Episode 55: How Anxiety REALLY Feels & Why Deep Breathing Might Not Be the Answer

Hey y’all. Today’s episode of Curious & Curiouser is a little bit different. With Tracey out of commission this week (more on this in a future episode), we had planned to just skip a week of recording and give our listeners a chance to catch up on past episodes. But then, I (Cayly) decided to record this little mini episode on a whim in order to share a story about my experience of anxiety with a real-world example from my life last weekend.

In this story, I talk about narrowly avoiding a full-blown panic attack, what I did to deal with the anxiety, and why “focus on your breath” or “breathe deeply” can be terrible advice for someone in the throes of panic.

Anyhoo, this episode is relatively short and I would love for you to listen. If you are someone who faces anxiety on a regular basis in your own life, I hope this episode makes you feel a little less alone. This is me being real, raw, vulnerable, and honest about what anxiety really feels like for me in my life. May it resonate with and be valuable to some of you out there listening.

Thanks, friends! As always, please consider leaving the show a review in iTunes if you love it. Tracey and I would really appreciate it!

Piquing Our Curiosity:

She Bop, a women-owned sex-top boutique in Portland, Oregon. From their website:  “Evy Cowan and Jeneen Doumitt opened She Bop in November of 2009 with the objective of creating an adult boutique specializing in non-toxic body-safe toys, exceptional books, female- and queer- friendly DVDs and quality sensuality products. She Bop gives Portland an adult atmosphere that goes beyond the traditional sex store experience by actively pursuing a commitment to sexual education and conscious business practices while also offering a fun, safe, comfortable and sex-positive environment for people of all genders, sexual orientations and social backgrounds.” Yes, please. Tracey and I love She Bop and have mentioned several times on the show. Check them out online here (http://www.sheboptheshop.com/) and visit them in person at one of their Portland locations.