence, #MentalWellbeing, #SelfCompassion, #NervousSystemRegulation, #PresentMomentAwareness, #MentalHealthEducation, #DigitalOverwhelm, #ACP
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In today's episode, Gina discusses how feeling stuck in our anxiety recovery journey is inevitable and that it does not mean we are not successfully on the path towards clearing our anxiety. The nervous system learns and changes through repetition and it can be particularly helpful to experience safety repeatedly. Listen in to learn how to teach your nervous system it is safe and start dialing down your anxiety today!

Stillpoint Fridays is my once-a-week Friday note — a slower, more personal reflection that’s different from what I share on the podcast.
If you’d like a quiet place to land as the week winds down, you can join here: http://eepurl.com/bR2F9P or on our website anxietycoachespodcast.com and sign up for the newsletter.

Please visit our Sponsor Page to find all the links and codes for our awesome sponsors! https://www.theanxietycoachespodcast.com/sponsors/

Website https://www.theanxietycoachespodcast.com

Join our community Group Coaching Join our Group Coaching Full or Mini Membership Program

1:1 Coaching Learn more about our One-on-One Coaching

If you prefer to listen AD-FREE, try our Supercast premium access membership:

Learn more about anxiety What is anxiety?

Free Guided Meditation for Calming Your Anxious Mind 10-Minute Body-Scan Meditation for Anxiety

Quote:

The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.

-Carl Rogers

Chapters
0:27 Feeling Stuck Isn’t Failure
2:48 Healing Rarely Moves Straight
6:10 Ask What Your Nervous System Needs
9:32 Gentle Ways to Shake Loose
14:38 Borrowing Hope and Measuring Growth
18:05 Remember Your Future Self
19:27 Write Your Own Prescription

Summary
In this episode we talk about feeling stuck in anxiety and why that does not mean we are not healing. We discuss how recovery from anxiety and nervous system stress often happens in uneven, non-linear ways, and how difficult days can make progress feel invisible even when change is still happening.

We look at how the nervous system learns through repetition and can also unlearn patterns through repeated experiences of safety. We explore the idea that resistance often reflects protection rather than laziness, and we consider questions such as whether there is actual danger or only familiar discomfort.

We also share practical ways to support the nervous system gently, including slow walking, stretching, humming, rocking, placing a hand over the heart, feeling the feet on the floor, and using longer exhalations. We discuss small changes like taking a different route, sitting somewhere new, or listening to unfamiliar music as ways to teach the brain that uncertainty is not automatically dangerous.

Finally, we focus on hope, perspective, and self-trust. We suggest borrowing hope from others, reviewing past journal entries, and measuring healing over seasons rather than day by day. We encourage curiosity instead of criticism, noticing signs of progress, and remembering that anxiety is familiar but not identity.

#AnxietyRecovery #AnxietyRelief #AnxietyCoachesPodcast #GinaRyan #FeelingStuck #HealingJourney #NervousSystem #NervousSystemRegulation #MentalHealth #Mindfulness #SelfCompassion #GroundingTechniques #StressManagement #Neuroplasticity #EmotionalHealing #PersonalGrowth #SelfCare #Breathwork #LongExhalations #BodyAwareness #WiseMind #AnxiousMind #JournalingForAnxiety #GentleNovelty #BorrowingHope #ProgressInHindsight #MentalWellness #OvercomingAnxiety #SomaticHealing #CopingMechanisms #CalmAndPeace #InternalSafety #CarlRogers #AcceptanceAndChange #NervousSystemSafety #Resilience #MentalHealthAwareness #EmotionalRegulation #PatienceInHealing #SomaticTracking #InnerPeace #AnxietyManagement #MentalHealthSupport #SelfAcceptance
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