The Anxiety Coaches Podcast

Latest Episodes:

1280: You Don't Have to Do Anything Right Now Sep 13, 2026

Show notes

In today's episode, Gina shares a most calming, soothing salve with listeners. The practice of meditation is discussed. It is emphasized that meditation does not require anything of you. Meditation is an opportunity to exist for a time in freedom, without any external demands on you. Listen in and enjoy an extended moment of peace as Gina guides you through a meditation of space and stillness. Remember your peace and calm.

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

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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

Chapters

0:27 Meditation Without Striving

5:03 Rest Instead of Fixing

9:49 Settling Into Stillness

11:29 Breathing and Letting Be

13:30 The Mind Wants a Job

14:22 Off Duty for a Moment

15:24 Sounds Can Come and Go

18:36 Closing With Gentle Return

In this episode, we focus on meditation as a simple way of being with ourselves, rather than another task to complete or another method for fixing anxiety. We talk about how meditation can become part of a checklist, and instead offer it as a few minutes with nothing to do and nowhere to go.We explore how anxiety pulls us into the future, constant checking, and self-monitoring.

We note that being caught in thought is not the same as being present with ourselves, and that meditation gives us a brief break from trying to manage every feeling, sensation, or thought.The second half of the episode is a guided meditation. We settle the body, notice support beneath us, and observe the breath without trying to change it. We practice allowing thoughts, sensations, restlessness, and anxiety to be present without reacting to them.We also spend time noticing the body, sounds in the environment, and the mind’s urge to evaluate whether meditation is working.

The practice emphasizes that nothing needs to be achieved, and that even uncomfortable feelings can be here without needing to be solved.At the end, we return attention to the room and the body, and we are encouraged to carry this into daily life by taking small moments of quiet without waiting until we feel overwhelmed.

#AnxietyCoachesPodcast #Mindfulness #MeditationPractice #AnxietyRelief #SelfSurveillance #PresentMoment #MentalHealth #OvercomingAnxiety #SomaticAwareness #Aloha #GinaRyan #GuidedMeditation #AnxietySupport #NervousSystemHealing #MindfulLiving #StressRelief #InnerPeace #MentalHealthAwareness #CalmYourMind #SelfCareFirst #GroundingExercise #EmotionalWellbeing #PeaceAndCalm #SelfCompassion #MentalWellness #LetGo #Breathwork #FindYourCalm #MindsetShift #HealingAnxiety #PresenceOverPerfection #MentalHealthMatters #WellnessJourney #MeditationCommunity #StressLess #MindfulMoments #PodcastLife #HealthAndWellness #QuietTheMind #SelfLove #GinaRyan

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1279: Morning Anxiety: Why You Wake Up Anxious and What Actually Helps Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

In today's episode, Gina discusses morning anxiety, what it is and how to tolerate it. Our cortisol is released each morning to help us wake up and prepare physiologically for the day. This is entirely normal and expected. Many people with chronic anxiety, however, can be highly adversely affected by this process, often starting the day with high anxiety if not outright panic. Listen in to this episode to gain more insight into our physiological awakening process and how to become more accustomed to it without succumbing to substantial anxiety in the morning.

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:

An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.

-Henry David Thoreau

Chapters

0:27 Morning Anxiety Explained

3:05 Cortisol and Wake-Up

6:31 Sensations Before Stories

9:03 Stop Checking Yourself

11:28 Morning Light Matters

14:35 Caffeine and Activation

17:59 Food and Sleep Rhythms

21:35 Unwinding for Better Sleep

23:18 A Simple Morning Plan

24:23 Don’t Predict the Day

Summary

In this episode we talk about morning anxiety and the way many people wake up already feeling activated, with physical sensations like a racing heart, butterflies, tension, or dread before the day has even started. We explain that this does not necessarily mean something is wrong, because the body is designed to become more alert in the morning.We look at the nervous system’s role in this process, including the cortisol awakening response.

