Anxiety Connection

Wendy Leeds
Anxiety Connection

Our Anxiety Connection is where anxious people can come together for a sense of connection, understanding, and to get information on what causes anxiety and how to manage it. Host Wendy Leeds, a three-time cancer survivor and psychotherapist, shares her personal story of life-long anxiety, how she’s dealt with cancer, and found her way through her fear. As an experienced therapist, she shares the latest research, explores ways anxiety impacts our lives and offers simple, effective tools and techniques that you can use to ease your anxiety.

  1. 08/13/2024

    Our Anxiety Connection: Past, Present, and Future

    For 4 years we’ve come together at our Anxiety Connection to talk about what causes our anxiety, how anxiety affects our lives, and what we can do to feel better. We’ve explored practical things we can do to ease our fears. We’ve shared our common experience of dealing with our negative thoughts. And we’ve united in community of caring and support. While this episode will be the last for a while, I’m hoping we can keep in touch. SHOW NOTES: Links from the episode: BLOG: https://wendyleeds.com/blog EMAIL: https://wendyleeds.com/subscribe Highlighted episodes: Getting through tough times: “An Unexpected Miracle” (Episode 38) and “Choose to Bloom” (Episode 49)  Getting started: “Procrastination: 4 Simple Steps to Reduce Its Power Over You” (Episode 51) How to keep going: “Walking into the Fire” (Episode 46) How to get a good night’s sleep: A New Perspective on Insomnia" (Episode 28) and “4 Techniques to Help You Fall Asleep” (Episode 40)  MORE WAYS TO CONNECT: FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wendyleedskeepingcalm YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@wendyleedskeepingcalm INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/wendyleedskeepingcalm THREADS: https://threads.net/@wendyleedskeepingcalm MORE RESOURCES FROM WENDY: BOOK: Calm & Sense: A Woman's Guide to Living Anxiety-Free https://wendyleeds.com/book QUIZ: Find Out the Cost of Your Anxiety https://wendyleeds.com/quiz MINI-COURSE: Why You're Anxious & What to Do About It https://wendyleeds.com/mini-course PODCAST: Anxiety Connection, hosted by Wendy Leeds https://wendyleeds.com/podcast © 2020 - 2024 Wendy Leeds

    12 min
  2. 07/16/2024

    Why Therapy is Worth the Effort: Interview with Lucille Fisher

    Have you ever considered going to therapy but hesitated because you didn’t know what to expect? Join us as Lucille Fisher and I explore what it’s really like to go to therapy. We discuss why it’s important to find the right therapist and what you can expect from the therapeutic process – the challenges, the changes, and the potential life-changing benefits. SHOW NOTES  My Friend Lucille Fisher is a wife, mother, grandmother, and business owner. Her company, Sage and Savvy Marketing, specializes in helping businesses and non-profits grow through savvy social media marketing and customer-focused website development. Contact: lucille@sageandsavvymarketing.com LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/lucillefisher/ WENDY’S RESOURCES RELATED TO EPISODE 64: WATCH: I have a module in my mini-course about how to decide whether or not professional help is right for you: How to Know if Therapy Is Right for You (Module 9 of 10)  https://youtu.be/npworQAah2o  DOWNLOAD: I’ve prepared a checklist of criteria to help you in your decision along with a set of questions to ask in order to assess a therapist: When and How to Get Help.pdf https://d875ac62-c9ec-4647-9e46-6e3985079b73.usrfiles.com/ugd/d875ac_752655ac8df94673a30b079172193c4a.pdf   READ: Chapter 10 of my book is about how to assess a therapist to make sure they are a good fit – including the questions to ask a therapist. The book is: Calm & Sense: A Woman's Guide to Living Anxiety-Free  https://wendyleeds.com/book  LISTEN: Episode 53 of Anxiety Connection breaks down the stigma of seeking help for our mental health in today’s culture: Should I Go to Therapy? 8 Reasons to See a Therapist https:// wendyleeds.com/podcast/episode/1edba46d    OTHER RESOURCES RELATED TO EPISODE 64: 1. What is Dysregulation?  According to the Cleveland Clinic, “emotional dysregulation is a mental health symptom that involves trouble controlling your emotions and how you act on those feelings. To those around you, your emotions and reactions will seem out of proportion compared to what you’re reacting to… You can think about emotional regulation like volume control for your feelings. When you use the volume control for a device, you can keep it from being too loud. With emotional dysregulation, your brain can’t regulate emotion signals. In effect, your volume control doesn’t work like it should, making your emotions “louder” and harder to manage.” Cleveland Clinic, Emotional Dysregulation. Last reviewed. June 6, 2023. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/25065-emotional-dysregulation 2. To read more about how trauma affects the body I recommend: The Body Keeps Score by Bessel van der Kolk. Look up: van der Kolk, Bessel. (2015). The Body Keeps Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Penguin Books. New York, New York. 3. To learn more about the vagus nerve and how it affects anxiety here are two resources The Polyvagal Theory by Stephen W. Porges. Look up: Porges, Stephen. W. (2011). The polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation. W W Norton & Co. New York, New York. And  Accessing the Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve by Stanley Rosenberg. Look up: Rosenberg, Stanley.2017)  Accessing the Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve: Self-Help Exercises for Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, and Autism. North Atlantic Books. Berkely, California.  4. My favorite book on the therapeutic process is:  The Gift of Therapy by Irvin D. Yalom. Look up: Yalom, Irvin, D. (2009) The Gift of Therapy: Reflections on being a Therapist. Harper Perennial. New York, New York. MORE RESOURCES FROM WENDY:  PODCAST: Anxiety Connection, hosted by Wendy Leeds https://wendyleeds.com/podcast QUIZ: Find Out the Cost of Your Anxiety  https://wendyleeds.com/quiz MINI-COURSE: Why You're Anxious & What to Do About It  https://wendyleeds.com/mini-course  BOOK: Calm & Sense: A Woman's Guide to Living Anxiety-Free  https://wendyleeds.com/book WAYS TO CONNECT: I respond to every message I get, so please do reach out.   I send infrequent emails and I love to get replies from the community: EMAIL: https://wendyleeds.com/subscribe My Facebook page is active; Instagram less so: FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wendyleedskeepingcalm  INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/wendyleedskeepingcalm I have a lot of anxiety and panic-related videos on my YouTube page: YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@wendyleedskeepingcalm © 2020 - 2024 Wendy Leeds

