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#E30 Practical Tools to Overcome Anxiety and Cultivate Self-Compassion: Bonus Episode

In this insightful episode, Louise revisits a conversation with Karina Price, diving into topics of social anxiety, trauma and alternative therapies.

She breaks down essential takeaways from their interview, offering practical tips for managing anxiety and the crucial role of intuitive eating and body kindness in the healing process.

With actionable advice and compassionate guidance, this episode is a must-listen for anyone on a journey towards healing and self-compassion.

Tune in to discover powerful tools and support for your ongoing recovery.

Released September 5th 2024

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Our Host 🫶🏻

Louise Bryant is a professional certified coach, intuitive eating counsellor, and a trauma-informed domestic abuse specialist as well as survivor.

Through her platform, "Secrets in the Powder Room," Louise fosters open conversations about the often-hidden struggles women face, including social anxiety and trauma.

Her expertise, drawn from personal and professional experiences, aims to guide others in healing through alternative therapies, body kindness and intuitive eating.

Passionate about breaking the silence around women's issues, Louise provides free, simple tips and profound insights to ease anxiety and promote well-being.

Links

• For more podcasts secretsinthepowderroom.com

• Get the Free Self-Care Course Louisebryant.coach

• Follow us on Instagram.secretsinthepowderroom

• Work With Me Louise Bryant

From Karina Price

• FREE Anxiety Relief Guide: https://start.karinapricehypnotherapy.co.uk/anxiety-relief-guide-free

• Anxiety Relief Bundle: https://start.karinapricehypnotherapy.co.uk/anxiety-relief-bundle

• Insta: https://www.instagram.com/karinapricehypnotherapy

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile

Newsletter 📧

Breaking Free from Social Anxiety: The Power of Hypnotherapy and IEMT Techniques  : With Karina Price

Dear Secret listeners,

We hope you're doing well and finding time for self-care. In our latest bonus episode of the "Secrets in the Powder Room" podcast, host Louise Bryant dives deep into managing anxiety and embracing body kindness — crucial steps in your healing journey.

What's inside this episode?

✨ Understanding Social Anxiety & Trauma: We revisit our enlightening conversation with Carina Price, focusing on social anxiety and how past trauma can amplify it.

✨ Transformative Therapies: Explore powerful therapies like hypnotherapy and the 'rewind' technique, effective tools for overcoming deep-rooted fears without retraumatisation.

✨ Free Tips for Managing Anxiety: Louise shares five simple and accessible techniques for combating anxiety:

• Deep Breathing:

  Try inhaling for 4 seconds, holding for 4, exhaling for 4, and holding for 4.

• Grounding Technique:

  Employ the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 method to stay grounded in the present moment.

• Movement:

  Physical activity, like walking or stretching, can significantly reduce tension.

• Mindful Meditation:

  Utilise free apps or YouTube videos for short, guided meditations.

• Journaling:

  Spend 5-10 minutes writing down your thoughts to process anxiety causes.

✨ Embrace Intuitive Eating & Body Kindness: Learn to trust your body's hunger signals and treat yourself with the compassion you deserve.

✨ Ready to Go Deeper? Louise offers group coaching and one-to-one sessions for those dealing with anxiety, trauma, food and body image struggles, or domestic abuse. Details are in the podcast description.

Listen to the full episode to delve deeper into these topics and access additional free resources and techniques.

[Listen Now ➡️]

Remember, you are not alone. There are always tools and support available to help you through your healing journey. Together, we can embrace body kindness, manage anxiety, and move towards a life of self-compassion and peace.

Take care, be gentle with yourself, and know that you're stronger than you think. 🌟

Warm regards,

Blog 🚨

Breaking Through Anxiety and Trauma: Tools and Practices for Healing

Unveiling the Secrets of Managing Social Anxiety, Trauma, and Healing Through Body Kindness

In today's fast-paced world, many of us are familiar with the grip of anxiety; it can affect every area of our lives. Louise Bryant, host of the Secrets in the Powder Room podcast, dives deep into understanding and managing social anxiety and trauma in a recent episode featuring insights from Carina Price. This blog post expands on the powerful techniques discussed, offering practical advice for those grappling with similar challenges.

Understanding Social Anxiety and Trauma

Social anxiety goes far beyond merely feeling shy in social situations. It can become a debilitating condition that affects every aspect of your life, making you feel constantly judged and never good enough. This condition is even more severe for those who have experienced trauma such as domestic abuse or assault.