We describe cortisol as a normal part of metabolism, immune function, blood pressure, energy, and the sleep-wake cycle, and we note that morning activation is physiology rather than pathology.We also focus on the pattern where the body sensation comes first and the mind then creates a frightening story around it. We point out that checking in repeatedly with anxiety first thing in the morning can train the brain to expect danger, and we suggest noticing sensations without immediately investigating them.We then offer simple ways to respond, such as getting out of bed, opening curtains, letting in morning light, drinking water, stretching, taking a short walk, and doing ordinary morning tasks.

We also discuss caffeine and sleep, encouraging people to notice how caffeine affects them, to support sleep with consistent rhythms, and to avoid turning sleep habits into another source of anxiety.Finally, we emphasize that a difficult morning does not predict the rest of the day. We suggest treating morning anxiety as a feeling rather than a prophecy, and we encourage beginning the day with small, practical steps instead of trying to solve everything from bed.

#Anxiety #MorningAnxiety #Cortisol #NervousSystem #AnxietyCoachesPodcast #GinaRyan #MentalHealth #StressManagement #Mindfulness #SecondFear #CortisolAwakeningResponse #SelfCare #SleepHygiene #CircadianRhythm #PanicRecovery #AnxietyRelief #MindBody #MentalWellness #CaffeineFree #MorningRoutine #SomaticAwareness #OvercomingAnxiety #StressRelief #Healing #MentalHealthAwareness #WellnessJourney #CalmYourMind #AnxietySupport #ACP

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1278: Back-to-School Anxiety Isn't Just for Kids: It's Stored in Your Body Too Sep 06, 2026

Show notes

In today's episode, Gina discusses why anxiety can increase with an often overlooked time of year: early September, the traditional timing for the restart of the school year. This late August, early September anxiety is suggested to be intrinsic to somatic memory established during childhood, particularly of the stress of newness, uncertainty and social pressures. A particular anxiety clearing practices is included: the September body audit. Listen in and start clearing your seasonal 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 past is never dead. It’s not even past.

-William Faulkner

Chapters

0:27 September Anxiety Begins

5:03 Old School Patterns

9:11 Social Nervous System

13:52 September Body Audit

17:52 Building a New September

Summary

In this episode, we talk about why late August and early September can trigger anxiety or dread even when there is no current reason for it. We explore how familiar seasonal cues, like school supplies, changing weather, and routines, can activate bodily sensations tied to earlier experiences.We explain somatic memory and how the nervous system can respond to patterns without conscious recall.

We also discuss how repeated childhood experiences of school transitions, uncertainty, evaluation, and social pressure may leave the body expecting change when September returns.We look at the role of the social nervous system, including the ideas of neuroception and the body’s ongoing sensitivity to cues of safety, belonging, and threat. We note that even small environmental details can be enough to bring back a felt sense of alertness.

We then offer a simple “September body audit” practice: locate the sensation in the body, acknowledge that it is an old pattern from another time, and lengthen the exhale to help the nervous system settle. The episode ends by encouraging a new present-day September experience built through repeated, gentle awareness.

#anxiety #nervoussystem #somaticmemory #polyvagaltheory #septemberanxiety #backtoschool #stressrelief #mindfulness #grounding #neuroception #emotionalwellness #bodyaudit #mentalhealth #anxietyrecovery #seasonalchanges #innerchild #subconsciousmind #copingmechanisms #selfcompassion #stressreduction #ginaryan #anxietycoachespodcast #somatictracking #relaxation #mentalwellness #holistichealth #nervoussystemregulation #implicitmemory #psychology #wellness #ACP

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1277: Am I Going Crazy? Why Anxiety Can Make You Feel Like You're Losing Your Mind Sep 02, 2026

Show notes

In today's episode, Gina provides comfort for listeners who are afraid they may be going crazy. The essential message is that much more likely than not, you are not going crazy, and there are many things you can do to help yourself feel better, more calm, peaceful and stable. Intrusive thoughts, depersonalization and derealization are all covered in this episode, as are brain fog, racing thoughts and hyperawareness. Listen in and find more peace and calm even in the face of the most disturbing symptoms.

