1245: Small Daily Things That Quiet Anxiety Naturally

Erin Moon (0:00): Are you the type of person who when I say in conclusion, no one knows or be suspicious of your certainty, you just take a little breath of fresh air? Or maybe you feel like this describes your faith journey. I'm Erin Moon, one of the hosts and resident bible scholar over at Faith Adjacent, the podcast that is unwavering in its pursuit to have spiritually abutting conversations that straddle the line between sacred and sacrilege. New Faith Adjacent episodes drop every Thursday, and you can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

Unknown (0:41): 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 (0:57): 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 wanna talk about something very simple and very powerful. And just because it's simple, I don't want you to discount it.

Gina Ryan (1:28): Small daily things can really make a difference. And we're gonna talk about some of those small daily things that can quiet anxiety naturally. You know, there's this idea that many of us carry sometimes quietly and sometimes loudly that if we could just find the one right thing, the one breakthrough, the one technique, that one shift, if we could just find it, then everything would finally settle. But anxiety doesn't usually soften that way. It doesn't respond best to that kind of intensity or urgency.

Gina Ryan (2:14): It responds to something much more gentle and much more consistent. So I'm hoping that some of these small daily things we're going to talk about today could become consistent in your life because anxiety responds to what we do every day. Your nervous system is always listening and what it listens for most is not what you do once in a while. It is not listening to what you think you're going to do, but it listens to what you do repeatedly. So today, I wanna share some small everyday kind of ways that you can begin to send your body a different message.

Gina Ryan (3:12): Not a fixing anxiety message, but quietly teaching your system. We're okay and we're safe enough right now. One of the most important things to understand is this. Your nervous system learns through patterns. Not through force, not through big dramatic efforts, but through small moments repeated over time.

Gina Ryan (3:45): That's how we got into this problem in the first place. Right? Our ticket down the wormhole was doing some scary things and scary thoughts over and over and over again. Well, we can work ourselves out and wind ourselves out in the other direction too. We're going to do that through some small moments repeated over time that are good for us.

Gina Ryan (4:10): And this can almost feel too simple. Right? You might hear some of these and think that won't make a difference. But this is how change actually happens. Not all at once, but little by little, your body begins to trust a new rhythm, a new baseline, and actually a new way of being in the world.

Gina Ryan (4:41): So let's walk through a few of these together, a few of these small daily things that can quiet anxiety. And as you listen to these, you don't need to take them all in. I hear this often with clients who come with a laundry list of things that they are doing, and it's almost being done in a fretful way. Right? Trying to tick everything off the list.

Gina Ryan (5:10): This is not how we're going to look at this today. We're going to look at this as walking through some of these ideas together. Again, not needing to take them all in, but noticing what feels easy or maybe quietly inviting, knowing that you don't have to do everything. Just like the whole show, you don't need to do everything that we talk about here. Each one of you learn in a different way.

Gina Ryan (5:43): You will respond. Your nervous system will respond in a different way to different activities. So we go over a lot of different things here, hoping to make inroads to each and every one of you. So today, we're gonna add some of those things that are small, but they are done consistently very effective. The first one is stepping outside early in the day.

Gina Ryan (6:14): You've probably heard this over and over as great way to be healthy, to get your sunshine in the beginning of the day. And we're talking about it here too because it's really important even if you do it for only a minute or two, letting that natural light reach your eyes. This gently tells your body a new day has begun. It helps regulate your internal rhythm and begins the day with a subtle signal of safety. Before we begin, let's hear from the sponsors that support the show.

Gina Ryan (6:59): Spring always feels like a season of clearing out the old and starting fresh. And lately, I've been thinking about that with what I put in my body too, especially water. Did you know that three out of four US homes have toxic chemicals in their tap water? Even water that looks clear can contain contaminants and standard pitcher filters often don't remove that much. That's why I love AquaTrue.

Gina Ryan (7:26): It's the countertop water purifier we use for crisp, clean water all spring and summer long, whether I'm filling my water bottles, making tea, or just trying to stay hydrated in the warmer weather. AquaTrue is certified to remove 84 contaminants including lead, chlorine, forever chemicals, and microplastics with its powerful four stage reverse osmosis system. No plumbing, no installation, and I love that ease. And 98% of customers say that their water is cleaner, safer, and healthier. It just makes healthy hydration feel easy.

Gina Ryan (8:05): Head to aquatru.com now and get 20% off your purifier using promo code ACP. Aqua Tru even comes with a thirty day best tasting water guarantee or your money back. Take the guesswork out of pure, great tasting water with this exclusive podcast only offer now at aquatrue.com, aquatru.com, using promo code a c p. If summer travel brings excitement and a little bit of anxiety, you know you're not alone. Sometimes, even learning a few phrases in another language can help you feel more grounded and confident.

Gina Ryan (8:45): That's one reason I've been enjoying Babbel for learning Spanish. Building real conversation skills feels rewarding, and I love knowing I may use them in future travels. What I love really is how flexible it is. I'm somebody who likes flexibility in my day and some days I do a quick lesson. Other days I can listen to a Babbel podcast or practice speaking out loud.

