1235: What Makes Anxiety Worse? 12 Hidden Triggers You Might Be Missing

Unknown Speaker (0:07): Welcome to the anxiety coaches podcast, a relaxing and informative show where we explore anxiety, panic, and PTSD, sharing how you can overcome them for life.

Gina Ryan (0:23): Aloha. Welcome back to the Anxiety Coaches Podcast. I'm your host and coach, Gina Ryan, and I am so happy to be with you again today as together we can consider the many ways to bring your mind and body back to its natural peace and calm. In today's episode, I want to talk about something that can bring a surprising amount of relief. Instead of asking, why am I like this?

Gina Ryan (0:54): Or why isn't my anxiety going away? We're going to gently explore something different. We're going to look at what might be making anxiety worse. Not in a blaming way, not in a you're doing something wrong way, but in a curious, compassionate way. Because so often, anxiety isn't just coming from nowhere.

Gina Ryan (1:20): It doesn't just pop up out of the blue. We've talked about that here on the show many times. It's being influenced quietly, steadily by how we're living our lives, how we are caring for our bodies, and what we are surrounding ourselves with. And when we start to see those influences, we gain back a sense of choice. We gain back a sense of agency and we gain back a sense of possibility.

Gina Ryan (1:55): And let me tell you, one of the greatest things you need for getting on the other side of being afraid of your anxiety is the hope, the possibility that it can happen. Without that, you may be circling the wormhole for a long time. You have to have the possibility. So that's why I wanted to look at the influences today so that it can take it out of your mind that this is never gonna happen. This is just who I am.

Gina Ryan (2:32): This is just how I'm wired. Yes. I will say you are probably wired more toward the anxious, very sensitive nervous system. But that doesn't mean you have to live with anxiety. You do not have to live down the wormhole.

Gina Ryan (2:49): So here we go with the number one part I wanna start with is the body basics. I wanna start with the body because anxiety is not just a mental experience. It is a whole body experience, and your nervous system is incredibly sensitive to how it's being supported or not. So let's look at a few of the big ones. You know what the top of my list is because you have listened to the show more than once, and caffeine is the big one.

Gina Ryan (3:24): Caffeine stimulates your nervous system. It increases your heart rate, alertness, and in many cases jitters that feel exactly like anxiety. I suggest eliminating caffeine to make noticeable difference in your stress levels. You won't notice those differences overnight, but steadily. And on the other hand, you may notice big differences pretty soon after you give up the caffeine.

Gina Ryan (3:59): I have so many emails and case studies with clients and a recent group member who gave up his caffeine and reports to us week after week on our Zoom calls how different he feels, how much of a difference giving up that caffeine that he didn't wanna give up. Believe me. None of us want to because it it works. It does a lot of things we like, but it also gives us those jitters that feel exactly like anxiety. It is like sipping on cortisol and adrenaline and saying to your body, okay, here's some more of that.

Gina Ryan (4:43): And for the anxious person, you already have a nervous system that is sensitive to those things, so do not add more to it. Give it a try. Caffeine can make a big difference. Next up would be on our list of things that we can think about as making our anxiety worse for us is our sleep patterns. When we neglect sleep, the nervous system becomes more reactive.

Gina Ryan (5:16): Everything feels louder, more urgent, more overwhelming. Even one or two nights of poor sleep can make anxiety feel much harder to manage. And this isn't weakness, it's biology. So look into your sleep. Where is it?

Gina Ryan (5:36): And stop blaming yourself for things that maybe are coming from a sleep pattern that is not helpful for you. Next up would be skipping meals and the blood sugar swings that they can bring about. When your body isn't getting steady fuel, now this is different for every individual. Some people can go very long periods of time without eating. I understand that.

Gina Ryan (6:05): And intermittent fasting can be very helpful for your health. But I want to talk about if you are stuck in an anxiety loop to look at this, your body may not be getting the steady fuel that it is particularly looking for and it can interpret that as stress. Not eating can feel stressful to your body. And low blood sugar, on the other hand, also can create sensations like shakiness, irritability, racing thoughts, which can be easily interpreted as anxiety or panic. But sometimes it is simply low blood sugar.