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:

Nothing in life is to be feared; it is only to be understood.

-Marie Curie

Chapters

0:27 Going Crazy or Anxiety?

5:41 The Second Fear Loop

9:37 Intrusive Thoughts and Derealization

11:32 What To Do Now

14:35 Know When to Get Help

16:57 Live Beyond Anxiety

Summary

n this episode we revisit the question “Am I going crazy?” and talk about how it often comes up when anxiety makes thoughts, sensations, or the surrounding world feel unfamiliar. We look at experiences such as intrusive thoughts, derealization, depersonalization, brain fog, racing thoughts, and hyperawareness, and how these can lead to fear that something is seriously wrong.We explain how anxiety can create a cycle in which a strange feeling leads to checking, the checking increases attention, and the increased attention makes the feeling seem even more intense.

We also describe the difference between the first experience, such as feeling disconnected or having a disturbing thought, and the second fear, such as interpreting it as proof that we are losing control.We talk about intrusive thoughts and note that having a thought is not the same as wanting it, believing it, or acting on it. We also discuss derealization and depersonalization, and how repeatedly checking whether things feel normal can keep us focused on the discomfort instead of moving through the moment.We offer several ways to respond: naming the experience without dramatizing it, not making “feeling normal” the main goal, returning attention to ordinary activities, softening physical tension, and letting sensations come and go without demanding certainty.

We also note that new, severe, or confusing symptoms, including hallucinations or an inability to function, should be brought to a qualified professional.We close by emphasizing that we can feel strange without being in danger, have frightening thoughts without needing to answer them, and keep living while anxiety passes.

#AnxietyCoachesPodcast #GinaRyan #AmIGoingCrazy #AnxietySupport #IntrusiveThoughts #Derealization #Depersonalization #AnxietyCycle #Overthinking #Hyperawareness #NervousSystem #Mindfulness #AcceptanceAndCommitment #ClaireWeekes #MentalHealthAwareness #PanicAttackHelp #GroundingTechniques #AnxietyRecovery #EmotionalWellbeing #SelfCare #MentalHealthMatters #AnxietyRelief #OvercomingAnxiety #BrainFog #SecondFear #InnerCalm #Aloha #ACP

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1276: Classic ACP Finding Joy Beyond Discomfort Aug 30, 2026

Show notes

In this episode Gina offers listeners a series of questions they can ask themselves and suggestions they can implement during their experience of the discomfort associated with anxiety and panic.

Turning to face the discomfort we are presented with during high anxiety moments can offer us the opportunity we are seeking to overcome the discomfort.

Questions to ask oneself:

What if there were more beyond that?

What if distracting was keeping us in the loop and holding us back from the joy in life?

What if chasing the desire to make the discomfort stop is actually keeping the pain and discomfort alive?

What if the joy was in going through vs giving in to distraction and running away from discomfort?

What if what we are looking for is in the opening of moving through the discomfort of what we think should be different than it is?

Suggestions to implement:

1.Slow down

2.Get to neutral and be curious about the situation (take the personalization out of it ...look at it as if you were a researcher without an agenda)

3.Remind yourself why you want to get to the other side of this situation and that it is joy that is found from going through the urge to fight flee or freeze when it is discomfort that you are dealing with not true danger.

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:

A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.

-Franklin D. Roosevelt

Chapters

0:28 Joy Beyond Discomfort

2:58 Discomfort Isn’t Dangerous

5:50 Breaking the Anxiety Cycle

9:58 Growth Through Grief

12:26 Three Ways to Stay Aware

16:46 Reflection Questions for Healing

Summary

In this episode, we reflect on reaching episode 400 and nearing 4 million downloads, and we thank listeners for sharing the show and sending feedback. We also note that people do not need a diagnosis to benefit from the discussion, since we all experience stress and discomfort in life.We focus on the idea of finding joy beyond discomfort.

