We all struggle with procrastination, so if you're currently avoiding something, listening to this re-release of one of our greatest hits is a great way to not do whatever you're supposed to do! In this episode, Chris & Allison talk about the reasons why procrastination is so anxiety-inducing (and anxiety-perpetuating) and the psychology behind why we do it, even though we know it's so bad for us. We hope you enjoy, and remember you can always join us in our Facebook group, "We're Anxious Ab...
Aug 05, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 59
In this episode, Chris and Allison take a trip down memory lane, though probably not in the classic sense of the phrase. This episode remains consistently in the top ten downloaded episodes for I'm Anxious About, and Allison and Chris would like to think it's for good reason. It came out at a time when the podcast was really taking off, and your cohosts were starting to get a bit more comfortable diving deep. We hope you enjoy, and remember you can always join us in our Facebook group, "We're An...
Jul 22, 2021•52 min•Ep. 58
Allison and Chris talk through their decision to take a summer break, which will be the first extended break in the podcast's history. They're be offering up their "greatest hits" of previous episodes for the next couple of months, and then hope to get back at it. You'll learn all about what spurred that decision here. A huge thanks from both your hosts for the support along the way. Of course, you can always feel free to join us in our Facebook Group, " We're Anxious About ." Theme music: "I'm ...
Jul 08, 2021•21 min•Ep. 57
Chris & Allison are both forgetful beings (see: the fact that Allison forgot to send the files to the editor after finishing recording, which is why this episode is a week later than usual.) And of course, that gives them a lot to be anxious about! In this episode, Chris & Allison discuss why forgetting things is particularly fraught for those with anxiety, and how to extend yourself grace about the things you forget, as well as why the anxious brain might be more forgetful than others. ...
Jun 24, 2021•57 min•Ep. 56
Allison and Chris are on opposite sides of the spectrum when it comes to caffeine. Allison refuses to move a finger without being well-caffeinated where as Chris, once caffeinated, can't really stop moving his fingers. That, to be fair, is an exaggeration on both accounts, but what are show notes for if not to exaggerate? They explore whether all caffeine is created equal and whether tea may still be a viable option for those who don't drink coffee, how caffeine can both help and hinder the anxi...
Jun 03, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 55
As the world starts to slowly inch its way back to the old normal, there are some things that Chris & Allison have to face that haven't been A Thing in over a year, like live music. While Chris is excited to start tapping his feet to the beat again, Allison has a little more trepidation and has to confront her fears of crowds and enthusiastic acoustic guitar players who make too much eye contact. If you enjoyed this episode, please join us over on our Facebook group, We're Anxious About , or...
May 20, 2021•59 min•Ep. 54
In this episode (which, in truth, was long overdue), Allison and Chris explore why looking stupid is actually a central tenant of their anxiety, and also anxiety in general. They break down what it is about "looking stupid" that's actually so hard to stomach, and whether or not most of that is actually to do with their own perspective. It's an episode which is a bit summative in that you could argue that, in a way, all IAA episodes have touched upon this in some way. They discuss how they've tri...
May 06, 2021•58 min•Ep. 53
You may remember that our first "real" episode after the brief introductory episode is "I'm Anxious About Starting a Podcast." Well, this is essence, is the part two of that episode. At first we were anxious about starting it, and now here we are, one year later, anxious about running it. In many ways, this episode serves as a bit of an opportunity for Allison and Chris to recap and reflect on the journey thus far. They also have an important announcement to share on how the podcast will run mov...
Apr 22, 2021•47 min•Ep. 52
Compliments may seem innocuous, but for people with anxiety, they can offer trigger thoughts of worthlessness and awkwardness. We discuss the three typical anxious responses to a compliment -- deflect, reciprocate, or discount -- and talk about what our personal approach to handling compliments is. Spoiler alert: we don't handle them well. If you enjoyed this episode, please join us over on our Facebook group, We're Anxious About , or share it with a friend who you think will enjoy our show. The...
Apr 15, 2021•52 min•Ep. 51
Wherever there are definitive choices to be made, you'll find just a dash of anxiety - and that certainly applies to shopping. In this episode, Allison and Chris explore their own anxieties around shopping. They talk about how clothing is closely tethered to identity, which can make shopping a stressful experience (especially if you're not feeling like yourself on that particular today). They also explore how the emergence of online shopping might benefit certain folks with anxiety, and in parti...