Gina Ryan (9:11): And because so many people give up trying to learn a language, I appreciate that Babbel keeps it approachable with topic based courses, personalized review lists, and bite sized lessons that fit real life. With 14 languages to choose from, Babbel makes lasting progress feel possible, and every course comes with a fourteen day money back guarantee. I love that Babbel meets you in different ways through lessons, podcasts, speaking practice, and personalized review. Here's a special limited time deal for our listeners. Right now, get up to 60% off your Babel subscription at baebel.com/acp.

Gina Ryan (9:57): Spring is so beautiful, isn't it? But if you deal with pollen, you know it can also mean sneezing, congestion, and a kinda heavy feeling in the air. Honestly, one thing I've been loving this spring is my Air Doctor. It keeps the house feeling fresh, and I've noticed so much less sneezing, which has been a gift. Air Doctor is the only air purifier I use in my home, and I love knowing its powerful three stage filtration captures particles about a 100 times smaller than what ordinary purifiers can remove.

Gina Ryan (10:30): It removes things like pollen, dust, mold spores, pet dander, even smoke, bacteria, viruses, and VOCs. It runs whisper quiet and it has an auto mode that adjusts 20 fourseven and even reminds you when to change the filter. No wonder ninety three percent of customers report fewer allergy symptoms and Air Doctor was named Newsweek's Reader's Choice Award for Best Air Purifier. For me, it just makes home feel a little cleaner, calmer, and a great place to breathe. Head to airdoctorpro.com and use promo code ACP to get up to $300 off today.

Gina Ryan (11:09): 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. The second one is letting your eyes rest on something natural. A tree, the sky, the clouds moving slowly. When your eyes are left to be able to soften like this, your whole nervous system softens.

Gina Ryan (11:52): You're stepping out of the scanning mode and into simply noticing. This shift can be so relieving if you are one who scans the horizon for danger in your mind all the time. This kind of a focus on a tree, the sky, or the clouds moving can really help you to step out of that scanning mode. The third one is unclenching your body. So often we're holding the tension without realizing it.

Gina Ryan (12:32): Check right now. Your jaw, your shoulders, your hands, where are they at? Every now and then throughout your day, you could just ask, where am I holding tension right now? And gently let go. Even letting go 5% can make a difference.

Gina Ryan (12:55): That's enough. Again, these are simple and they don't need to be complicated. But if we can do them throughout our day, it's going to make a difference. The fourth one is lengthening your exhale. And no need to overcomplicate this.

Gina Ryan (13:16): And again, I know I need to do an episode on why the box breathing doesn't always help with anxiety. It's actually not the way to breathe. You are not a Navy SEAL, and you are trying to actually really calm your nervous system. You do not need to be ready for anything right now. So lengthening your exhale is the best place to put your emphasis on your breathing.

Gina Ryan (13:49): And, again, I'll I'll do a longer episode on all the different kinds of breathing, but I read a great study recently on why particular ones are not helpful for anxiety. And it brought it all back down to basics and what we've been talking about here forever of just lengthening the exhale, letting the exhale be a little bit longer and a little bit slower. Maybe it's not even noticeably longer, just slightly. This is one of the simplest ways to tell your nervous system you can settle. And the fifth one is doing one thing a little slower.

Gina Ryan (14:39): We live in such a culture of rushing. So choose one small thing in your day. Maybe it's drinking your herbal tea or your decaf coffee. Maybe it's when you wash your hands. Maybe it's when you're walking from one room to another.

Gina Ryan (15:00): And just do it a little more slowly than usual. Not dramatically, but just enough to interrupt the feeling of urgency. Even bringing your attention to one of these small things and doing it slower will bring an awareness that you may have not realized how mindlessly you did these things or how quickly you did them. We can bring our attention to almost anything we are doing throughout the day. Find that one thing and slow it down.

Gina Ryan (15:44): Number six is reducing input. I love this one. Even for a few minutes, reducing input, turning off a podcast. Yes. I said it.

Gina Ryan (15:58): Putting down your phone. Letting there be a little quiet in your day. Your system needs space to come back to itself. And although we enjoy consuming and learning and growing, we also need to have those quiet times so that we can have the space that we need to grow, that quiet for the system to come back to itself. Number seven is gentle self talk.

Gina Ryan (16:39): You know, the way that you speak to yourself really matters. And I hope that through listening to this show, you've become aware of how you speak to yourself. It's a habit that we all probably have had, and we get better the more we pay attention to it. Are we still gonna have those rough days where we're talking to ourself like a drill sergeant? Yes.

Gina Ryan (17:04): Probably. But we are aware of it, and we can correct it, and we can actually smile if we catch ourselves doing that and try to bring in one of these simple phrases. They don't have to be elaborate. Something just simple and steady. Something like, I'm okay.

Gina Ryan (17:26): Even if you caught yourself being hard on yourself, you can just smile and say, but I'm okay. How about this will pass? That's a great one when we're having a tough time. This will pass. And another one is I can be with this moment.