We repeat that discomfort is not dangerous, and we discuss the importance of letting that understanding move beyond logic and into the body. We explore the idea that distraction can keep us stuck in anxiety cycles, while going through the feeling can lead to freedom, peace, and joy.We distinguish between smaller fears that are easier to avoid and larger life events that cannot be avoided, such as loss, accident, or ending. We suggest experimenting with the smaller situations by choosing the opposite of the usual avoidance response and approaching them with curiosity and a sense of adventure.

We then offer three practical suggestions: slow down, get to neutral and stay curious, and remind ourselves why we want to move through the situation. We emphasize noticing when we have gone back to old patterns without judgment, resetting, and trying again.We close by returning to the main questions about what lies beyond discomfort and how moving through it can open the way to what we are looking for.

#Anxiety #AnxietyRelief #PanicAttacks #MentalHealth #EmotionalWellness #FindingJoy #Discomfort #CopingMechanisms #SelfImprovement #PersonalGrowth #Mindfulness #JournalPrompts #SelfCare #StressManagement #Vulnerability #OvercomingFear #MindsetShift #HealingJourney #SelfAwareness #Resilience #Podcast #AnxietyCoachesPodcast #Episode400 #Milestone #4MillionDownloads #Gratitude #CommunitySupport #Awareness #Presence #Acceptance #FeelYourFeelings #EmotionalRegulation #InnerStrength #PersonalTransformation #MentalClarity #SlowDown #BeCurious #NonJudgment #EmotionalFreedom #LifeLessons #Quotes #FranklinDRoosevelt #Aloha #Peace #WellBeing #MentalHealthAwareness #StressRelief #SelfReflection #Journaling #SelfDiscovery #GinaRyan

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1275: Classic ACP Are You Isolating With Anxiety? Aug 26, 2026

Show notes

Today, Coach Gina takes a look at how we drop into isolation and how it can work against us as we move through the phases of clearing anxiety-panic.

Today's tip for making progress is to go on a weekly adventure: museum, zoo, train ride, etc, over time you can go to bigger things (such as a concert). A part time job, a church, a hobby, all could be useful.

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:

It is true that we are called to create a better world. But we are first of all called to a more immediate and exalted task: that of creating our own lives.

-Thomas Merton

Chapters

0:28 Start Small, Expand Slowly

4:59 Gentle Steps Outward

8:42 Rebuilding Confidence

10:38 Facing Triggers Safely

12:30 Grocery Store Practice

14:11 Fun Without Pressure

15:48 Creating Your Own Life

Summary

In this episode we talk about how fear and courage can spread through the people and environments around us, and how what we surround ourselves with can affect healing from anxiety and panic. We look at how easy it is to become more isolated over time, especially when stress, depression, trauma, or exhaustion lead us to withdraw.We discuss using the internet and daily routines more intentionally, including checking what groups, news, and media we spend time with.

Rather than retreating further, we encourage small steps toward connection and activity, while recognizing that some people are more introverted and need solitude to recharge.We also focus on moving out of isolation slowly and mindfully. We suggest starting with very small goals, such as moving around the house, going to the porch, mailbox, driveway, or nearby street, and then expanding gradually. If a step feels too big or triggers anxiety, we talk about treating it as a sign to slow down rather than as failure.The episode extends this approach to other parts of life, including news, entertainment, music, and shopping.

We suggest choosing calmer news sources, gentler shows, peaceful music, and using places like the grocery store as practice spaces for gradual exposure. We also encourage sitting with uncomfortable sensations, reminding ourselves that they are not dangerous, and planning small enjoyable outings with no pressure or goal beyond doing them.

