Podcast
ANXIETY: Let’s Make Sense of This Sh*t
Hosted by Fabian · EN
This show serves skeptical, busy adults (25–55) who want 2–5 minute, evidence-based anxiety resets they can feel in their body immediately—at work, in bed, or before a meeting. We own panic, acute anxiety, nervous system reset, vagus nerve, health anxiety, anticipatory worry, and scenario-specific protocols. We never drift into trauma/CPTSD framing, grief/loss content, or vague "just relax" advice. Speed, specificity, and mechanism-in-one-sentence are the brand promise. --- Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Search for this show on Spotify for weekly episodes on anxiety, worry, panic, and practical calm tools — new episodes every week. Topics include: Anxiety: Let's Make Sense Of This Shit. Audio for this show is produced with AI assistance. Episodes are researched, scripted, and reviewed for accuracy before release.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/anxiety-let-s-make-sense-of-this-sh-t--6351689/support.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/anxiety-let-s-make-sense-of-this-sh-t--6351689/support.
61episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Understanding Work Anxiety Steps Before Big Meeting Moments
Jul 1400:32:25Tap to summarizeWelcome to Anxiety: Let's Make Sense of This Sh*t. I'm Fabian and this episode focuses on Work Anxiety: One Small Nervous System Step Before Big Meetings. The exact moment hits when you stand outside the conference room door. Your chest tightens without warning. Your mind races through every question someone might ask and every answer you might stumble over. That physical shift arrives first because anxiety in these seconds operates as a body What You'll Discover: • Core context for Work • Practical steps you can use today • How stress shows up in the body during this pattern • What to watch for when intensity rises • One takeaway to practice after listening Key Takeaways: • Small actions compound over time • Body cues matter as much as thoughts • Support and pacing reduce overwhelm Recommended Resources: • The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk • grounding exercises • somatic experiencing 📩 Have questions or want to share your experience? Reach out at anxiety@senseofthisshit.com. 💛 Join Our Supporters Club ($3 a month) 💛 Ad-free listening + early episodes — help keep independent media alive. Click Here: https://www.spreaker.com/podca...
Transcribe →Understanding Travel Anxiety Strategies for Nervous Flyers
Jul 1400:30:44Tap to summarizeWelcome to Anxiety: Let's Make Sense of This Sh*t. I'm Fabian and today we are talking directly to nervous flyers who feel that familiar tightening in their chest right at the gate. You stand there with your bag over one shoulder and your boarding pass in hand while your heart starts to pound because the body has already decided this flight means danger. That reaction lives in the amygdala and it does not care about your logical reminders that What You'll Discover: • Core context for Travel • Practical steps you can use today • How stress shows up in the body during this pattern • What to watch for when intensity rises • One takeaway to practice after listening Key Takeaways: • Small actions compound over time • Body cues matter as much as thoughts • Support and pacing reduce overwhelm Recommended Resources: • The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk • grounding exercises • somatic experiencing 📩 Have questions or want to share your experience? Reach out at anxiety@senseofthisshit.com. 💛 Join Our Supporters Club ($3 a month) 💛 Ad-free listening + early episodes — help keep independent media alive. Click Here: https://www.spreaker.com/podca...
Transcribe →Understanding Social Anxiety Reset Before Events Protocol
Jul 1400:34:29Tap to summarizeWelcome to Anxiety: Let's Make Sense of This Sh*t. I'm Fabian. You know that feeling when you pull up to a party or a meeting and your chest tightens before you even open the car door. Your heart picks up speed although nothing has happened yet. The body gets there first and your thoughts scramble to catch up. What You'll Discover: • Core context for Social • Practical steps you can use today • How stress shows up in the body during this pattern • What to watch for when intensity rises • One takeaway to practice after listening Key Takeaways: • Small actions compound over time • Body cues matter as much as thoughts • Support and pacing reduce overwhelm Recommended Resources: • The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk • grounding exercises • somatic experiencing 📩 Have questions or want to share your experience? Reach out at anxiety@senseofthisshit.com. 💛 Join Our Supporters Club ($3 a month) 💛 Ad-free listening + early episodes — help keep independent media alive. Click Here: https://www.spreaker.com/podca...
