The Anxiety Compass Podcast

Send us Fan Mail What if the fear of dying is actually stopping you from living? In this episode of The Anxiety Compass , Sammy and Nat tackle one of anxiety’s biggest, and often least talked about, fears: death. Sammy shares the story of the late Emmilia O’Sullivan, author of I Should Be F’N Dead! , whose extraordinary approach to life left a lasting impression on her. After brain surgeries, orga...

Send us Fan Mail Could something you're exposed to every day be contributing to the way you feel? When we think of heavy metals, most of us imagine industrial exposure, contaminated workplaces or something that surely couldn't apply to us. But metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium and arsenic can potentially enter our environment in ways we might not expect. In this episode of The Anxiet...

Send us Fan Mail Do you ever feel like everyone around you is moving WAY too slowly? You think fast. You move fast. You make decisions fast. And when somebody else can't keep up… the frustration kicks in.  In this episode of The Anxiety Compass , Sammy and Nat jump aboard the Anxiety Express and explore a brilliant analogy: what happens when you're travelling through life on the express...

Send us Fan Mail If anxiety was an Olympic sport… what event would YOU win gold in? With the Brisbane Olympics heading our way in 2032, Sammy and Nat have decided it's probably time to start training. Not for swimming. Not for athletics. For the ANXIETY OLYMPICS.   Because some of us have been training our entire lives for events like overthinking something we said three days ago, preparing f...

Send us Fan Mail Heart pounding. Breathless. Dizzy. Exhausted. Brain foggy. Overwhelmed. Sounds a lot like anxiety, right? But what if some of those sensations are actually coming from something happening inside your body? In this episode of The Anxiety Compass , Sammy and Nat share their own experiences with iron deficiency and anaemia and explore why low iron, along with B12 and folate deficienc...

Send us Fan Mail 🎉 It's our 50th episode! And for this one, we wanted to look at anxiety a little differently. We spend so much time talking about everything anxiety takes from us, the overthinking, racing heart, sleepless nights, fear, overwhelm and those spectacular worst-case scenarios our brains can create. But what if anxiety has also helped shape some of your greatest strengths? In thi...

Send us Fan Mail Can the bacteria living in your gut influence how anxious you feel? Most of us think of probiotics as something to take after a course of antibiotics or when our digestion is out of balance. But emerging research is revealing something far more fascinating... the microbes living inside your gut may be communicating with your brain every single day. In this episode of The Anxiety C...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever experienced anxiety symptoms that seem to come out of nowhere? Racing heart, flushing, brain fog, trouble sleeping, or feeling constantly on edge... even when life feels relatively calm? What if, for some people, those symptoms aren't just anxiety? In this episode of The Anxiety Compass , Sammy and Nat explore the fascinating connection between histamine, gut he...

Send us Fan Mail Does it ever feel like the world is moving faster than your brain can keep up? Another app. Another software update. Another password. Another AI tool. Another notification. Just when you've figured one thing out, something new arrives. In this episode of The Anxiety Compass , Sammy and Nat explore why modern technology can leave us feeling mentally exhausted, overwhelmed and...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever picked up your phone to check the weather… only to find yourself 20 minutes later feeling overwhelmed by war, natural disasters, crime, politics and breaking news from around the world? If so, you're not alone, and it's not because you're "too sensitive." In this episode of The Anxiety Compass , Sammy and Nat explore The Headline Effect, how...

Send us Fan Mail Do you ever feel like improving your mental health means buying another supplement, downloading another app, or trying another wellness trend? In this lighter and more personal episode of The Anxiety Compass , Sammy and Nat share 10 simple things that genuinely help calm their nervous systems...and every single one of them is completely free! From cuddling pets and doing jigsaw pu...

Send us Fan Mail What if some of the symptoms you blame on anxiety are actually your body asking for water? In this episode of The Anxiety Compass , Sammy and Nat explore the often-overlooked connection between dehydration, the nervous system, and anxiety-like symptoms. From dizziness and brain fog to racing hearts and feeling "on edge," dehydration can create physical sensations that cl...

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...