The Role of Trauma in Social Anxiety

When we experience trauma, our brains can get stuck in a loop of reliving those traumatic events, leading to persistent anxiety and even PTSD. Trauma can profoundly impact how we perceive ourselves and the world around us, often amplifying social anxiety. But there is hope, and innovative therapies can help individuals reprocess traumatic memories, step away from a cycle of fear, and reclaim their lives.

Techniques for Managing Anxiety

Louise Bryant discusses several practical techniques for managing anxiety that are accessible to everyone, even if professional therapy is not immediately available. Here are a few:

Deep Breathing

One of the simplest and most effective ways to calm anxiety is through deep mindful breathing. The 4-4-4-4 technique involves inhaling for four seconds, holding your breath for four seconds, exhaling for four seconds, and holding your breath again for four seconds. Repeat this cycle a few times and feel your nervous system start to relax.

Grounding Techniques

Grounding exercises help bring your focus back to the present moment, a crucial technique when overwhelmed by anxiety. The 5-4-3-2-1 method is particularly effective: identify five things you can see, four you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell, and one you can taste. This method shifts your attention away from anxious thoughts, grounding you in the reality of the present moment.

Physical Movement

Engaging in physical movement can be a powerful way to reduce anxiety. Whether it's going for a walk, stretching, or a quick workout, movement helps release built-up tension and mitigate anxiety. No special equipment or gym membership is necessary; simply moving your body for a few minutes can make a significant difference.

Mindful Meditation

Mindfulness practices teach you to observe your thoughts without getting swept away by them. Plenty of free apps and YouTube videos offer guided meditations. Even five minutes of mindfulness can help you manage anxiety effectively.

Journaling

Writing down your thoughts offers a tangible way to process what's causing your anxiety. Spend five to ten minutes journaling about your feelings without worrying about grammar or structure. This practice helps to declutter your mind and gives your thoughts a place to reside outside your head.

Healing Through Intuitive Eating and Body Kindness

Our relationship with food and body image often becomes complicated due to past trauma. Healing from such emotional upheaval requires nurturing oneself through practices like intuitive eating and body kindness.

Embracing Intuitive Eating

Intuitive eating is about trusting your body's signals around hunger and fullness, free from judgment. It encourages breaking away from restrictive diets and nourishing your body in a way that feels right and positive. Developing a healthy relationship with food fosters overall emotional wellbeing.

Practising Body Kindness

Body kindness involves treating yourself with the compassion and care you deserve. Accept your body as it is today, focusing on what it can do rather than how it looks. Embracing body kindness facilitates a supportive environment for healing from trauma and anxiety.

Seeking Further Support

If you're ready to dive deeper into your healing journey, consider seeking additional support. Louise Bryant offers group coaching and one-to-one sessions for individuals dealing with anxiety, trauma, food, and body image issues, or domestic abuse. These sessions provide a safe space to heal and grow under the guidance of experienced professionals.

Conclusion

Managing anxiety and healing from trauma is a journey, but you do not have to walk it alone. By incorporating these simple yet effective practices into your routine, you can take the first steps toward a life of self-compassion, resilience, and peace. Remember, you are stronger than you think, and there are always tools and support available to guide you on your journey to healing.

For more insights into managing anxiety and trauma, listen to the Secrets in the Powder Room podcast, available on all major streaming platforms. Together, let's break through the barriers of anxiety and trauma, embracing a life of self-compassion and body kindness.

10 journaling prompting questions ✍🏻

1. Exploring Anxiety:

   • What are the most common situations that trigger your anxiety?

   • How does your anxiety manifest physically and emotionally?

2. Understanding Trauma:

   • Can you identify a past trauma that might be influencing your current anxiety levels?

   • How do you typically respond to memories of this traumatic event?

3. Reflecting on Coping Mechanisms:

   • What self-care practices or techniques have you used in the past to manage anxiety? How effective were they?

   • Which of the tips suggested by Louise (e.g., deep breathing, grounding, movement) resonate most with you? Why?

4. Body Kindness and Intuitive Eating:

   • How do you currently feel about your relationship with food and your body image?

   • What steps can you take to start practising body kindness in your daily life?

5. Evaluating Support Systems:

   • Who in your life provides the most support when you're feeling anxious or overwhelmed?

   • Are there any professional resources or communities you think could further aid your healing process?

6. Future Goals:

   • What specific goal would you like to set for managing your anxiety or healing from trauma?