Apr 08, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 50
If you think these two podcast hosts are the kind of people who can unwind and settle into a peaceful midday nap, it's probably your first time listening (in which case, hi!). Indeed, Chris & Allison are pathologically incapable of napping, and the sheer thought of it is enough to invoke a nervous tailspin or two. In this episode, they break down what it is about naps that make them so antsy and restless and give a few tips for other people who are constitutionally unable to relax. For the s...
Apr 01, 2021•50 min•Ep. 49
If there's one thing that Allison and Chris have done a lot of, it's flying. And, as you well know, anything that anxious people do a lot of - they end of feeling strongly about. In this episode, they talk through the entire flight process, from boarding, to taking off, to being in the air, to landing. And they share their feelings on it all, while speaking from experience. Of course, they also offer some tips and tricks along the way, and share a few laughs and poorly timed jokes. If you enjoye...
Mar 25, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 48
Allison and Chris first ensure that listeners know that they're talking about "energy levels," as it relates to human beings, and not the energy sector, and then dive into the complicated world of maintaining a baseline of energy as someone with anxiety. The truth is that, with anxiety, sometimes our best laid plans are flipped on their head when we wake up and realize that, unfortunately, it feels as if we've been tranquilized. They talk in-depth about the important of accepting ourselves as we...
Mar 18, 2021•53 min•Ep. 47
We know what you're thinking... "you're anxious about closets, really, guys?" Well, we won't deny that it's ridiculous (especially Allison's fear of literal closet demons -- don't let a 9-year-old watch whatever horror movies they want, or this is what you'll get), but we will say that we think this episode is a lot of fun and goes to surprisingly deep places at times. Chris & Allison discuss their non-metaphorical relationships with their closets, touching upon topics such as body image, se...
Mar 11, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 46
By now, you've probably realized that Chris & Allison can never resist any chance to get a little meta, and this episode is no exception. In this episode, Allison discusses her recent big change of moving back to the United States and the many identity crises that present along with it. Chris & Allison speak at length about the relationship between anxiety and change, particularly how we tend to ruminate on change for a long time before finally feeling secure to make it, and how we cope ...
Mar 04, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 45
If you thought either of us could relax with a nice bit of knitting or cross-stitching, well, I guess this is probably your first time listening to this podcast! In this week's episode, we tackle the paradox of why hobbies actually make us anxious. Allison's anxious because she has a deep-seated fear of being dull and uninteresting; also, she gets anxious being a beginner at things... even low-stakes hobbies. Meanwhile, Chris is anxious because he turns every hobby into a goal and tracks it fran...
Feb 25, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 44
Can we have just one nice, anxiety-free day on our birthdays? Nope? All righty then. Chris and Allison blow out the candles on their anxiety-iced cakes and dive into what it is about birthdays that makes them spin out. Perhaps unsurprisingly for longtime listeners, Chris gets philosophical and slightly melancholy about the aging process, but wags his tail at the prospect of seeing all his friends gathered together at once so he can make eye contact and tell everyone how much they mean to him. Me...
Feb 18, 2021•58 min•Ep. 43
Coming up on a year into the coronavirus pandemic, there's one thing we're all feeling: Zoom fatigue. In this episode, Chris and Allison dive into why Zoom (or any kind of video call) is a particularly difficult medium for people with anxiety. From anticipatory stress about speaking up in a large meeting room to the overstimulation of video calls to the pandemic-flavored ennui that has us wondering why this all couldn't just be an email, Zoom is a part of pandemic life whether we like it or not....
Feb 11, 2021•58 min•Ep. 42
Chris and Allison expected this episode to be fun and lighthearted but, looking back, they're kind of happy things got a little deeper than they expected. Like all human beings, Allison and Chris have experienced loss, but the anxious brain, as you well may know, can experience (or obsess over) loss in different ways. The laughs and lightheartedness are here, don't you worry, but they'd also like to think something more is in this episode. Your co-hosts are criminally biased, but they feel this ...
Feb 04, 2021•56 min•Ep. 41
Windows down, hair blowing in the wind, wheels on the road, nothing to worry about, right? Uhh, not if you're Chris and Allison. These two anxious co-hosts share all their worries about hitting the open road, from Allison's traumatic solo Iceland road trip woes to Chris's propensity to throw a very unnecessary, wildly preemptive middle finger. Allison shares her deep dark secret about being the world's worst backseat driver and her coping mechanisms for dealing with anxiety about lack of control...
