I'm Anxious About - A Humorous Podcast About Anxiety

In this week's episode, Chris & Allison bemoan the yearly "falling back" and the end of Daylights Savings Time -- and the beginning of The Period of Darkness. They talk about the disorienting effects of a sudden time change on people with anxiety, how scientists all agree that Daylights Savings is trash, and how people with seasonal affective disorder and anxiety can approach the coming winter months with a little more self-compassion. They reference several articles in the episode: "A small Norwegian city might hold the answer to beating the winter blues" in The Conversation, "Daylight-saving time is deadly: Heart attacks and car crashes" in Business Insider, and "Is Daylight Saving Time to Blame for Seasonal Depression?" in Mental Floss, because they are People Who Read. You can join their anxious antics with fellow listeners in the "We're Anxious About" Facebook group.  Theme music: "I'm Not Nervous" by Square People, used under a CC BY 3.0 license, via the Free Music Archive.

This week, Allison and Chris tackle a topic that it's likely many others are anxious about, and that's learning new technology. They examine why it is they break down when they're got to figure out something new, discuss whether its them or technology that's to blame, how different technology pushes different buttons, as well as whether the time of day has any effect on their learning. They then look at tips and tricks for contending with that anxiety. This is an episode that's filled with playful jabs and heartfelt laughter, so buckle up.  Here's the article that Chris referenced from the Harvard Business Review, "The Anxiety of Learning."   Remember you can join us in our Facebook group, We're Anxious About.  Theme music: "I'm Not Nervous" by Square People, used under a CC BY 3.0 license, via the Free Music Archive.

Okay, technically, we do have an episode this week, hence the asterisk, but for real: we're going on a short break while Allison attends to some personal four-legged family matters. We quickly explain why we don't have a full episode this week and probably next, and we wholeheartedly thank all our listeners for their understanding and support. We appreciate you! Back soon.  Theme music: "I'm Not Nervous" by Square People, used under a CC BY 3.0 license, via the Free Music Archive.

You'd think we could at least get excited about an innocent childish holiday, but alas: even thinking of Halloween puts a shiver up our anxious spines. From the misery of having to pick a funny-yet-relevant Halloween costume to hating Halloween parties but not wanting to feel like a full-on curmudgeon, we have a bone to pick with celebrating Halloween.  As always, you can find us in our FB group, We're Anxious About, where you can share your costumes OR your anxiety about Halloween with us. Theme music: "I'm Not Nervous" by Square People, used under a CC BY 3.0 license, via the Free Music Archive.

As it turns out, studying for 10 years to become a therapist leaves you with a good grasp on what anxiety is all about. That is the lesson we learned when we invited our guest, Courtney Moreira, on the show.  We talk about how having our own mental health struggles can actually put us in a better position to help others, about overcoming imposter syndrome when giving advice, as well as some actionable tips on how people can begin to work through their anxiety on their own if therapy isn't in the cards just yet.  We're so grateful that Courtney joined us on the show today, and it strikes us that this is one of those episodes where you'll be nodding a long an awful lot.  We'd also like to celebrate the fact that Courtney has opened up her own practice, and you can find out more about that here.  As always, you can find us in our FB group, We're Anxious About!  Theme music: "I'm Not Nervous" by Square People, used under a CC BY 3.0 license, via the Free Music Archive.

Wait really... meditation? Isn't that supposed to be, like, all Zen and stuff? Well, anxiety is truly the gift that never stops giving, and meditation is no exception. From the exceeding painfulness of staying in one place to cripplingly high expectations about what meditation looks like (and who people who meditate look like), we break down our relationships with meditation in this mildly helpful episode.  You can find us in our Facebook group, We're Anxious About.  Theme music: "I'm Not Nervous" by Square People, used under a CC BY 3.0 license, via the Free Music Archive.

Allison and Chris knew they'd eventually have to do this episode, and they're happy that they've officially recorded it, and it's now in the past.  Terrible jokes aside, they combat the notion in this episode that anxiety is only something related to thinking about the future, and talk about how the past can sometimes overwhelm us and, if we're not careful, how the past can define our present and future.  It wouldn't be an IAA episode without an extended metaphor, and in this episode your cohosts build a "shame house," and talk about the rooms that would be in that shame house, and what room would be the most fitting to hold your very own "shame scrapbook" for all your past mistakes. Sounds fun, right?  You can listen to Chris's interview on CBC about IAA here.  The article that Chris referenced by Suma Chand about regret is also right here for you.  Finally, you can find us as always in our FB group, "We're Anxious About." 

Is there anything more anxiety-inducing than knowing you're going to be late but not being able to do a thing about it? If so, speak not the horror, because we're already on a verbal bender about all our anxieties about being on time. From the balancing act of deciding when to leave when meeting up with friends in public to leaving the house in a flustered, cartoon-like panic, we discuss how our anxiety affects our relationship with time.   We also mention a few things throughout the podcast: the book Allison mentions is "The Antidote" by Oliver Burkeman, the episode Chris mentions is Overcoming Distractions, and Chris is also confirmed to be live on CBC's "Fresh Air" program in Ontario at 7:30 AM on Sunday, September 24th! So if you're up at that ungodly hour, please tune in!