Gina Ryan (17:47): We already know we can do hard things. We can remind ourselves with gentle self talk that I can be with this moment. So let your tone be kind, not convincing, not trying to talk yourself into it, just kind. Number eight, completing small tasks. This is really a good one.

Gina Ryan (18:15): If you can work on finishing one small thing, it'll make a difference. And if you do it every day, you're gonna really notice some changes. It could be something like making the bed if you don't already do that. Cleaning a particular surface in your home or your office. Keeping it clear of clutter.

Gina Ryan (18:40): Sending that one email that you have been resisting and procrastinating on. Send it. Completion gives your brain a sense of closure. It closes a loop and the brain is on fire with too many open loops. So if we can find some small tasks that we can complete, we can close a bunch of loops and give our brain that sense of closure.

Gina Ryan (19:12): It's a sense of I can do things. I can move forward. And number nine, brief movement. And by this, I mean a short walk, a stretch, even just standing up and shaking out your arms. I had to do that today.

Gina Ryan (19:33): I was realizing I was cold in the house, and it's not even cold outside. I think it was my lack of circulation because I'd been slaving away at the computer for quite a while. So just shake out your arms like I did and get that blood flowing again. Movement helps your body process what it's holding, especially when you're feeling restless or stuck. Take that brief movement.

Gina Ryan (20:03): Number 10, noticing something pleasant. This one is powerful. Just noticing. Even now, see if you can do it with me. Notice something.

Gina Ryan (20:17): Is it the warmth of the air? How about the light? Is that pleasant? Do you feel comfortable right now? That's pleasant.

Gina Ryan (20:30): A small moment that feels okay. I want you to register pleasantness, okayness. I want you to be able to remember that you can also feel the good things, not just the struggle. And when we do these things and notice something pleasant throughout the days, we are gently teaching our brain that this exists too, not just danger. So now as you hear all of these, you might feel a pull to try to do them all, but that's not the point again.

Gina Ryan (21:13): You don't need a new routine. You don't need a perfect system or the holy grail. Just one or two of these things done gently or consistently, you can begin to shift how you feel throughout your day. And this isn't about managing anxiety in big, dramatic ways. It's about building a quiet, steady relationship with your nervous system because it's part of you that is trying to take care of you.

Gina Ryan (21:48): It's always trying to get back up on keel. Over time, these small changes and things that we've been talking about become familiar. And what's familiar begins to feel safe, and your amygdala can finally stand down. So before we close-up for today, let's take a few moments together. Nothing complicated, just a simple way to experience this directly.

Gina Ryan (22:21): If you can, let your body settle just a little where you are. You might soften your gaze or you might gently close your eyes if that's safe to do and begin by noticing your breath. No need to change it. Just notice it. And now very gently, let your exhale become just a little longer.

Gina Ryan (22:49): Not forced, just a soft lengthening. And, again, a slightly longer exhale. Let your shoulders drop even just a little bit. Let your jaw soften. And now bring your attention to your body and ask quietly, where am I holding tension right now?

Gina Ryan (23:17): And whatever you notice, just let it soften, even that little 5% I mentioned earlier. No need to release it completely, just a little. And now see if you can notice something around you that feels neutral or pleasant. Maybe it's the feeling of your chair supporting you. Maybe it's the temperature of the air on your skin, a sense of warmth.

Gina Ryan (23:46): Just resting your attention there. No effort. Just noticing. And now gently say to yourself, I'm okay in this moment, and let that land. Let it land in whatever way it can.

Gina Ryan (24:06): And take one more slow breath, a longer exhale. And when you're ready, come on back because we're gonna close-up. These small moments, these quiet shifts, they matter more than they seem. They're how your nervous system learns a new way little by little, moment by moment, nothing forced and nothing rushed. So until next time, may you feel safe, may you feel calm, and may you feel a little more ease in your day.

Gina Ryan (24:48): And now for today's quote. Little by little, one travels far. And that's from JRR Tolkien. I'll be back in a few more days with another podcast. Until then, be well and aloha.

Unknown (25:10): Thanks so much for joining us for today's episode of the Anxiety Coaches Podcast. Find more information at the anxietycoachespodcast.com.

Unknown (25:28): Insurance isn't one size fits all, and shopping for it shouldn't feel like squeezing into something that just doesn't fit. That's why drivers have enjoyed Progressive's Name Your Price tool for years. With the Name Your Price tool, you tell them what you want to pay, and they show you options that fit your budget. Enough hunting for discounts, trying to calculate rates, and tinkering with coverages. Maybe you're picking out your very first policy, or maybe you're just looking for something that works better for you and your family.

Unknown (25:53): Either way, they make it simple to see your options. No guesswork. No surprises. Ready to see how easy and fun shopping for car insurance can be? Visit progressive.com and give the Name Your Price tool a try.

Unknown (26:04): Take the stress out of shopping and find coverage that fits your life on your terms. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Price and coverage match limited by state law.