    28 min
  3. 05/07/2024

    Change Your Focus to Change Your Future

    Maybe you feel like your anxiety has you trapped and there’s nothing you can do about it. Or maybe you’d like to make a change, but fear is holding you back. In this episode, we discuss how a simple shift of focus can get you past that fear and get you started on the road to feeling better. LINKS AND RESOURCES FROM EPISODE 62: Taking action means listening to your body and mind. READ: Calm & Sense: A Woman's Guide to Living Anxiety-Free by Wendy Leeds https://wendyleeds.com/book. All of Part 3 (Chapters 11-25) is devoted to the concept of Reframing Your Anxiety. DOWNLOAD: Techniques to Ease Anxiety.pdf https://d875ac62-c9ec-4647-9e46-6e3985079b73.usrfiles.com/ugd/d875ac_7cb34c17860b4ea9be78965ac2f080e9.pdf MORE RESOURCES FROM WENDY:  PODCAST: Anxiety Connection, hosted by Wendy Leeds https://wendyleeds.com/podcast QUIZ: Find Out the Cost of Your Anxiety  https://wendyleeds.com/quiz READ: How to Listen to Your Body and Give it What it Needs by Wendy Leeds, published by TinyBuddha https://tinybuddha.com/blog/how-listen-to-your-body-and-give-it-what-it-needs/ LISTEN: Just Breathe: Controlling Anxiety from the Inside Out (Episode 12 of Anxiety Connection) https://wendyleeds.com/podcast/episode/1d18487c/ READ: A Guide to EFT Tapping by Jayne Leonard in MedicalNewsToday to learn more about Tapping or Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326434#how-to-do-eft-tapping WAYS TO CONNECT: I respond to every message I get, so please do reach out. I send infrequent emails and I love to get replies from the community: EMAIL: https://wendyleeds.com/subscribe My Facebook page is active; Instagram less so: FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wendyleedskeepingcalm  INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/wendyleedskeepingcalm I have a lot of anxiety and panic-related videos on my YouTube page: YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@wendyleedskeepingcalm   Citations from Episode 62: Berg, Allen. (March 2023) The Basics of Driving a Race Car Fast. Allenbergracingschools https://www.allenbergracingschools.com/expert-advice/the-basics-of-driving-a-race-car-fast-2/ McCall, Timothy, MD. 2007. Yoga as Medicine. New York: Bantam Dell. Page 35. © 2020 - 2024 Wendy Leeds