Gina Ryan (6:48): And sometimes the most supportive thing is simply eating regularly until you get this anxiety piece ironed out and then experimenting with your eating patterns for your health in other ways. Again, everybody is different with this and not only are we all different, but at different stages in our lives. I used to have horrible blood sugar swings when I was younger and I do not have that anymore. I don't know. I can go very long periods of time without eating.

Gina Ryan (7:25): That is fine for me now. But back in the day, I actually used to carry little baggies full of nuts and seeds with me in case this was long before they had like power bars and granola bars. I needed to have something with me in case I needed to eat. So check that out with yourself. Just in this season of your life, you may need to eat more regularly.

Gina Ryan (7:52): Sugar and alcohol are other big ones. Both can create spikes and crashes in the body. Alcohol may feel calming in the moment, but it often leads to increased anxiety later, especially the next day, and you may not be linking those together. And sugar can create the same roller coaster effect like I mentioned just a moment ago. Hydration is big.

Gina Ryan (8:20): Even mild dehydration can cause increased feelings of fatigue, of tension, and unease. And sometimes the nervous system is simply asking for something very basic. Water, rest, fuel and we are ignoring that and placing our symptoms and sensations onto some mental thing. So pay attention, where is your body at? Before we begin, let's hear from the sponsors that support the show.

Gina Ryan (8:56): Thanks, Air Doctor, for sponsoring today's episode. You know, since I recently moved into a new home, air quality has been something I've been thinking about a lot more. I found Air Doctor online when I was looking for a way to feel more confident about the air I'm breathing every day, and now it's the only air purifier I use in my home. What you'll notice are fewer lingering odors, easier breathing, especially with seasonal changes. Air Doctor uses a powerful three stage filtration system that captures particles about 100 times smaller than what typical air purifiers can remove.

Gina Ryan (9:29): We're talking dust, pollen, mold spores, pet dander, even bacteria, viruses, smoke, and BOCs. It's whisper quiet, which I love, and it has an auto mode that adjusts throughout the day to keep your air clean twenty four seven. 98% of customers say their air feels cleaner and healthier. It's even been recognized with Newsweek's Reader Choice Award for best air purifier. Head to airdoctorpro.com and use promo code ACP to get up to $300 off today.

Gina Ryan (10:00): Air doctor comes with a thirty day money back guarantee plus a three year warranty and $84 value free. Get this exclusive podcast only offer now at airdoctorpro.com, airdoctorpro.com using promo code ACP. Let's pause now for a word from one of our sponsors. If you've ever wanted to learn a new language but felt overwhelmed, you're not alone. Most people give up before they really get going.

Gina Ryan (10:31): That's why I've been loving Babbel. I've been using it to learn Spanish as a kind of self improvement practice, if you will, and learning real conversation skills feels incredibly rewarding. I know I'll use this eventually in my life going forward. What I love is how flexible it is. Some days, I do a quick lesson.

Gina Ryan (10:52): Other days, I listen or practice speaking, and it's all right in the app. Babbel adapts to how you learn best with personalized plans, real time feedback, and progress tracking that keeps you gently moving forward. With over 25,000,000 subscriptions sold and 14 languages to choose from, Babbel is a science backed app that actually works. Plus, there's a fourteen day money back guarantee. Here's a limited time deal for our listeners.

Gina Ryan (11:24): Right now, get up to 60% off your Babbel subscription at babbel.com/acp. Thanks, Shopify, for sponsoring today's episode. When I first started in podcasting and my coaching business, it felt overwhelming. I was wearing all the hats, tech, scheduling, branding, and doing it mostly on my own. Looking back, I really wish I had Shopify because Shopify is the commerce platform behind millions of businesses, including brands like Allbirds and Gymshark, and so many just getting started.