Jan 28, 2021•58 min•Ep. 40
While it may seem a bit obvious to have anxiety about the future, Chris and Allison dive into why exactly the future can be so scary to people with anxiety. From overreacting and spiraling out about a hypothetical future scenario that will likely never come to pass to the temptation of "positive anxiety" in the form of perfectionist tendencies and future fantasies that end up eliciting shame when your perfect future never comes to pass, there are lots of different ways our lack of control over t...
Jan 21, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 39
Looking at the title, you might think "wait, how can you be anxious about relaxation? Isn't that counter-intuitive? I mean is there anything you two aren't anxious about?" And to that, we would kindly answer, "listen to the episode, and all shall be answered." And, we also might insert an expletive or two. Before this becomes an accidental parable, we'll note that this episode should actually be quite helpful for those that, like Allison & Chris, need to actively unwind so that they're not a...
Jan 14, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 38
Have you ever woken up in the morning with a feeling like your stomach is a pit of writhing snakes? Or is it just us? In the first episode of 2021, we tackle mornings and why they make us so anxious. It's partly science and that dastardly brain chemical cortisol, but it's also the expectations we place on ourselves and the struggle of setting a morning routine. We go on a lengthy side tangent about the insane morning rituals of the rich and successful, and why you should never trust anyone who t...
Jan 07, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 37
The final episode of 2020 is a fitting one, filled with healthy doses of crystallized learnings, as well the appropriate amount of absurdity. Allison and Chris talk about what they've learned during this trying year, and what they hope to do in the coming year. They also talk about the podcast at large, and the effect that starting this podcast, as well its growth, has had on their lives. They also dole out a bunch of thank yous and get a tad mushy at the end. It's a fitting end to what has been...
Dec 31, 2020•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 36
What is it about our inboxes that make us feel scattered, panicked, and nervous? Chris & Allison tackle the anxieties of email, from the struggle of maintaining 'inbox zero' to the pressure to respond quickly to the way our email inboxes reflect our mental states. This is a topic that triggers us both greatly, so it's no surprise this episode is particularly filled with laughter and jokes as a haphazard coping mechanism. Hurrah! You can join us in our Facebook group, "We're Anxious About," a...
Dec 24, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 35
Usually, this time of year brings both snow and hangovers in abundance. We have the snow, but the lack of gatherings hasn't quite brought the flurry of hangovers one might expect. That hasn't stopped Allison and Chris from being anxious about them. In this episode, they dive into their relationship to alcohol, and what too much alcohol can do when it comes down to anxiety. They also dive into tips for drinking a little bit less, and Allison takes many chances to curse Chris for having hangovers ...
Dec 17, 2020•58 min•Ep. 34
Ho, ho, ho, your favorite podcasting Grinches are back to decry all things merry and cheerful! Chris & Allison discuss their anxieties about all things gift-giving, and particularly its intersection with Christmas and other societally-dictated gifting traditions. With a fair amount of anti-capitalist screeds and a rant from Allison about scented lotion, we hope you'll laugh along and that this podcast helps to alleviate some of the gifting anxiety you might be experiencing this consumerist -...
Dec 10, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 33
In this episode, Allison and Chris are lucky to be joined by Rebecca Durance Hine, who, like your co-hosts, has battled anxiety over the years. However, her most notable battle is with cancer, and she shares how she overcame anxiety during a difficult time, and actually came out on the other side of cancer with a huge amount of perspective, and also empowered. She talks about how we can be proactive with our health, and offers some important insight into handling a diagnosis, particularly as it ...
Dec 03, 2020•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 32
Clutter is just one of those things that you know is so bad for your anxiety, and yet you feel overwhelmed by the thought of even making a dent in it. In this episode, we continue to put off tackling our own physical clutter by ruminating ad nauseam about our own mental clutter surrounding the supposedly-simple act of tidying up. We mention a few articles, a Men's Health article titled " A Psychologist Explains Why Clutter Can Lead to Anxiety and Stress " and a NYT piece called " The Unbearable ...
Nov 26, 2020•58 min•Ep. 31
This episode was a long time coming, so both Allison and Chris were collectively relieved and excited to tackle the topic today. They address how, with anxiety, we need to look just beyond the black and white/good and bad dichotomy and try to look at what spending might actually be a benefit. They also talk about how sometimes being anxious about wasting money is actually useful, but other times, it can just be another tool for self-flagellation. This is a topic that is near and dear to both of ...
Nov 19, 2020•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 30