    26 min
  4. 04/02/2024

    The Cost of Anxiety: The Price We Pay for Being Anxious

    Anxiety shows up differently for all of us. Your anxiety is uniquely yours. Identifying the specific pieces of your anxiety puzzle is an important step in the healing process. Together, let’s take a look at exactly how anxiety is affecting your thoughts, your beliefs, your body, and the steep price you may be paying for all the time spent worrying. LINKS AND RESOURCES FROM EPISODE 61:  DOWNLOAD: Anxiety Symptoms Physical Emotional Cognitive.pdf https://d875ac62-c9ec-4647-9e46-6e3985079b73.usrfiles.com/ugd/d875ac_8670508b4237496d9d202fca8c17f44c.pdf DOWNLOAD: Checklist of Anxiety Symptoms Mind vs Body.pdf https://d875ac62-c9ec-4647-9e46-6e3985079b73.usrfiles.com/ugd/d875ac_ac89f406534a42d1b157ea43f74919cd.pdf READ: To learn more about Gephrophobia (a fear of crossing bridges) in this summary article: https://psychtimes.com/gephyrophobia-fear-of-crossing-bridges/ MORE RESOURCES FROM WENDY:  BOOK: Calm & Sense: A Woman's Guide to Living Anxiety-Free  https://wendyleeds.com/book  QUIZ: Find Out the Cost of Your Anxiety  https://wendyleeds.com/quiz  MINI-COURSE: Why You're Anxious & What to Do About It https://wendyleeds.com/mini-course LISTEN: Change Your Self-Talk, Change Your Life (Episode 9 of Anxiety Connection) to learn more about your mind and anxiety. https://wendyleeds.com/podcast/episode/3ba67649/ LISTEN: Anxiety: What’s Your Body Got to Do with It? (Episode 13 of Anxiety Connection) to learn more about your body and anxiety. https://wendyleeds.com/podcast/episode/229df522/ LISTEN: Easing Anxiety: Interview with Martha Henry MacDonald (Episode 29 of Anxiety Connection) to learn more about how to connect the body and mind. https://wendyleeds.com/podcast/episode/256bb9b5/ READ: The Power of Your Posture by Wendy Leeds. https://wendyleeds.com/post/the-power-of-your-posture LISTEN: 7 Steps to Living A Courageous Life (Episode 23 of Anxiety Connection) for the motivation to get started. https://wendyleeds.com/podcast/episode/2a3a0cb8/ WAYS TO CONNECT: I respond to every message I get, so please do reach out. I send infrequent emails and I love to get replies from the community: EMAIL: https://wendyleeds.com/subscribe My Facebook page is active; Instagram less so: FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wendyleedskeepingcalm  INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/wendyleedskeepingcalm I have a lot of anxiety and panic-related videos on my YouTube page: YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@wendyleedskeepingcalm © 2020 - 2024 Wendy Leeds

    23 min
  5. 03/05/2024

    Anxiety Is an Inside Job

    If it feels like anxiety is keeping you a prisoner in your own life, please join me as we explore the internal causes of that anxiety, how those fears may be keeping you trapped in a prison of your thoughts and fears, how those fears affect your life, and the key to finally setting yourself free.   LINKS AND RESOURCES FROM EPISODE 60:  DOWNLOAD: What Is the Impact of Your Anxiety.pdf LISTEN: Feeling Anxious? Trust Yourself (Episode 17 of Anxiety Connection) https://www.wendyleeds.com/podcast/episode/32bb48bd/feeling-anxious-trust-yourself-or-ep-17   MORE RESOURCES FROM WENDY:  BOOK: Calm & Sense: A Woman's Guide to Living Anxiety-Free  https://wendyleeds.com/book  QUIZ: Find Out the Cost of Your Anxiety  https://wendyleeds.com/quiz  MINI-COURSE: Why You're Anxious & What to Do About It https://wendyleeds.com/mini-course   WAYS TO CONNECT: I respond to every message I get, so please do reach out.  I send infrequent emails and I love to get replies from the community: EMAIL: https://wendyleeds.com/subscribe My Facebook page is active; Instagram less so: FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wendyleedskeepingcalm  INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/wendyleedskeepingcalm I have a lot of anxiety and panic-related videos on my YouTube page: YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@wendyleedskeepingcalm   SOURCES: Mellan, Olivia, and Piskaldo, Katrina. Reviewed June 9, 2016. “Men, Women and Money.” Psychology Today.  Andrews, Linda, Wasmer. June 9, 2015. “Why Women Need More Me-Time – and How They Can Claim It.” Psychology Today. Edited by Real Simple. April 4, 2012 “How Do Women Spend Their Time?” Real Simple.   © 2020 - 2024 Wendy Leeds

