I am so ready to teach you all about anxiety. 

Anxiety is something that I see so many of you struggling with everyday, and it will be an ongoing topic of discussion for us. Today we're getting into the different layers of anxiety, the role that the nervous system will play in managing it, and some important underlying emotions to tap into along the way.

We know that anxiety will affect people of all ages, genders, identities, sizes, ethnicities, socioeconomic statuses, etc., it sure doesn’t discriminate. But let me tell you – us moms in particular can have it something fierce. 

If we have a baseline of anxiety before becoming a mother, it only amplifies during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Motherhood changes us at every. single. freaking. level. Emotionally, hormonally, physically, energetically, spiritually – there isn’t a single part of us that doesn’t change. SO many questions emerge, and the brain has no idea what is going on. There’s so much unknown, and I don’t feel like that’s talked about enough. 

Most of us know anxiety to be something that takes over our brains and plagues our thoughts, making us feel nervous and fearful. The reality is that that's just the tip of the iceberg.

anxiety is a brain and body response to our uncertainty and inability to predict what’s coming.

It’s a response to an unresolved, unprocessed emotion or trauma. It’s something that is trying to get your attention around areas of life that are off or aren’t suiting you anymore. 

We know that anxiety presents differently for everyone, and that it’s never a one-size-fits-all. It might be worst case scenario thinking. It might be rapid thoughts. It might be obsessively fixating on something. It might be a nervousness in your belly or tightness in your chest. 

No matter where you are on the spectrum of anxiety or how it presents itself for you, we have to start getting curious about it – without judgment or criticism. What is my anxiety drawing my attention to? What’s up for me when it comes to anxiety? It all begins and ends with awareness. 

Now let’s talk about the nervous system. 

It’s important for us to know that we can’t talk our way out of anxiety when we have a dysregulated nervous system. 

When our system feels threatened, we enter into a survival and primitive response, which we can’t tell to “calm down”. In these moments our anxiety and emotional brain take over, and our nervous system is shoved into a fight, flight, or freeze response. In these moments we have to focus on getting our rational brain back online.

Some of you may have heard of the vagus nerve, but for those of you who haven’t – this is a key part of tending to the nervous system. The vagus nerve is one of twelve cranial nerves and it is directly linked to our parasympathetic system, also known as our “rest and digest” system. When we’re feeling anxious we need to tend to our nervous system, and we can do so by improving the health of our vagus nerve. 

the most powerful tools for tapping into the vagus nerve are breathwork and movement.

Emotion needs to be in motion, and our anxiety often limits our natural breathing. It doesn’t matter what type of anxiety you are experiencing or even what caused it – start moving it through your body. This can be a walk around the block, dancing in place, rolling onto the floor, shaking out your wrists – anything to shift the energy. Follow the movement by breathing deeply (or vice-versa), and by meeting yourself with kindness.

As you practice regulating your system consistently, continue asking yourself — what am I really feeling? What is under the hood? What is behind the curtain? What do I actually need at this very moment? Am I showing myself compassion or criticism? This work is powerful, and you deserve it. 

Anxiety Survival Kit

To check out our kit of 8 research and neuroscience-based tools to help manage anxiety, click HERE!

Take care of yourselves and therefore each other!

xo, brooke jean