1257: From Listening To Living The Tools: Diane's Anxiety Recovery Journey Part 2

Gina Ryan (0:00): Starting something new isn't just hard. It's vulnerable. When I started hosting this podcast, I had all the classic fears. What if no one listens? What if I fail?

Gina Ryan (0:11): What if I'm just talking into the void? But here's what I know now. Growth doesn't come from certainty. It comes from support. And that's what I love about platforms like Shopify.

Gina Ryan (0:22): They're built for people who have an idea but don't wanna get lost in the tech. Shopify helps you create a store that actually reflects your brand even if design isn't your thing. They help you reach the right people with email and social tools that don't feel overwhelming. And if you hit a wall, their award winning customer support is there twenty four seven. Because building something meaningful is hard enough, you shouldn't have to do it without backup.

Gina Ryan (0:53): 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. Starting something new isn't just hard. It's vulnerable.

Gina Ryan (1:19): When I started hosting this podcast, I had all the classic fears. What if no one listens? What if I fail? What if I'm just talking into the void? But here's what I know now.

Gina Ryan (1:31): Growth doesn't come from certainty. It comes from support, and that's what I love about platforms like Shopify. They're built for people who have an idea but don't want to get lost in the tech. Shopify helps you create a store that actually reflects your brand even if design isn't your thing. They help you reach the right people with email and social tools that don't feel overwhelming.

Gina Ryan (1:56): And if you hit a wall, their award winning customer support is there twenty four seven. Because building something meaningful is hard enough, you shouldn't have to do it without backup. 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 (2:38): 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 (2:54): 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. Welcome back to the show. Today, we are continuing my interview with our listener, Diane, and her anxiety recovery journey.

Gina Ryan (3:23): Be sure to listen to the earlier parts as she gives so much insight into anxiety and the healing journey. Let's get going. If I had to do it all over again, she said, I would tell the old me to start with number one, work on the body first. Ten months after my, quote, breakdown in 2020, I saw my doctor. She listened and asked questions between my crying fits and suggested I stop watching news and ordered medication.

Gina Ryan (3:58): I was skeptical, but desperate. So I did it. The first couple of weeks on the medication gave me the physical rest I needed to even get started since I had been in a constant state of anxiety and agitation for ten months by then. Number two, I would start a regular practice of resting in the dark room and getting outside every day. I wasn't able to add meditation until my brain had slowed down a bit, and then only for a few minutes.

Gina Ryan (4:33): Number three, I would listen over and over again to the episodes that calmed me the best. These changed over time. Number four, slow down physically. Make slower movements and add time between things. Stop hurrying.

Gina Ryan (4:54): Slowing down tells your mind that you are safe. And number four, stick with the meditation. It was a relief to find out that everyone else's mind jumps around. I quit feeling bad when my mind wandered. Now I know it's just what minds do.

Gina Ryan (5:17): Every time I realize I've wandered, I'm proud of myself at the moment I return to my meditative state. For me, meditating every day is critical. I can tell it helps when stress overwhelms me at other times. Yes. It's a lot of work and it takes time, but just do it.

Gina Ryan (5:42): Next, I asked her if someone is having a real difficult day with their anxiety. What gentle advice would you offer them? She said, take a big break. It's not a good time to do something challenging. Reschedule.

Gina Ryan (5:59): Reframe. Just stop. Treat it like a physical illness that requires slowing down and taking care of it. Then I asked her, when you look back at yourself, when anxiety felt strongest, what would you want that earlier version of you to know? And she said that you're going to be okay.

Gina Ryan (6:25): There's a way out of this madness, and this isn't forever. I asked her, what does feeling calmer mean to you now, Diane? She said calmer is when I can feel the muscles in my body relax, shoulders, jaw, and everywhere else, and when my mind stops hopping around. I also asked Diane, is there anything that you want other listeners to hear that I didn't ask you about? And she said it was so important for me to understand how the mind can create tension or fear in the body.

Gina Ryan (7:12): Sometimes it's only the body that's having a problem and not the mind. But the body tells the mind something's wrong. That's a vicious cycle, and something has to be done to make it stop. There are a lot of ways to relax the body, and those will help to calm the mind. She continued, you just have to keep practicing and practicing.

Gina Ryan (7:44): When you think you're all better, anxiety will sneak back in, but it's not a disaster. Just a chance to practice some more. It's normal to be anxious from time to time, she said. Don't let it drag you back down. Go back to your strategies.

Gina Ryan (8:04): I'll check myself to see if I'm hungry, tired, angry, sad, or some other emotion. I check-in with my breathing to see if I need a rescue inhaler for my asthma. Don't make it bigger than it is. Those are great strategies, Diane. Before we begin, let's hear from the sponsors that support the show.

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Gina Ryan (13:08): Five years later, I'm meditating five minutes a day. Another strategy she listed, she said, My doctor referred me to a diabetic clinic nurse who taught me how to manage blood sugar levels. I lost a pound or two a month and eventually lost 35 pounds. I still have to manage it daily, and it's hard work. She also said I made and kept all medical appointments, including dental appointments, which I really don't like.

Gina Ryan (13:43): Another one that she listed, she said I ended contact with three people and two groups that no longer served me and I didn't like. This took a lot of courage, and I got serious blowback. It took nerves of steel to hold my ground, and some people persisted aggressively, but I held my ground. And then in capital letters, she wrote, so glad I did this. Another strategy she listed, she said count to 90 when I'm first alarmed.