   • How can you incorporate the tools and practices mentioned in the podcast into your daily routine?

Happy journaling, and feel free to share your reflections with us!

Transcript 📝

NOTE: This podcast was transcribed by editing tool, Please forgive any typos or errors

Louise Bryant [00:00:00]:
Hey everyone, welcome back to another enlightening episode of Secrets in the Powerful Room. If you're new here, I’m your host, Louise Bryant, professional certified coach, intuitive eating counsellor, and trauma-informed domestic abuse specialist and survivor. It's great to have you here, and today we’re diving into a critical topic: managing anxiety. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, judged, or simply "not good enough" due to anxiety—especially social anxiety—stick around because this episode is packed with actionable insights and free tips you can start using today.

Louise Bryant [00:00:49]:
Before we jump in, remember, this podcast is not a replacement for professional, medical, or legal advice. It’s here to support you on your healing journey and help you feel less alone. We can do this, together. So let's talk about social anxiety, an issue deeply rooted in past traumas like domestic abuse or assault. As Carina Price and I discussed in a recent episode, social anxiety is more than just feeling shy; it permeates every part of your life, leaving you feeling judged and inadequate.

Louise Bryant [00:01:30]:
But there's good news. There are transformative therapies available, like hypnotherapy and Integral Eye Movement Therapy (IEMT). These techniques help reframe the limiting beliefs that fuel your anxiety. Hypnotherapy, for example, lets us access the subconscious mind where deep-rooted fears reside, allowing for powerful changes in how we respond to anxiety triggers.

One therapy I've found particularly effective for trauma survivors is the 'rewind' technique. Unlike other methods, this technique lets you reprocess traumatic memories without having to relive them, reducing their emotional impact significantly. This can help you manage flashbacks, anxiety, and PTSD in just three sessions. It's all about healing without retraumatisation.

Louise Bryant [00:02:56]:
So, let's discuss some free and accessible tools for managing anxiety right now. Not everyone can access therapy immediately due to various constraints, so here are a few practical methods you can start using today.

One of the simplest yet most effective techniques is deep mindful breathing. Try this: Inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, and hold again for 4 seconds. Repeat this for a few minutes whenever you feel anxious. It helps slow your nervous system and signals to your brain that you are safe.

Next is the grounding technique. If you're overwhelmed, grounding exercises bring you back to the present moment. Use the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 method: Identify 5 things you can see, 4 you can touch, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, and 1 you taste. This shifts the focus from anxiety to the present. I have a free downloadable grounding technique on my website that you can find in the podcast description.

Physical movement is another way to ease anxiety. Even without a gym, a simple walk or light stretching can make a huge difference. Moving your body releases tension and calms your nervous system.

Louise Bryant [00:04:45]:
Mindful meditation is accessible and effective. Numerous free mindfulness apps and YouTube videos can guide you through short meditation exercises that significantly reduce anxiety. Even just five minutes can help.

Then there’s journaling. Writing down your thoughts can help process what’s causing your anxiety. Spend 5 to 10 minutes jotting down how you’re feeling without worrying about grammar or structure. It’s a powerful way to get those thoughts out of your head and onto paper.

Now, let’s touch on intuitive eating and body kindness. Emotional eating can become a coping mechanism, especially after trauma. Intuitive eating means trusting your body’s signals about hunger and fullness, without judgment. It’s about breaking free from restrictive diets and learning to nourish your body in a way that feels good.

Body kindness is about treating yourself with compassion. Accept your body as it is today and focus on what it can do rather than how it looks. I'll be delving deeper into intuitive eating in upcoming episodes, so stay tuned for more.

Louise Bryant [00:06:34]:
So now you have some free tools to manage anxiety. Remember, practices like deep breathing, mindfulness, and journaling can be done anytime, anywhere, and are incredibly effective in helping you feel more grounded. If you're ready to take your healing journey even further, consider joining my group coaching or one-on-one sessions, specifically designed to support people dealing with anxiety, trauma, or difficulties with food and body image. All the details are in the podcast description.

Thank you for listening to this episode of Secrets in the Powerful Room with me, Louise Bryant. I hope these tips empower you to start managing your anxiety today. Remember, you’re not alone. Together, we can heal from anxiety and trauma, embrace body kindness, and move towards a life of self-compassion and peace. Until next time, take care of yourself, be gentle with your heart, and remember—you’re stronger than you think.

Louise Bryant [00:07:27]:
See you in the next episode. Take care!