Gina Ryan (12:01): You can build a beautiful online store with ready to use templates, and their AI tools help you write product descriptions, headlines, and even improve your images. Plus, they make marketing simple with email and social tools built right in. And everything lives in one place, inventory, payments, analytics, so you're not juggling platforms. It just makes things easier. And when it all starts to flow, you know it's working.

Gina Ryan (12:30): Start your business today with the industry's best business partner, Shopify, and start hearing Sign up for your $1 per month trial today at shopify.com/coaches. Go to shopify.com/coaches. That's shopify.com/coaches.

Unknown Speaker (12:50): Winter winds are blowing in. Golden Nugget Casino brings your favorite game straight to you. Play for big wins on more than 1,000 slots, including the wildly popular Huff and More Puff. New players get 500 spins on any Huff and Puff slot. Just wager $5 on almost anything to unlock 50 spins a day for your first ten days on your choice of huff and puff slots.

Unknown Speaker (13:14): Download the Golden Nugget online casino app and sign up with code K a t z gold. Then make any moment golden with all of your casino favorites in partnership with Golden Nugget online casino. Gambling problem? Call 1800. Please play responsibly.

Unknown Speaker (13:31): 21 and over. Physically present in Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia only. Boyd in Ontario. Non withdrawal casino spins issued as 50 spins per day for ten days valid for featured game only and expire each day after twenty four hours. See terms at goldennuggetcasino.com/promos.

Unknown Speaker (13:46): Ends April 5 at 11:59PM eastern time.

Gina Ryan (13:50): Now I wanna move into movement and environment, widening the lens a little bit because it's not just about what's happening inside the body. It is also about how we are living. Now, maybe you're not getting enough movement. Your body is designed to move. Movement helps process stress hormones.

Gina Ryan (14:12): Did you hear that? Movement helps process stress hormones. It helps to regulate your nervous system. Movement can be your friend. And this doesn't have to mean intense exercise, although there can be a time and a place for that also.

Gina Ryan (14:30): It can be walking. It can be stretching, even just getting up and moving your body throughout the day. The next thing would be in your environment is not getting enough time outside. There is something deeply regulating about natural light, fresh air, and being in nature. It helps to anchor the body.

Gina Ryan (14:56): It reminds your system that you are safe here in this moment brings you back to the present moment. Even a few minutes can make a difference. Next up would be too much time online. Yep, it's just the opposite of being outside, right? This is a subtle but powerful one because constant input, constant comparison, and constant stimulation can keep the nervous system on, especially when we're scrolling content about anxiety, symptoms or worst case scenarios or health issues, right?

Gina Ryan (15:38): Sometimes what we call research is actually simply fuel for anxiety. Please look into that. Watching the news is next up because the human brain is not designed to process a constant stream of global distress. When we take in too much of it, the body can respond as if the danger is immediate and personal. It's okay to be informed, but it's also okay to be protected.

Gina Ryan (16:14): Take care of yourself at this season in your life. Next up is a messy or overwhelming environment. Your external space affects your internal state. Clutter, noise, and visual overwhelm can create subtle background stress. Maybe there's things in your life you can't control, but if you can control the clutter, the noise, or the visual overwhelm you get from seeing clutter around you, you would be best to take care of that.

Gina Ryan (16:50): This doesn't mean that everything has to be perfect, but small moments of creating order can feel like exhaling. It lets your nervous system rest. I'd like to move now into the inner landscape of our lives by going a little bit deeper because some of the biggest amplifiers of anxiety are internal patterns. Over scheduling ourselves and having no white space is one of those. When every moment is filled, the nervous system never gets a chance to settle.

Gina Ryan (17:34): Even if the things you are doing are good or productive, your system needs pauses. Your nervous system needs moments of nothing. Next would be the perfectionism and the pressure that we can put on ourselves. That quiet inner voice that says, I should be doing better. I should have this all figured out.

