What Is Anxiety and Why It’s Hard to Just “Calm Down” [episode 126]
Listen to What Is Anxiety and Why It’s Hard to Just “Calm Down” on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | your platform of choice
Sometimes, inspiration for an episode shows up in the most unexpected places. Recently, I was scrolling Instagram and saw a reel shared by a recent podcast guest, Victoria Mexcur. The clip was from Inside Out 2 and showed Riley’s emotions in action – specifically, Anxiety stepping in and completely taking over the control panel.
Joy tries to respond with positivity and comfort, but it doesn’t work. Honestly? It’s such an accurate picture of what anxiety actually feels like in real life!
In today’s episode, I’m talking about what anxiety is and why it’s hard to just “calm down.” Anxiety is an emotional state that often shows up as uneasiness, worry, or fear, and it’s usually connected to things that haven’t happened yet. In the Inside Out movies (I personally love them), ALL of the emotions take turns running Riley’s control panel.
This can feel especially true in agriculture and rural life, where so much of what we do is built around unknowns (weather, nature, and markets). When anxiety shows up, it’s not just an emotion floating around randomly. It’s actually a survival response rooted in our nervous system, because our bodies are designed to protect us!
When anxiety ramps up, logic takes a back seat. That’s why phrases like “calm down” or “look on the bright side” don’t help in the moment.
What truly helps? SAFETY! When we feel safe, logic comes back online, and we’re able to think more clearly.
If you need more support with anxiety and/or safety, and are feeling called to go deeper in your inner work, you can schedule a free 30-minute connection call for 1:1 Good Movement Guidance. Don’t forget to mention “cast pod” when you book to receive 10% off!
In this episode, What Is Anxiety and Why It’s Hard to Just “Calm Down”, I cover:
- What anxiety actually is + why we can’t simply “positive think” our way out of it
- How Inside Out 2 offers a powerful visual example of how anxiety can take over our internal “control panel”
- Why anxiety is a survival response rooted in the nervous system
- Why phrases like “calm down” don’t help when someone is experiencing anxiety
- How agriculture and rural life naturally bring uncertainty + can amplify anxiety
- Why creating safety is the key to calming anxiety + helping logic come back online
- Practical ways to signal safety to your nervous system
- Why anxiety isn’t a flaw or glitch in the system
Resources & Links:
- IG Reel about anxiety
- Join The Draw
- Schedule a free consult and see if 1:1 Good Movement Guidance is right for you
- Check out my merch shop
- Join the waitlist for the Good Movement Collective
- Good Movement music by: Aaron Espe
- Podcast produced by: Jill Carr Podcasting
Connect with Terryn:
- Follow on Instagram @terryn.drieling
- Check out my website
- Send me an email at terryn@terryndrieling.com
Related Episodes:
- Episode 101: One Intentional Breath: My First Step Toward Emotional Healing
- Episode 121: A New Way to Grit Through with Victoria Mexcur
- Episode 123: How Talking Kindly to Your Body Can Benefit Your Life
More about the Good Movement Draws Good Movement podcast:
In stockmanship (the art and science of handling cattle in a safe, effective, low-stress manner), we have this phrase . . . good movement draws good movement.
It’s this thing that happens when we ask a small group of cattle, maybe a cow, or a pair to move out in a certain direction, and their movement draws the whole herd into moving in the same direction.
Good movement happens when we approach the cattle with a positive attitude, read and really listen to what they’re telling us, and communicate accordingly.
We don’t approach the aware, flighty cattle the same as we do the tame, docile cattle. We adjust ourselves, our energy, and approach, and communicate with each differently.
These adjustments help us effectively draw good movement from each, which then draws good movement from the herd. But it starts with us.
The same is true for humans. Good movement starts with us.
Welcome to Good Movement Draws Good Movement, the podcast where farmers, ranchers, and rural folks can grow relationally through awareness, understanding, and effective communication.
Hey, it’s me – T. I’m your host, and I, along with my guests, will be covering topics related to drawing good movement – things like self and social awareness, brain science, positive psychology, extending grace, and so much more.
We’ll share tools that can help you understand why you are the way you are, why others are the way they are, and how you can use that to step out of self-told lies with grace and compassion to draw good movement in conversations, relationships, and life in rural America.
Tune in every Tuesday and make sure to hit subscribe so you never miss an episode! Let’s go draw good movement!