#AnxietyRecovery #MentalHealthSupport #ExposureTherapy #AnxietyRelief #GentleHealing #SmallSteps #OvercomingIsolation #SelfCompassion #MindfulnessForAnxiety #EmotionalWellness #AnxietyCoachesPodcast #SelfCareJourney #StressManagement #CourageOverFear #MentalHealthAwareness #InnerPeace #BuildingResilience #SelfTrust #PacingYourself #AnxietyManagement #MindfulLiving #CalmingTools #OvercomingFear #EmotionalSafety #MentalWellbeing #HealingPath #AnxietyHelp #IsolationRecovery #AnxietyCommunity #HealingIsALearningProcess #GinaRyan #ACP

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1274: What Would Claire Weekes Say About Social Media And Anxiety? Aug 23, 2026

Show notes

In today's episode, Gina concludes her series on Claire Weekes' anxiety clearing process with reflections on what Dr. Weekes may have thought about the role of social media for people suffering with anxiety. The internet has held many benefits for people with anxiety, including learning about others who have a similar experience and how to remedy these aversive symptoms. It is quite clear the internet and social media can exacerbate anxiety substantially, as well. Listen in for advice on how to take the good and leave the bad with the internet and social media, as well as thoughts on what Claire Weekes might say about our situation 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:

Let time pass.

-Claire Weekes

Chapters

0:27 Final Claire Weeks Insights

2:35 Social Media and Anxiety

6:27 Comparing Recoveries Online

10:02 Doomscrolling and Symptom Checks

11:59 Recovery Influencers Trap

15:10 Back to Simplicity

18:34 Don’t Perform Recovery

20:16 Recovery Means Living

Summary

In this final episode of the 12-part Claire Weeks series, we revisit her ideas through a modern lens and define her term “nervous fatigue” as the exhaustion that comes from prolonged fear and tension. We also reflect on how her approach would apply to today’s online anxiety culture, while noting that this is speculative.We discuss how the internet can be helpful for people with anxiety by reducing shame, offering community, and pointing listeners to useful resources.

At the same time, we consider how searching, scrolling, and constant reassurance-seeking can become part of the anxiety cycle by teaching the brain that discomfort must be answered immediately.We look at how comparing our recovery to other people’s online stories can create pressure and a sense of falling behind. We also talk about doom scrolling, symptom videos, and recovery accounts, and how repeated attention to symptoms and danger can intensify fear and keep the nervous system on alert.

The episode closes by reviewing the main ideas from the series: sensitized nerves, first fear and second fear, acceptance, floating, letting time pass, and reducing symptom monitoring and reassurance seeking. The central message is to simplify, return attention to ordinary life, and avoid turning recovery into another performance.

#Anxiety #AnxietyRecovery #ClaireWeeks #DrClaireWeeks #MentalHealth #AnxietyRelief #PanicAttacks #NervousFatigue #Burnout #StressRelief #HealthAnxiety #OvercomingAnxiety #Mindfulness #MentalHealthAwareness #SocialMediaDetox #Doomscrolling #InnerPeace #SelfCare #MentalWellness #SelfHealing #AnxietySupport #NervousSystem #AnxietyManagement #StressManagement #AnxietyCoachesPodcast #GinaRyan #Aloha #HealingJourney #MentalHealthMatters #FindYourCalm #ACP

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1273: How To Stop Being Afraid Of Anxiety Sensations: The Claire Weekes Way Aug 19, 2026

Show notes

In today's episode, Gina continues her series on Claire Weekes' anxiety clearing methods. Specifically, how to begin to embrace anxiety sensations, rather than pushing them away in fear, is covered. This important practice can result in fast progress being made in anxiety recovery. Listen in and expand your knowledge of Claire Weekes and start reducing your anxiety!

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:

Do not run away from fear. Analyze it and see it as no more than a physical feeling.