Transcribe →Work Anxiety: One Small Nervous System Step Before Big Meetings
Jul 1400:27:30Tap to summarizeWelcome to Anxiety: Let's Make Sense of This Sh*t. I'm Fabian and this episode focuses on work anxiety that hits right before big meetings. We will look at one small nervous system step that can shift how your body responds in that exact window. What You'll Discover: • Core context for Work • Practical steps you can use today • How stress shows up in the body during this pattern • What to watch for when intensity rises • One takeaway to practice after listening Key Takeaways: • Small actions compound over time • Body cues matter as much as thoughts • Support and pacing reduce overwhelm Recommended Resources: • The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk • grounding exercises • somatic experiencing 📩 Have questions or want to share your experience? Reach out at anxiety@senseofthisshit.com. 💛 Join Our Supporters Club ($3 a month) 💛 Ad-free listening + early episodes — help keep independent media alive. Click Here: https://www.spreaker.com/podca...
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Welcome to Anxiety: Let's Make Sense of This Shit (Trailer)
Jul 700:01:03Tap to summarizeIn this episode, meet Fabian, the host of Anxiety: Let's Make Sense Of This Shit, and hear exactly what this podcast is here to do. This is a short welcome to a show built for anyone whose mind won't stop racing — no lectures, no jargon, and no pressure to fix everything overnight. Each week brings short, honest, evidence-based episodes that help you understand what anxiety really is and give you practical resets you can use at your desk, in the car, or lying awake at two in the morning. Whether it's panic, worry, or that tight-chest feeling, we make sense of it together, one small step at a time.What You'll Discover:• What this weekly show covers and who it is for• Why your body reacts the way it does when anxiety spikes• Simple, evidence-based resets you can use in five minutes• How to work with panic and worry instead of fighting them• Why small, repeatable steps beat white-knuckling every timeRecommended Resources:• "When Panic Attacks" by David D. Burns• Anxiety and Depression Association of America online guides• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and simple grounding exercisesFollow the show on Spotify or Apple Podcasts so new episodes land automatically.📩 Have questions or want to share your experience? Reach out at anxiety@senseofthisshit.com.💛 Join Our Supporters Club 💛 Help keep these vital conversations alive—Click Here: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/anxiety-let-s-make-sense-of-this-sh-t--6351689/support
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Understanding Health Anxiety Loops and Reassurance Googling
Jul 200:34:06Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Fabian breaks down the exhausting cycle of health anxiety that spikes when a random symptom hits at 2 a.m. and sends you straight to Google. You will hear the real story of how one late-night headache search turned into hours of rising dread and why the reassurance never sticks. Instead of more facts or willpower, he shares four simple physical steps that interrupt the loop at the body level where anxiety actually lives. These actions calm the nervous system fast without needing perfect calm first or another search result. The approach draws on how the brain tags normal sensations as threats and gives you direct ways to reset before the spiral takes over your night or workday. You will learn to treat the urge to reach for the phone itself as a signal and shift into something your system understands quicker than any screen. The steps fit desk or bed moments and grow more reliable with quick practice ahead of time so the next twinge does not own the next hour. Key Takeaways: • Interrupt the googling urge before it fuels more dread • Lower anxiety intensity in under three minutes using body signals • Train your nervous system to let ordinary sensations pass naturally • Replace short-term relief with lasting habit change • Reduce late-night scanning and improve rest without extra facts What You'll Discover: • Why each search creates a sharper spike than the last • How the brain mistakes absence of catastrophe for arranged safety • The exact physical reset that works when thoughts race too fast • Why facts alone fail once the reassurance loop is established • A practical way to notice the phone reach as its own warning sign Recommended Resources: • Salkovskis 1986 paper on the reassurance trap in Behaviour Research and Therapy • 2019 King's College London study in Journal of Medical Internet Research on symptom searching and anxiety rise • DSM-5 section on illness anxiety disorder from the American Psychiatric Association • Anxiety and Depression Association of America online guides to health anxiety tools Coming Up Next Learn the exact four-step sequence that turns panic into a two-minute reset you can use anywhere. 📩 Have questions or want to share your experience? Reach out at anxiety@senseofthisshit.com. 💛 Join Our Supporters Club ($3 a month) 💛 Ad-free listening + early episodes — help keep independent media alive. Click Here: https://www.spreaker.com/podca...
