The Anxiety Compass Podcast

Send us Fan Mail GUEST EPISODE  Why is it so hard to speak up, set boundaries, ask for what we need, or have difficult conversations in our relationships? In this episode of The Anxiety Compass, Sammy and Nat are joined by, Jayden Leigh Hargreaves, Emotional Intelligence Coach for Women, for a deep and thought-provoking discussion about anxiety, attachment, communication, masculinity, femininity,...

Send us Fan Mail Do you hate being wrong? Not because you need to win every argument... But because somewhere deep down, being wrong feels unsafe. In this episode of The Anxiety Compass , Sammy and Nat explore the hidden anxiety behind looking foolish, making mistakes, receiving feedback, and feeling like you should already know the answer. From avoiding asking questions in meetings to over-explai...

Send us Fan Mail What if anxiety isn't just coming from your thoughts? In this episode of The Anxiety Compass , Sammy and Nat shine a light on one of the most overlooked pieces of the anxiety puzzle: Vitamin D. As the weather cools down and we spend more time indoors, many people notice changes in their mood, motivation, energy levels, and resilience. But how much of that is "just life&q...

Send us Fan Mail Is your house making you anxious... or is anxiety creating the clutter? In this episode of The Anxiety Compass , Sammy and Nat explore the surprisingly powerful relationship between physical clutter, mental load, and the nervous system. From overflowing washing baskets and mystery drawers full of random cords to unopened emails and endless to-do lists, clutter isn't always ab...

Send us Fan Mail What if the words you repeat every day are shaping your nervous system more than you realise? In this episode of The Anxiety Compass , Sammy and Nat explore the powerful connection between language, anxiety, the nervous system, and the stories we repeat about ourselves. From the way we speak out loud to the constant narration happening inside our minds, this conversation dives int...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Anxiety Compass , Sammy and Nat dive into the growing epidemic of burnout, high-functioning anxiety, and the pressure many women feel to constantly keep pushing through life. From perfectionism to 3am wakeups, emotional overload, nervous system exhaustion, and the feeling of being “wired but tired,” this episode explores the deep connection between stress, c...

Send us Fan Mail Do you apologise for asking questions? For being emotional? For replying late? For needing help? For simply existing? In this episode of The Anxiety Compass , Sammy and Nat unpack the hidden message behind over-apologising… and why saying “sorry” is often much deeper than politeness. Because for many people, apologising became a survival strategy. A way to:  avoid conflict   keep...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever avoided a photo… then years later wished you were in it? In this episode Sammy and Nat continue the conversation around body image, but this time through a personal lens. Because body image isn’t always about weight or appearance. Sometimes it’s:  hiding behind other people in photos   avoiding swimming pools and beaches   obsessing over angles and clothing   saying...

Send us Fan Mail What if body image isn’t actually about how you look… at all? In this episode of The Anxiety Compass , Sammy and Nat are joined by Ellen Tuzi, Certified Body Image & Intuitive Eating Counsellor to explore the deeper connection between anxiety, control, and body image . Because for so many, it’s not just about wanting to look a certain way. It’s about feeling safe. Feeling in c...

Send us Fan Mail You’re eating well. You’re doing the “right” things.  So why do you still feel anxious… or even worse? In this episode of The Anxiety Compass , Sammy and Nat unpack a lesser-known piece of the anxiety puzzle...how your body’s chemistry and genetics might be keeping you stuck in a constant state of “on.” Because anxiety isn’t always coming from your thoughts. Sometimes… it’s coming...

Send us Fan Mail Why do you feel instantly better after being outside… even when nothing in your life has changed? In this episode of The Anxiety Compass , Sammy and Natalie explore the power of forest bathing and why it’s so much more than just “going for a hike.” Because this isn’t about steps, fitness, or productivity. It’s about your nervous system . We unpack how modern life keeps us constant...

Send us Fan Mail Somewhere along the way, many of us were given a label. Anxiety. Panic disorder. Overthinker. And while that label can bring relief and understanding… it can also quietly become part of our identity. In this episode of The Anxiety Compass , Sammy and Nat explore what happens when anxiety shifts from something you experience… to something you believe you are . Because there’s a big...