-Claire Weekes

Chapters

0:27 Panic Is Exaggerated Fear

3:38 Sensations Aren’t the Emergency

5:38 Adrenaline and the Heart

9:11 Tingling and Derealization

12:36 The Digestive Anxiety Loop

15:28 From Detective to Observer

16:46 Let It Be for a Minute

19:31 Learning Through Experience

22:30 Keep Living Anyway

Summary

In this episode we continue our 12-part series on Dr. Claire Weekes through a modern Anxiety Coaches Podcast lens. We focus on the idea that panic is only fear exaggerated, and we frame panic as a high-arousal stress response rather than something mysterious or dangerous.We look at common anxiety sensations in the body, including a racing heart, tingling, nausea, shaky legs and hands, adrenaline surges, and derealization.

We discuss how these sensations feel very real, but how the frightened mind often adds a second layer of fear by interpreting them as emergencies.We revisit Claire Weekes’ distinction between first fear and second fear. First fear is the automatic body response, while second fear is the alarm reaction to the sensation itself. We emphasize that recovery comes less from eliminating every sensation and more from changing how we respond when they appear.We also talk about the role of monitoring, checking, and reassurance-seeking.

Whether it is checking the pulse, investigating tingling, or repeatedly testing whether things feel real, we describe these habits as keeping attention fixed on the symptoms. Instead, we practice allowing sensations to be present for a short time without interfering.We close with a simple exercise: when a familiar anxiety sensation shows up, ask whether we can let it be here for another minute, soften the body where possible, and return attention to daily life. The episode ends by returning to Claire Weekes’ message that we do not need to run away from fear, but can see it as a physical feeling and keep living.

#anxiety #panic #panicattack #claireweeks #mentalhealth #anxietyrecovery #stressresponse #anxietyrelief #mindfulness #nervoussystem #firstfear #secondfear #adrenaline #heartpalpitations #derealization #depersonalization #anxietyawareness #anxietysupport #mentalhealthmatters #copingmechanisms #anxietysymptoms #selfcare #wellness #podcast #anxietycoachespodcast #ginaryan #healing #overcominganxiety #stressrelief #sensation acceptance #exposure #bodyawareness #observer #innerpeace #calm #mentalwellness #holistichealth #emotionalhealth #mindbody #ACP

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1272: You May Be Recovering From Anxiety Without Realizing It Aug 16, 2026

Show notes

In today's episode, Gina continues her discussion of Claire Weekes' approach to anxiety clearing, particularly how nervous system exhaustion can manifest and how to proceed with anxiety clearing gradually. Anxiety recovery is generally a slow and uneven process, even boring. Letting go of constant monitoring and checking for anxiety can help us pivot into a general state of anxiety recovery, allowing sensations as they present themselves and continuing with our daily living activities. We grow more accustomed to adverse sensations over time and become more resilient. Listen in 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:

Summary

0:27 Anxiety Recovery Is Boring

1:53 Quiet Progress Counts

4:59 Claire Weekes’ Gentle Approach

8:18 Ordinary Mornings Matter

11:33 Live Before Confidence

15:05 Notice Recovery Backward

16:18 Safety Without Alarm

18:01 Living With Anxiety

19:55 Let Time Pass

21:02 Recovery Feels Like Nothing

23:17 Life Returns Slowly

Summary

In this episode we continue our series on Dr. Claire Weekes through the Anxiety Coaches Podcast lens, focusing on her approach to anxiety recovery alongside current understanding of the brain and nervous system. We explain her idea that “you are not ill, you are tired,” using it to describe nervous system exhaustion rather than disease.We explore the idea that recovery is often boring and gradual rather than dramatic.

Instead of a sudden breakthrough, we usually notice small stretches of ordinary life where anxiety is less central, such as making breakfast, driving, or talking to someone without focusing on symptoms.We discuss how repeated checking, monitoring, and fear can keep anxiety important in the brain. By continuing with ordinary activities while allowing sensations to be present, we give the nervous system new information that these sensations are not emergencies.We also talk about the common habit of turning recovery into a performance, with rules around acceptance, floating, exposure, or meditation.

The episode emphasizes that we do not need to do these perfectly, but rather reduce interference and let attention return to life.Another key point is that confidence often comes after action, not before it. We encourage starting small and living while still anxious, such as going to the store, taking a walk, or making plans, so that confidence can build from experience.We also explain that progress is uneven and may only become visible in hindsight.

