Resources

Anxiety

  • Anxiety is like your brain’s way of trying to protect you — it’s that feeling of worry or nervousness that pops up when you’re facing something uncertain or stressful.

  • It shows up not just in your thoughts but in your body too — like racing heart, tense muscles, or that "butterflies in your stomach" feeling.

  • Everyone feels anxiety sometimes (it’s totally normal!), but when it gets too loud or sticks around too long, it can start getting in the way of daily life.

  • Simple practices like deep breathing, mindfulness, or moving your body can help calm your nervous system, making it easier to manage anxiety instead of feeling like it’s running the show.

When worry takes over.

It's that feeling of tightening in your chest, an increased heart rate, or racing thoughts. Your palms may sweat. You may tremble. Sometimes it's severe enough to land you in the emergency department thinking you're having a heart attack.

Our bodies have evolved to activate the stress response to help us ward off danger. This is useful as it helps us fight or flee when we need to, when there is something threatening our safety.

The problem is that our nervous systems can become overactive, and fire off the stress response when we're not really in danger. This can happen when our mind goes to the future. Unfortunately, when our minds shift to an unknown future, they may fill in the uncertainty with a story - and that story often likes to become a "worst case scenario". I like to refer to this as "future spiraling" - because what starts as one imagined outcome often snowballs into a catastrophe of epic proportions.

Fortunately, we can learn strategies to work with our body and mind to alleviate the overactivity of the stress response. It just takes some practice and consistency, ideally before your stress response reaches red alert status.

  • Breathing Practices

    Breathing practices are a powerful tool for enhancing physical and mental well-being. By deliberately controlling the breath, individuals can tap into a wide array of benefits.

    Access these free breathing practices to help reduce your anxiety.

    Link to practices

  • Physical Activity

    Physical activity can be a game-changer when it comes to managing anxiety. The benefits are pretty impressive.

    Exercise releases endorphins, those feel-good chemicals in your brain. Exercise also helps to burn off excess energy and tension. When you're anxious, your body can be in a constant state of alertness. Working out helps to bring it back into balance.

    Article

  • Meditation

    Meditation is a practice that involves observing one's thoughts, feelings, and experiences in the present moment without judgment.

    Studies in psychology and neuroscience show that it can have numerous cognitive and emotional benefits.

    Link to guided meditation

  • 10% Happier Podcast

    Dan Harris first began exploring meditation when he experienced anxiety and panic attacks.

    His podcast, 10% Happier, explores all styles of meditation with renowned teachers, practitioners, and thought leaders.

    The podcast is available on Apple, Spotify, Wondery, or on Dan Harris’s substack page.

    Podcast Link

  • Jon Kabat-Zinn

    Jon Kabat-Zinn is a pioneer in bringing mindfulness meditation into mainstream medicine. His work on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) has helped countless people find peace and well-being through meditation.

    Dr. Kabat-Zinn has several books, videos, and courses on leveraging the present moment.

    Website Link

  • Brene Brown - Podcast Episode

    In the 30-minute podcast linked below, Brene Brown talks about anxiety, over functioning, under functioning, and ways to build courage.

    Her book "Daring Greatly" includes a framework for addressing some of the deeper issues that can lead to anxiety.

    Podcast link