Welcome to another transformative episode of The Anxiety Guy podcast, your go-to source for navigating holiday stress and anxiety. I’m your host, Dennis Simsek, and in this special edition brought to you by the Health Anxiety Program, we’ll navigate the challenges of the holiday season together. Enjoy!

If you’ve been feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or depleted during this festive time, this episode is tailor-made for you.

As the holiday season envelops us, it’s easy to fall into the familiar patterns of stress that seem to replay year after year. In this episode, we’re diving deep into essential strategies to provide you with much-needed anxiety relief in the coming weeks.

Merry Christmas to all our listeners out there. Let’s make this holiday season a time for true joy and peace, and if you’re currently dealing with health anxiety make sure to catch up on the health anxiety podcast episodes right here. 

Our first powerful point centers around mindfulness, offering a simple yet effective technique to break free from the overwhelming beta brainwave state. Take mini vacations throughout your day, whether it’s 30 seconds of deep breathing or a dedicated 20-minute session at strategic points. Structuring these breaks will redefine how you approach stress, helping you feel less overwhelmed.

Next, we explore the importance of checking in with yourself to identify whether you’re sending signals of threat or safety internally while navigating holiday stress and anxiety.

From unconscious postures in public spaces to tense sleeping positions, understanding these signals is key to breaking out of anxious patterns. Awareness is the first step towards change.

In the third point, we encourage you to speak to others through the part of you that knows you are healing. Imagine what the healed version of yourself would say to friends, family, or even strangers. This shift in perspective can be a powerful tool for positive self-talk and fostering a healing mindset.

Recognizing symptomatic flare-ups as signs of overload and overwhelm is our fourth point.

Instead of rushing through, take a step back. Embrace mindfulness, sit with the sensations, and allow them to be. This approach helps you address the root causes of anxiety rather than succumbing to the frantic need to move forward.

Our fifth and final point reinforces a fundamental truth – all anxieties or inner peace come from within you. Understand that you have the power to reshape your perception. Retrain your nervous system, embrace safety signals, and know that you are more than anxiety.

In conclusion, remember that quality information, not quantity, is your key to navigating holiday stress and anxiety in general.

Apply these principles in small, meaningful doses, and share this episode with someone who needs it. From all of us at The Anxiety Guide, happy holidays, and always remember, you are more than anxiety. Visit https://dennissimsek.com for even more anxiety recovery resources, and I’ll see you in the next episode. Take care, my friends.

Episode Outline 

• [00:00] Episode intro
• [01:05] Linkage between December holidays and anxiety
• [02:15] Number one: Take mini vacations
• [03:32] Number two: regularly check in to see whether you are mentally or physically sending signals of threat or safety internally
• [05:25] Number three: Speak to others parts that you have healed
• [06:10] Number four: View anxiety symptom flare ups as signs of overload and overwhelm
• [08:00] Number five; Understand that inner peace comes from you 
• [09:26] Episode wrap up
• [10:52] The end 

Quotes for Social Media 

• “Take mini vacations throughout the day; break out of that beta brainwave state and feel less stressed. Structured breaks can make a significant difference.”
• “Speak to others through the part of you that knows you are healing. What would the healing part of you say to friends or family? Tap into the power of positive self-talk.”
• “If you experience anxiety symptoms, see it as overload and overwhelm. Step back, sit with the sensations, and allow them to be rather than rushing to the next thing. Mindfulness is our goal today.”
• “Understand that all anxieties or inner peace come from within you. You are in control of how you perceive your experiences. Retrain your nervous system to see the world differently and find inner peace.”
• “In the end, my friends, the power is within you. If anxiety can be automated, so can inner peace. Walk with these points, apply them in small doses, and remember: You are more than anxiety.”
• “Quality information from someone who’s been in your shoes can get you to where you deserve to go. More information doesn’t necessarily mean better. Apply these principles for anxiety healing.”

As you continue navigating holiday stress, what sort of approach helps you? Comment below.

The Anxiety Guy Podcast is one of the most popular mental health podcasts in the world with more than 6 million downloads alongside the Health Anxiety Podcast Show.

It has been selected as the top mental health and anxiety podcast on Apple 6 times, and has been listen as a top podcast for anxiety today on Psychology Today, Choosing Therapy, Better Help, Women’s Health, Marissa Peer and many more. To listen to any of the past episodes for free, check out this page.

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