Transcribe →How to Make Good Enough Decisions: How to Tolerate Solid Choices
Jun 3000:32:35Tap to summarizeIn this episode, we explore the exhausting loop of chasing perfect choices in everyday life from picking a restaurant or couch to major work decisions. Fabian shares personal stories of decision paralysis that fueled anxiety and physical tension. Drawing on Herbert Simon's concept of satisficing we learn how accepting good enough options calms the nervous system faster than endless searching. This shift reduces worry by closing mental loops and easing the body's stress response. Listeners discover practical ways to tolerate solid decisions without regret or overthinking. Key Takeaways: • Reduce daily anxiety by choosing good enough options quickly • Experience less physical tension once decisions are finalized • Free up mental energy for meaningful activities and rest • Build tolerance for uncertainty without endless second guessing • Improve sleep and focus by ending open decision loops What You'll Discover: • Why perfectionism fuels a self sustaining anxiety feedback loop • How satisficing gives the brain a clear stopping rule • The link between unresolved choices and elevated cortisol levels • Simple ways to reframe inner dialogue during tough decisions • Why culture celebrates optimizing yet it drains well being Recommended Resources: • Administrative Behavior by Herbert Simon • The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz • American Psychiatric Association resources on Generalized Anxiety Disorder • Journal of Anxiety Disorders meta analyses on perfectionism • Psychology Today articles on decision fatigue Coming Up Next Tune in next time to explore how small daily rituals can reset your nervous system and create lasting calm even amid ongoing stress. 📩 Have questions or want to share your experience? Reach out at anxiety@senseofthisshit.com. 💛 Join Our Supporters Club ($3 a month) 💛 Ad-free listening + early episodes — help keep independent media alive. Click Here: https://www.spreaker.com/podca...
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Social Anxiety Reset: Discreet 90-Second Protocol Before Events
Jun 3000:31:18Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Fabian shares a discreet 90-second protocol to reset social anxiety before events like meetings or gatherings. Many people face racing thoughts, tight chests, and dread while waiting outside the door. This simple approach uses breath, ground contact, and tiny movements to signal safety directly to the nervous system without anyone noticing. You will hear a real hallway story that shows how the steps work in the moment. The method targets the short window when stress peaks, helping you step inside with more ease. Listeners learn why practicing ahead builds automatic calm. The protocol stays private and fits any setting, turning anticipation into something manageable rather than overwhelming. Key Takeaways: • Reduce chest tightness quickly through focused breathing alone. • Build body signals that interrupt anxiety loops before events start. • Feel steadier entering social situations without visible actions. • Create repeatable calm using under ninety seconds of practice. • Strengthen nervous system responses for future gatherings and calls. What You'll Discover: • How a hallway moment reveals the power of internal resets. • Why breath and attention reach the body faster than thoughts. • The exact timing when event anxiety peaks and how to use it. • Simple steps that link directly to vagus nerve calming effects. • How rehearsal turns an awkward tool into an automatic habit. Recommended Resources: • Anxiety and Depression Association of America social anxiety reports • National Institute of Mental Health event-triggered anxiety data • Journal of Psychophysiology 2018 UC Berkeley heart rate study • Dr Judson Brewer Unwinding Anxiety book and habit loop research Coming Up Next Discover how to extend this reset into daily routines so every upcoming interaction feels less daunting and more within your control. 📩 Have questions or want to share your experience? Reach out at anxiety@senseofthisshit.com. 💛 Join Our Supporters Club ($3 a month) 💛 Ad-free listening + early episodes — help keep independent media alive. Click Here: https://www.spreaker.com/podca...