Send us Fan Mail Ever tried to think your way out of anxiety… and it just doesn’t work? That’s because anxiety isn’t just in your mind.  It’s in your body. In this episode of The Anxiety Compass , Sammy and Nat explore the role of the Vagus nerve...your body’s built-in pathway to calm, safety, and regulation. Because when your nervous system feels unsafe, no amount of positive thinking will overri...

Send us Fan Mail Your Anxiety Compass isn’t broken. But it might be being influenced more than you realise. In this episode of The Anxiety Compass , Sammy and Nat unpack how our modern environment, from ultra-processed foods to constant stimulation and marketing, can quietly hijack the signals your body is trying to send you. Because anxiety isn’t always random. Sometimes it’s your body responding...

Send us Fan Mail Money isn’t just numbers on a screen. It’s safety. It’s survival. It’s identity. And for many people, it’s also ANXIETY. In this episode of The Anxiety Compass , Sammy and Natalie are joined by Alpha Schulte from Money Made Simple to unpack the often unspoken relationship between money and the nervous system. Because financial stress isn’t just about budgeting harder or earning mo...

Send us Fan Mail Why Noise Can Trigger Anxiety (And Why Silence Can Too) Some days everything feels too loud. The kids. The notifications. The conversations. The background noise you can’t switch off. And other days… It’s the silence that feels uncomfortable. In this episode of The Anxiety Compass , Sammy and Nat explore the relationship between noise, silence, and the nervous system. Because it’s...

Send us Fan Mail Why does anxiety love 3AM? In this episode, we unpack the science and story behind anxious sleep... from cortisol spikes and blood sugar dips to hormonal shifts and hypervigilance. We explore:  ✨ Why your nervous system wakes you  ✨ The link between nutrition and sleep quality  ✨ Magnesium & practical tools  ✨ What NOT to do when you wake in the night  ✨ How to create saf...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we explore the relationship between movement and the anxious nervous system. Not all exercise is regulating. Not all intensity is helpful. And sometimes, the “healthy habit” can quietly stack stress instead of release it. We talk about:  ✨ Why movement metabolises stress hormones  ✨ When high-intensity training can worsen anxiety  ✨ How music and environment aff...

Send us Fan Mail Running your own business is challenging enough. Add anxiety into the mix, and suddenly your nervous system has a seat at every meeting. In this episode, Sammy and Natalie talk honestly about what it’s really like to build and run a business when you’re overly anxious. The invisible pressure, the constant decision-making, the fear of getting it wrong, and the emotional load that d...

Send us Fan Mail Anxiety doesn’t just show up when things are wrong. It often shows up when things are changing. Even good change. Holidays, healing, growth, new routines, new seasons of life... all of these can trigger anxiety, not because you’re failing, but because your nervous system prefers what’s familiar. In this conversation, we explore why anxiety spikes during transitions and why “I shou...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Anxiety Compass , we explore something surprisingly simple and incredibly powerful. Regulation doesn’t come from massive routines, perfect mornings, or pushing yourself harder. It comes from micro choices . Those tiny, often overlooked decisions you make throughout the day that quietly tell your nervous system: You’re safe. I’m listening. I’ve got you. In th...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we talk about something that doesn’t get said enough…   the anxiety hangover that can linger after being sick. After recently having the flu (hello Japan travel germs), Sammy and Nat share what it’s like when your body is technically “better”… but your nervous system is still in overdrive. This episode is a gentle, honest conversation about those in-between days wh...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we dive into The Great Unwiring...  what it actually means to break free from the survival patterns your nervous system learnt years (or decades) ago. So many of us live with a brain that’s stuck in fight, flight, freeze, or fawn , running the same old protective programs on loop. These patterns often come from childhood, trauma, overwhelm, or seasons of life where...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we explore why humans are basically walking Wi-Fi routers, constantly broadcasting emotional signals, syncing with each other’s nervous systems, and accidentally connecting to energy we don’t even want. We break down co-regulation in a way that actually makes sense:  ✨ Your body is always sending out a “signal”  ✨ Other people’s bodies pick it up instantly  ✨ K...

Send us Fan Mail Why do we say yes when every cell in our body is screaming NO? In this episode, Nat and Sammy dive into the messy, very human world of people pleasing... the survival strategy so many anxious, sensitive humans master without even meaning to. We explore the real root of people pleasing through the lens of the nervous system, childhood patterns, fear of conflict, and that deep desir...