Episode Overview

Podcast: Building Resilience
Host: Leah Davidson
Episode: How To Heal Anxiety From The Body Up: 3 Frameworks To Calm Your Nervous System
Date: March 26, 2025

In this episode, Leah Davidson tackles the root of anxiety, shifting the focus from cognitive solutions to body-based practices. She introduces and explains three practical frameworks designed to break the anxiety cycle by fostering a sense of safety within the nervous system. These insights are based on current research, her own experience as a nervous system resilience coach, and her work with clients.

Main Theme

Healing anxiety is about working with your body, not just trying to think your way out of it.
Leah reframes anxiety as a physiological "alarm" state, emphasizing the importance of nervous system regulation and embodied practices. Throughout the episode, she shares accessible tools to calm and befriend the nervous system, increasing resilience and well-being.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Anxiety as a Body-Based Experience

• Misconception Correction: Anxiety is often perceived as only a "mind problem," but Leah emphasizes that it "actually lives in the body and you can't think your way out of it." (03:05)
• The Anxiety Cycle:
  • The body detects stress, sends a danger signal to the brain.
  • The brain creates anxious thoughts to match bodily feelings.
  • These thoughts intensify the physical alarm, creating a self-reinforcing loop.
• Core Solution:
  • Breaking the anxiety loop requires interrupting the body’s alarm response and providing real, embodied cues of safety.

Framework 1: The ABC Method (Adapted from Dr. Russell Kennedy)

Timestamp: 08:30

A – Awareness & Attention

• "Everything starts with awareness. If you’re not even aware that you’re in a state of alarm, how can you even change it?" (08:50)
• Scan your body for signs of anxiety (e.g., tight chest, stomach discomfort, racing heart).
• Check for actual danger—most anxiety is a false alarm.

B – Body, Breathe & Befriend

• “You’ve identified there’s an alarm going off in your body, and now it’s time to send your body signals of safety.” (10:53)
• Tools:
  • Deep belly breathing: Focus on exhalation to activate the vagus nerve (rest and digest response).
  • "Rag doll": Release body tension for five seconds.
  • Move excess energy: Shake, stretch, dance, or walk to dissipate stress.

C – Connection, Compassion & Care

• Practice self-compassion: “The more you resist, the more you shame yourself for feeling anxious, the stronger it’s going to get.” (13:43)
• Kristin Neff's self-compassion elements:
  1. Mindfulness: Notice anxiety without judgment.
  2. Common humanity: Remember everyone experiences anxiety; you’re not broken.
  3. Self-kindness: Offer support to yourself as you would a friend.
• “I love saying to myself, ‘I always have my own back.’” (15:50)

Framework 2: The STOP Method

Timestamp: 16:35

A quick, memorable acronym for redirecting anxious thoughts in the moment:

• S – Stop: Recognize and halt the anxious chatter—say "stop" out loud or mentally.
• T – Take a breath: Shift focus from thoughts to body awareness.
• O – Observe: Scan your body, notice where you hold tension.
• P – Proceed with safety: Choose a soothing, grounding response rather than spiraling.
• “Instead of spiraling into fear, we interrupt kind of abruptly the cycle by saying stop, then taking a breath, getting into your body, observe what’s going on in your body, and then proceed with safety.” (18:01)

Framework 3: The Safety Sequence

Timestamp: 19:15

The core process Leah teaches in her programs and guided journal—designed to shift your nervous system’s default from anxiety to calm:

1. Establish Safety Empirically

   • Ask: "Am I actually safe right now?" (20:05)
   • Use external cues (locked doors, familiar environment, physical sensations) to signal safety.
   • Acknowledge that the brain’s “neuroception”—scanning for danger—is often inaccurate in anxiety.

2. Internal Body Check

   • “Where do I not feel safe?” (21:19)
   • Tune into physical sensations—describe them without avoidance.

3. Relax & Release

   • Drop your shoulders, take a low slow breath, focus on exhalation.
   • “When you show your nervous system that it's okay to feel anxiety, the alarm is going to start to quiet down.” (22:45)
   • Allow anxiety to be present, observe, and relax into it.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the anxiety cycle:
  “It’s kind of like you’re taking this inventory of your personal anxiety signals. The more familiar you are with them, the less they’re going to be able to overwhelm you.” (09:15)

• On body-based practices:
  “Simple, but it’s not always easy to use them.” (11:35)

• On self-compassion:
  “Anxiety really does thrive in self-judgment.” (13:43)
  “If somebody I loved was feeling this way, what would I say to them now?” (14:01)

• On the goal of these frameworks:
  “This safety sequence is really designed to try to train your nervous system to default to calm and safety instead of anxiety.” (19:40)

• On accepting anxiety:
  “We’re not trying to resist anything. We’re trying to allow it to be there, observe it being there, and relax into it.” (23:20)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00–03:05 — Introduction and recap of anxiety as "not just a mind problem"
• 03:06–08:29 — Explaining why anxiety resides in the body and how the alarm cycle works
• 08:30–16:34 — Deep dive into the ABC Method (Awareness, Body/Breathe, Compassion)
• 16:35–19:14 — STOP Method explained for interrupting anxious thought spirals
• 19:15–25:00 — The Safety Sequence: step-by-step nervous system training for lasting calm
• 25:01–End — Encouragement, wrap-up, and connection info

Episode Takeaways

• Lasting anxiety relief comes from addressing physical sensations, not just changing thoughts.
• Developing bodily awareness, practicing self-compassion, and intentionally providing cues of safety can disrupt the anxiety cycle.
• The three frameworks presented (ABC, STOP, Safety Sequence) offer practical, actionable steps that can be used in real time to create a sense of safety and regulate the nervous system.

Additional Resources Mentioned

• Guided Journal: A mental health journal under the “Resilient Brilliance” brand.
• Nervous System Journaling Club: Monthly membership community for live journaling and doodle classes, accessible via Leah’s website.

Leah closes by encouraging listeners to practice these tools consistently, reminding them:

“You have your own back. Get into your body, relax your body and create that safety.” (24:35)

This summary captures the key themes, actionable advice, and the tone of supportive expertise that define this episode of "Building Resilience."