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Navigate Anxiety Sleep: 3-Min Body Scan for Racing Thoughts
Jun 2900:29:48Tap to summarizeIn this episode, discover a simple three-minute body scan that interrupts racing thoughts and signals your body to rest when anxiety spikes at night. Instead of wrestling with worries about tomorrow, you learn to shift attention through physical sensations that calm the nervous system fast. Fabian shares his own late-night trial at one forty-seven a.m. plus the exact toe-to-jaw sequence you can follow in bed. The method uses steady breathing and gentle muscle releases to lower heart rate and ease tension without forcing sleep. Listeners hear why repetition builds faster results and how this approach bypasses overthinking. Practice once during the day to make it automatic by bedtime. No special tools or quiet rooms required, just three minutes and willingness to follow the steps. Key Takeaways: • Fall asleep faster by sending safety signals through your body. • Reduce nighttime heart rate spikes within the first minute. • Interrupt worry loops without arguing against racing thoughts. • Build lasting calm through short daily practice sessions. • Wake more rested after consistent use of the scan. What You'll Discover: • How attention moving from toes upward quiets the mind quickly. • Why the vagus nerve responds to simple muscle releases at night. • The exact breath counts that steady your nervous system fast. • How alpha waves rise in under three minutes of scanning. • Why repeating the sequence on calm nights speeds later relief. Recommended Resources: • UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center free guided body scans • Jon Kabat-Zinn book Wherever You Go There You Are • JAMA Internal Medicine 2015 study on mindfulness for sleep • Headspace app evening body scan meditations • Mayo Clinic mindfulness and better sleep online guide Coming Up Next Learn another quick reset that turns morning pressure into steady focus so each day starts calmer and more in control. 📩 Have questions or want to share your experience? Reach out at anxiety@senseofthisshit.com. 💛 Join Our Supporters Club ($3 a month) 💛 Ad-free listening + early episodes — help keep independent media alive. Click Here: https://www.spreaker.com/podca...
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Health Anxiety Loop: Stop Reassurance Googling in 4 Simple Steps
Jun 2900:28:21Tap to summarizeIn this episode, we tackle the frustrating cycle of health anxiety where a minor headache sends you straight to Google for reassurance. You'll learn why those searches actually increase your worry over time and how a simple four-step body-based method can break the loop. By using timed pauses, written worries, scheduled check-ins, and neutral actions, you send safety signals to your nervous system that logic alone cannot reach. This approach helps busy adults stop the endless scrolling and regain focus during work or bedtime. Practice these steps to reduce the automatic urge to search and feel more in control of your reactions. The protocol uses quick physical resets anyone can do at a desk or in bed without extra tools. Key Takeaways: • Interrupt reassurance loops before they escalate your stress levels. • Activate your parasympathetic system for faster calm without searches. • Build lasting habits that lower daily health monitoring urges. • Improve focus at work and sleep by containing worry times. • Gain confidence in handling sensations without external validation. What You'll Discover: • Why reassurance googling raises anxiety by 18 percent on average. • How the nervous system learns to demand checks over time. • Simple timer techniques that create space for natural settling. • The power of one daily worry window to clear your schedule. • Replacing searches with movement activates true safety responses. Recommended Resources: • DSM-5 criteria for Illness Anxiety Disorder from American Psychiatric Association • Salkovskis and Warwick 2001 article in Behaviour Research and Therapy • McMullan et al. 2019 study in Journal of Anxiety Disorders • Cooper et al. 2017 meta-analysis in Psychological Medicine Coming Up Next Learn additional body-based resets to handle other anxiety triggers and build steady daily resilience. 📩 Have questions or want to share your experience? Reach out at anxiety@senseofthisshit.com. 💛 Join Our Supporters Club ($3 a month) 💛 Ad-free listening + early episodes — help keep independent media alive. Click Here: https://www.spreaker.com/podca...
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