#AnxietyCoachesPodcast #GinaRyan #ClaireWeeks #AnxietyRecovery #MentalHealth #NervousSystemHealing #AnxietyRelief #PanicAttackHelp #AcceptanceAndCommitment #FloatAndLetTimePass #Mindfulness #MentalHealthAwareness #StressRelief #OvercomingAnxiety #Overarousal #NervousSystemRegulation #MorningAnxiety #GentleExposure #HealthAnxiety #SelfHealing #InnerCalm #PeaceOfMind #MentalWellness #SelfCare #BrainNeuroplasticity #Neuroscience #EmotionalWellbeing #HealingIsBoring #OrdinaryRecovery #RecoveryJourney #ACP

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1271: Claire Weekes On Setbacks: You Haven't Lost Your Progress Aug 12, 2026

Show notes

In today's episode, Gina discusses Claire Weekes' thoughts on setbacks in the anxiety recovery process. Difficult days are a part of the anxiety recovery process. Even after much progress and periods of peace and calm, we are bound to experience the return of angst and discomfort. The key is to not let such bumps in the road lead to a loss of hope or a belief that we are on the right path towards more peace and groundedness. Listen in for more thoughts about setbacks during anxiety recovery and why they do not mean you are not getting better!

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Quote:

Let time pass. It is the great healer.

-Dr. Claire Weekes

Chapters

0:27 Setbacks Aren’t Square One

2:30 Stop Perfecting Recovery

8:39 Homework Becomes a Trap

11:05 Techniques Can’t Guarantee Safety

12:56 Chasing Certainty Never Ends

15:01 You’re Not Back at the Start

17:17 Recovery Is a Relationship

18:48 Continue, Don’t Restart

Summary

In this episode we talk about what a setback means in anxiety recovery and why it does not mean we have lost our progress. We explain that a difficult day, a return of anxiety, or a panic attack does not send us back to square one.We use Claire Weekes’s terms “sensitized nerves” and “loosen your grip” to describe a nervous system stuck in alarm mode and the need to stop over-controlling sensations.

We connect this to the idea that recovery is about trusting our body and mind to heal over time.We look at common patterns that make recovery feel harder, including perfectionism, making recovery into homework, collecting techniques, and chasing certainty. We note that practices like breathing, meditation, grounding, and journaling can be helpful, but they become burdensome when we treat them as required for safety.We also describe a more helpful response: continuing ordinary life while anxiety is present, rather than waiting for total calm first.

We emphasize that recovery is rarely linear, that nervous systems react to many stressors, and that familiar fear does not mean we have forgotten how to heal.We close by returning to Claire Weekes’s approach as a relationship with fear rather than a performance. We encourage patience, allowing time to pass, and continuing without starting over, while remembering that recovery is measured by our growing willingness not to organize life around fear.

#Anxiety #AnxietyRecovery #AnxietySupport #AnxietyRelief #PanicAttacks #PanicAttackRecovery #Setbacks #RecoveryIsNotLinear #NervousSystem #NervousSystemHealing #OveractiveAmygdala #Hypervigilance #ClaireWeeks #FaceAcceptFloat #LetTimePass #SensitizedNerves #LoosenYourGrip #SelfRegulation #MindBody #MindBodyConnection #SelfTrust #HealingJourney #RecoveryJourney #Perfectionism #MentalHealth #MentalHealthAwareness #MentalHealthPodcast #AnxietyCoachesPodcast #GinaRyan #StressRelief #ChronicStress #SelfCompassion #SelfCare #Mindfulness #MindfulLiving #OvercomingAnxiety #InnerPeace #PeaceAndCalm #EmotionalWellness #MentalWellness #OvercomingFear #LiveWithoutCertainty #GentleHealing #MentalHealthMatters #YouAreNotStartingOver #ACP

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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