Gina Ryan (18:02): That kind of pressure creates tension in the body and anxiety grows in that tension. So pay attention to your inner voice. Even with your journey out of anxiety, do you tell yourself, I should be further along than I am? I should be different by now? Why am I still feeling like this?

Gina Ryan (18:26): That is putting pressure on yourself and wanting things to be perfect. Remember, anxiety grows in that kind of tension. Next up would be constant self monitoring. You know, we used to call this checking in eating disorder world of helping clients get a hold of their eating patterns and their distress and why they eat the way they do. We called it checking.

Gina Ryan (18:57): And it's true in anxiety too. How do I feel? Is this anxiety? Is it getting worse? That checking in, feeling your body.

Gina Ryan (19:08): Oh, let's see. What kind of sensations am I having? What is my pain level feeling like? Always checking. This can unintentionally keep your attention locked onto symptoms.

Gina Ryan (19:23): And what we focus on, well, you know the saying, it tends to amplify. Next is avoidance of discomfort. This is a big one, and this one is so understandable. When it comes to feeling uncomfortable, we want to get away from it. That is natural.

Gina Ryan (19:45): But over time, avoiding discomfort can make the nervous system more sensitive, less tolerant and more reactive. We don't want to wrap ourselves in cotton batting so that we move through the world not feeling any sense of discomfort. The world is a painful place. Yes. And we can tolerate a lot.

Gina Ryan (20:14): We are strong. And we can take what the world is giving us and sort things out so that we are safe and we are in a good place, but avoiding all discomfort will not lead us to a healing way at all. We will become less tolerant of the world around us, less tolerant of what we are feeling inside our own minds and bodies, and we will become more reactive. Next up is not asking for help. Carrying everything alone can be incredibly heavy.

Gina Ryan (20:53): We are not meant to regulate in isolation. Sometimes anxiety lingers simply because we are holding too much by ourselves. Think about these, and I want to have a gentle reflection on this. As you have been listening to these, I wanna offer a very gentle invitation not to fix everything. You may have heard me talk about these and found yourself in all of them.

Gina Ryan (21:25): I get that. I was there. You don't need to fix everything. You don't need to overhaul your life overnight, but simply ask what might be contributing to how I am feeling right now? And even more gently, what is one small thing that I could soften?

Gina Ryan (21:48): Maybe it's having less coffee. Maybe it's having half decaf, half regular coffee. Maybe it's finding the best decaf on the planet and enjoying that. Maybe it's going to bed a little earlier. Maybe it's stepping outside for a few minutes.

Gina Ryan (22:12): Maybe it's asking for support in whatever way possible for you. These small shifts in our lives matter. They matter way more than you think. Anxiety doesn't always need to be fought. Sometimes it needs to be understood.

Gina Ryan (22:34): And I would like to venture to say it needs to be understood and cared for way more than it needs to be fought. Sometimes we gotta fight. I get it. But sometimes we need to understand what is happening to us, and our anxiety may need to be supported, to be listened to. That could be the key to what is contributing to your constant anxious feelings.

Gina Ryan (23:04): Your body is not working against you. It is responding and it is talking to you. It is responding to everything that has been given. And when you begin to change what you give it, even in small compassionate ways, you may start to notice a little more space, a little more ease, and a little more calm. Thank you so much for spending this time with me today.

Gina Ryan (23:38): Remember, healing anxiety is a journey, one step, one breath, one act of kindness toward yourself at a time. If this episode was helpful, I'd love for you to share it with a friend who might need a little extra support right now. And don't forget to subscribe so you won't miss future episodes. So until next time, be gentle with yourself and take a loving breath and know that you are not your anxiety. You are so much more.

Unknown Speaker (24:14): And now for today's quote. Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live. And that's from Jim Rohn. I'll be back in a few more days with another podcast.

Unknown Speaker (24:32): Until then, be well and aloha.

Unknown Speaker (24:37): Thanks so much for joining us for today's episode of the anxiety coaches podcast. Find more information at the anxietycoachespodcast.com.