In this episode of Us Anxious Folk, I talk all about the impact of long-term anxiety on the body, and how to work towards a sense of ease and peace within.

Anxiety is designed to have noticable (and uncomfortable) physical effects within the body. Short-term, this is fine - our bodies know how to recover. When it comes to long-term anxiety and panic, however, we start to find that our bodies are becoming a tricky place to inhabit.

I discuss how it felt to be in my own body during my housebound years, and the toll of chronic fear on my emotional and physical wellbeing. From digestive issues, muscle tension, sensory sensitivities, and food stress, to that full-body feeling of "no", and what the pathway towards willingness looks and feels like.

Mentioned in this episode:

Mary Oliver - Wild Geese

"You do not have to be good.

You do not have to walk on your knees

for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.

You only have to let the soft animal of your body

love what it loves.

Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.

Meanwhile the world goes on.

Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain

are moving across the landscapes,

over the prairies and the deep trees,

the mountains and the rivers.

Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,

are heading home again.

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,

the world offers itself to your imagination,

calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting -

over and over announcing your place

in the family of things.

- Mary Oliver, Wild Geese

Bloodaxe, 2004

I hope you enjoy this episode, and as always, if you would like to be a guest on Us Anxious Folk to share your anxiety story, please get in touch with me at hello@iamlaurenrose.com

In this episode of Us Anxious Folk, I share my recent mental health struggles - which saw an increase in panic but most notably, a heavy feeling of hopelessness.

I discuss the pressure and weight of expectation, the need to keep up a facade of being 'okay', the compartmentalising that a lot of us tend to do (especially parents) and how when you lose yourself to a mental health dip, it seems like the more you grasp at wellness, the further away you fall.

I talk about the non-negotiables for when I'm feeling this way - the things I know I need to do in order to safeguard myself, and the tiny little changes I made to start finding mental space again.

Trigger Warning: this episode touches on feelings of hopelessness and suicidal ideation.

Books mentioned in this episode: Go As A River, Shelley Read

If you are experiencing thoughts of self-harm or suicide, PLEASE don't be afraid to seek help. You can get help RIGHT NOW from Beyond Blue - call 1300 22 4636, or visit https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/get-immediate-support?&gclid=CjwKEAjwkPS6BRD2ioKR7K245jASJAD1ZqHOKpibw-KeAuRr2anqlMlyC8Kg0qn04AeBkubgTE1xhBoCN0Xw_wcB

In this requested episode of Us Anxious Folk, I talk all about how to cope with and navigate the idea of "time wasted". Spending years bound by panic and fear can leave you feeling as if you've missed out on your own life. Grief, guilt, regret, shame....these are all emotions that tend to arise when it comes to anxiety disorders.

This episode covers how and why we need to acknowledge grief, what happens when grief turns into resentment, and what we can do to shift and grief and release those emotions from our body.

I hope you enjoy this episode, and as always, if you would like to be a guest on Us Anxious Folk to share your anxiety story, please get in touch with me at hello@iamlaurenrose.com

In this episode of Us Anxious Folk, I am joined by Raymond - all the way from New Jersey - who shares his anxiety story.

Raymond talks about his experiences with panic attacks and agoraphobia in a way that so many of us can relate to - from his first panic attack as a teenager (and the consequent hospital trip) to facing derealisation, fear of dying and bodily sensations, and a deep fear of being alone.

We discuss the use of alcohol as a coping mechanism, staying in comfort zones, and navigating relationships when you are someone who deals with panic and limitations, and Raymond shares how he worked through his SVT (Supraventricular tachycardia) diagnosis, which can cause heart palpitations and an erratic and rapid heartbeat.

There was so much about this conversation that I loved - Raymond is a very real and intensely likeable human, and I hope you get as much joy out of this episode as I did.

You can find Raymond on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/therealraymondmichael

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I hope you enjoy this episode, and as always, if you would like to be a guest on the podcast and share your anxiety story, please get in touch with me at hello@iamlaurenrose.com.

I would love to have you!

iamlaurenrose.com

instagram.com/laurenr_rose

For all enquiries, please email me at "hello@iamlaurenrose.com"

In todays episode of Us Anxious Folk, we are talking New Years!

I discuss the most significant New Year's Eve in my life and how I turned things around during a time when I was housebound and miserable...and the one small tweak that helped me to get there.

I also discuss New Years resolutions...why they feel sticky, why they can be great, and how to approach them in the best possible mindset to avoid heading into disappointment and despair.

As this is the last episode of 2023, I wish you all a wonderful New Year, and I thank each and everyone of you for listening, for interacting, for sharing, and for all those anxious folk who were willing to come and share their anxiety story with me this year.

Here's to another year of being open and vulnerable and shining a light on some of the darkest parts of ourselves.

With much love,

Lauren

Mentioned in this episode:

Episode 14 - Ashley from California talks health anxiety, agoraphobia, inpatient & outpatient treatment programs...plus what *actually* worked

Episode 28 - Empowerment Coach and Breathwork facilitator Eliah Prichard talks creative coping, boundary setting, and how breath-work can help us to release and transform anxiety and panic.

Finding the life of your dreams...even WITH anxiety ✨

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I hope you enjoy this episode, and as always, if you would like to be a guest on the podcast and share your anxiety story, please get in touch with me at hello@iamlaurenrose.com.

I would love to have you!

iamlaurenrose.com

instagram.com/laurenr_rose

For all enquiries, please email me at "hello@iamlaurenrose.com"

In this (requested) episode of Us Anxious Folk, I talk all about the loss of pleasure...and how to find your way back to enjoying life again.

Dealing with anxiety and/or depressive disorders for any extended period of time can cause anhedonia: the inability to feel pleasure or joy. This can result in a feeling of numbness and separation with the world around you, and often causes motivation to even attempt to seek enjoyment to dip to an all-time low. Loss of pleasure becomes a double-edged sword, as not only does it feel pointless to try and have fun, but the failure to enjoy an activity once deemed pleasurable can cause further distress.

In this episode, I cover the biological reasons that pleasure is mostly inaccessible when we are living from survival mode, and how to find your way towards feeling joy and excitement in your life.

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I hope you enjoy this episode, and as always, if you would like to be a guest on the podcast and share your anxiety story, please get in touch with me at hello@iamlaurenrose.com.

I would love to have you!

iamlaurenrose.com

instagram.com/laurenr_rose

For all enquiries, please email me at "hello@iamlaurenrose.com"

In episode 32, I talk about how the heck to open up about your anxiety, especially in settings where it feels incredibly vulnerable to do so, e.g. at work, or in a new relationship.

We will cover why it feels so hard to be honest about your anxiety, why you should talk about your anxiety, and what to keep in mind when being open about your mental health.

I hope you enjoy this episode, and as always, if you would like to be a guest on the podcast and share your anxiety story, please get in touch with me at hello@iamlaurenrose.com.

I would love to have you!

iamlaurenrose.com

instagram.com/laurenr_rose

For all enquiries, please email me at "hello@iamlaurenrose.com"