    21 min
  6. 02/06/2024

    Looking Up When Things Get You Down

    In the U.S., women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with anxiety, and the reasons might surprise you. While there are all sorts of things that can make us anxious, some of those things are specific to women. In this episode we explore those causes, and I also share one of the best techniques I know to calm anxiety instantly. LINKS AND RESOURCES FROM EPISODE 59:  DOWNLOAD: What Is Making You Anxious.pdf https://d875ac62-c9ec-4647-9e46-6e3985079b73.usrfiles.com/ugd/d875ac_f5db810b315646b0a446332bb55178d4.pdf  LISTEN: Feeling Anxious? Trust Yourself (Episode 17 of Anxiety Connection) https://wendyleeds.com/podcast/episode/32bb48bd/feeling-anxious-trust-yourself-or-ep-17  LISTEN: How to Get Unstuck (Episode 6 of Anxiety Connection) https://wendyleeds.com/podcast/episode/2d5fd2eb/how-to-get-unstuck-or-ep-6  FOR REFERENCE: The 6 different categories of external causes of anxiety: Physical  Caffeine Genetic Hormonal Trauma Media   MORE RESOURCES FROM WENDY:  BOOK: Calm & Sense: A Woman's Guide to Living Anxiety-Free  https://wendyleeds.com/book  QUIZ: Find Out the Cost of Your Anxiety  https://wendyleeds.com/quiz  MINI-COURSE: Why You're Anxious & What to Do About It https://wendyleeds.com/mini-course   WAYS TO CONNECT: I respond to every message I get, so please do reach out.  I send infrequent emails and I love to get replies from the community: EMAIL: https://wendyleeds.com/subscribe My Facebook page is active; Instagram less so: FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wendyleedskeepingcalm  INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/wendyleedskeepingcalm I have a lot of anxiety and panic-related videos on my YouTube page: YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@wendyleedskeepingcalm   SOURCES: Young, Joel, MD. April 22, 2015 “Women and Mental Illness” Psychology Today Mufson, Michael, J. MD. 2017 “Can a Traumatic Event Cause Anxiety Disorders?” Sharecare © 2020 - 2024 Wendy Leeds

    25 min
  7. 01/09/2024

    No Two Brains Are the Same (Your Anxiety Is Unique)

    While we all share important similarities, we’re also uniquely different. And it’s the same with our brains. Just the way no two of us are alike, no two brains are alike as well. Understanding these similarities and differences can offer us a new way to look at our relationship with ourselves, the people around us, and can deepen our understanding of how we respond to our anxiety.   MORE RESOURCES:  READ: If you are interested in reading more about the differences in our brains, I highly recommend this book The Female Brain by Louann Brizendine MD https://amzn.to/41IBlod LISTEN: "What Fuels My Mission" (Episode 5 of Anxiety Connection)  https://wendyleeds.com/podcast/episode/e1c84252/ LISTEN: "How Does Anxiety Affect Your Relationship?" (Episode 8 of Anxiety Connection)  https://www.wendyleeds.com/podcast/episode/30609b38 BOOK: Calm & Sense: A Woman's Guide to Living Anxiety-Free  https://wendyleeds.com/book  QUIZ: Find Out the Cost of Your Anxiety  https://wendyleeds.com/quiz  MINI-COURSE: Why You're Anxious & What to Do About It https://wendyleeds.com/mini-course   WAYS TO CONNECT: I respond to every message I get, so please do reach out. I send infrequent emails and I love to get replies from the community.  EMAIL: https://wendyleeds.com/subscribe My Facebook page is active; Instagram less so.  FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wendyleedskeepingcalm INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/wendyleedskeepingcalm I have a lot of anxiety and panic-related videos on my YouTube page: YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@wendyleedskeepingcalm © 2020 - 2024 Wendy Leeds

    27 min
5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Our Anxiety Connection is where anxious people can come together for a sense of connection, understanding, and to get information on what causes anxiety and how to manage it. Host Wendy Leeds, a three-time cancer survivor and psychotherapist, shares her personal story of life-long anxiety, how she’s dealt with cancer, and found her way through her fear. As an experienced therapist, she shares the latest research, explores ways anxiety impacts our lives and offers simple, effective tools and techniques that you can use to ease your anxiety.

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