Does it surprise you that Allison and Chris are anxious about criticism? I mean, does it really?  Alright, enough questions for you, and more answers about what's included in today's show.  They first address the central paradox of wanting to improve, but not wanting to actually hear how to improve, and how that relates to anxiety. They then chat about the importance of giving yourself a moment to process things before wildly overreacting (something they're both adept at).  Finally, they talk about how their relationship to criticism has changed over the years, and how they're better able to manage it now...most days.  They reference the following articles in today's show: "Relax, You're Going to be Criticized" & "Social Anxiety: Coping with Criticism"  You can find us in our Facebook group, We're Anxious About.  Theme music: "I'm Not Nervous" by Square People, used under a CC BY 3.0 license, via the Free Music Archive.

On this special episode of I'm Anxious About, Chris & Allison speak with Kay of The Awkward Traveller about all things hiking. From rogue wild animals to not knowing how long a hike will take to deciphering signs that feel like Sphinx-like riddles to hiker bro gatekeeping, the three find quite a few paths to take when tackling Anxiety Mountain. And along the way, we learn Kay's deepest fear... big rocks. Yes, you heard correctly. Big rocks.If you want to hear more hilarious stories from Kay, check out her blog at https://theawkwardtraveller.com or find her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/awktravels.Theme music: "I'm Not Nervous" by Square People, used under a CC BY 3.0 license, via the Free Music Archive.

Allison and Chris knew that recording this episode had to be done eventually, and that they also had to use the term "the new normal," much to their chagrin. They break down why this period has been difficult for those with anxiety or mental health challenges, but, since Chris, ever the optimist, is one half of the podcast, they also address potential silver linings. In a bit of a change of pace, Allison and Chris focus heavily here on the present, with the idea that these musings on the present day might help listeners with their mindset moving forward. They also, as usual, used this as free therapy for themselves, so don't think it was all selfless.  For those interested, here's the study from the American Journal of Psychiatry on exercise referenced in the episode. Chris also mentioned his Ontario travel website, and since he is writing this description right now, he's going to shamelessly self-promote that site. Finally, if you like listening to us, but you want to get into our community (don't worry it's free as can be), come on over and join us in the We're Anxious About Facebook group. 

In today's episode, Chris and Allison discuss all the anxiety-inducing qualities of phone calls. From labyrinthine phone trees straight out of a Kafkaesque nightmare to Zoom fatigue to calls that definitely should have been emails, there's a lot to be said about picking up the phone. They coin a few useful terms -- "shame scrapbook" and "Canadian exit" -- and get momentarily sidetracked by the existence of the Apology Act.   Find us on our Facebook group, "We're Anxious About," to join the IAA community!  Articles discussed: Canadians love to say 'sorry' so much, we had to make this law, Psychologists explain your phone anxiety Theme music: "I'm Not Nervous" by Square People, used under a CC BY 3.0 license, via the Free Music Archive.

Allison and Chris finally got around to doing an episode about procrastination! In this episode, they coin a new phrase which they think will be around for a while - "The Shame Flame." I suppose you'll have to tune in to figure just what the hell that is. They also use a variety of metaphors largely based around cars (for some reason), and talk about why people with anxiety often think in terms of "failing du jour," or, in layman's terms, the failure of the day. Allison also has a breakthrough at the end about why they call it "practicing" meditation, and Chris, in response, lit up with unbridled excitement.  The article that Allison referenced throughout is "Why You Procrastinate (It Has Nothing to Do With Self-Control)" You can join us here in our growing Facebook group, so we can all commiserate about our respective anxieties - "We're Anxious About." Theme music: "I'm Not Nervous" by Square People, used under a CC BY 3.0 license, via the Free Music Archive.

In this episode, Allison and Chris tackle their complicated feelings towards social media. They discuss their anxieties about how they present themselves to the world, lament the crippling FOMO of following people who actually wake up for sunrise hikes, and share the peculiar challenge of branding yourself and making social media part of your business.They also plug their Facebook group, We're Anxious About, approximately 67 billion times, so you should probably join already and put them out of their misery. You can join us here: "We're Anxious About." Theme music: "I'm Not Nervous" by Square People, used under a CC BY 3.0 license, via the Free Music Archive.

This week, Allison and Chris are joined by a special guest, Ryan Patel, and the results are spectacular (at least in their admittedly biased perspective). In fact, these three chums practically had to be torn away from their respective microphones, as evidenced by the fact that this is the longest episode in the history of "I'm Anxious About" thus far. They dive scuba diver deep into what it is about the news that triggers them, chat about how they contend (or don't) with the 24 hour news cycle,  discuss the difference between news in the US and Canada,  and then chat about strategies they use so as to not be wholly consumed by the news at large.  The result, they hope, is an episode they'll be happy to add to their imaginary trophy cabinet and polish for years to come.   If 2 hours wasn't enough, you can come find us in our Facebook group, "We're Anxious About." Theme music: "I'm Not Nervous" by Square People, used under a CC BY 3.0 license, via the Free Music Archive.