Gina Ryan (14:20): If I can recognize what's happening fast enough, still getting better at this. It's a work in progress, or should I say practice. Made my bed in the morning, she said, cleared out some messes and gradually got more stuff out of the way. I started predictable routines, not at any particular time, but gradually over the morning and evening, made my bed, took my meds, ate, got some kind of exercise, and so on. She said I subscribed to anything that could trigger me.

Gina Ryan (14:59): I turned off media feeds that bother me, and now I only see Internet feeds that I like. She said news wasn't necessary. I can stop looking at it for a day or a week or longer. If something's really important, I'll hear about it somewhere else. I keep my news light and local and not every day.

Gina Ryan (15:27): She said in year three, I quit drinking alcohol. I thought I would miss it, but it doesn't come up. Now I sit first thing in the morning, she said. Just sit for a while with a hot drink in silence. Gradually, she said, I mean very gradually, I moved bedtime up to 10:15 instead of 11:30.

Gina Ryan (15:54): I'm working on getting to bed at ten now. I have to start getting ready for bed earlier, but I do it a little at a time. Then she said I walk every day from a few blocks up to two miles or more. If I can't walk, I at least get outside. Then she said I started to go places, at first only for medical appointments, and someone drove me.

Gina Ryan (16:25): Then I could go out to places where I didn't need to participate or interact. In the second year, I met with a few close friends and joined a Zoom book club. In the third year, I started attending a monthly woman's organization centered on encouraging education for women. Then she said, I recognize that even when I am doing well, large or intense groups of people exhaust me, and I have to rest quietly afterwards. And after the accident, she said I didn't drive again for about seven months.

Gina Ryan (17:09): I used the tips from the podcast, especially just visualizing driving to the next corner or stoplight. Gradually, I added longer trips. Recently, I had to drive to a large city for a medical appointment, and I was in a traffic jam in gridlock for a while. When I got home, I realized I didn't have a panic attack while I was there. This is a major milestone for me since being stuck in traffic has been a serious trigger for me even before I totaled my car five years ago.

Gina Ryan (17:48): And then she said, I keep a separate list of notes handy when I recognize a panic attack. I keep a separate playlist of meditation episodes. These are helpful when I'm feeling tense or need a reboot. I lie down in a dark room and listen to these. I listen to music every morning and made some favorite playlists.

Gina Ryan (18:17): I am still practicing meditation. I learned it's normal for my mind to flip around, and now I don't feel bad when that happens. I just feel good when I let go of a train of thought and focus back on my breath and physical relaxation. Diane then lists for us some references that she used from the show. The first one is all books and materials from Claire Weeks.

Gina Ryan (18:53): The next one is the 12 symptoms of inner peace. And then she said the list of emotions from the Center for Nonviolent Communication. And then she said the daily stoic emails. She listed Thich Nhat Hanh, and she listed the power of now. And the final thing she listed was the serenity prayer.

Gina Ryan (19:20): Now I wanna mention here that the 12 symptoms of inner peace are we did a episode on each one of the symptoms of inner peace. And in our group, I believe there is a document of the 12 symptoms of inner peace. And you can Google the Center for Nonviolent Communication and get that list of emotions. It's very helpful. Again, I believe that is in our Facebook group for the anxiety coaches podcast group coaching.

Gina Ryan (19:55): And, of course, the power of now, the serenity prayer. I have many episodes where I mention the serenity prayer, and it is helpful. Believe me. If you cannot pull anything else up during a panic attack, pull up the serenity prayer. God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Gina Ryan (20:25): Just knowing that you can reach out through prayer like that is really helpful. And before we close, I wanna extend again my heartfelt thanks to Diane for her openness, her honesty, and her willingness to share her journey with all of us. One of the things I loved most about her story is that it reminds us that healing doesn't usually arrive in a dramatic moment. More often, it shows up quietly in the daily practices. The small choices, the setbacks we learn from, and the courage to keep going even when progress feels slow.

Gina Ryan (21:09): If Diane's story resonated with you, I'd love to hear from you. Over the years, so many listeners have shared pieces of their anxiety recovery journey with me through emails and messages and coaching conversations. Your stories are filled with wisdom, resilience, and hope, and I believe they can help others who may be struggling right now. So if you'd be interested in sharing your experience on a future episode, either through a conversation with me on the show or, like Diane, through an email interview, please reach out. You can email me at anxietycoachespodcast@Gmail.com and simply tell me a little bit about your journey.

Gina Ryan (21:56): There's absolutely no pressure, no need to have everything figured out, and no requirement that your story be one of complete recovery. We are always unfolding, and we practice for the rest of our lives. Sometimes the most powerful thing we can share is where we are at right now and what we're learning along the way. Thank you so much for being a part of this wonderful community, and thank you for listening, for practicing, for showing up for yourself and for one another. And remember, healing happens one practice, one breath, and one day at a time.

Gina Ryan (22:41): Keep going. You're making more progress than you think. Thanks for listening. I loved being here with you today, and you know I'll be back in a few days. And now for today's quote.

Unknown Speaker (23:01): It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. And that's from Confucius. I'll be back in a few more days with another podcast. Until then, be well and aloha.

Unknown (23:18): Thanks so much for joining us for today's episode of the anxiety coaches podcast. Find more information at the anxiety coaches podcast dot com.