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April 15th, 2026

1237: Why Anxiety Feels Stuck And The Subtle Patterns That Keep It Going

  1. 1237: Why Anxiety Feels Stuck And The Subtle Patterns That Keep It Going Gina Ryan 18:15

In today’s episode Gina discusses feeling stuck with anxiety and how to keep this feeling from creating a self-fulfilling feedback loop. Remember, expending effort trying to avoid the anxiety will not help. Understanding that anxiety is not an enemy to be feared but may be accepted as a companion will help loosen the anxiety’s grip on our minds and bodies and let the adverse bodily sensations and mental states pass more quickly. Listen in for a guide on how to allow this process to happen!

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Learn more about anxiety What is anxiety?

Free Guided Meditation for Calming Your Anxious Mind 10-Minute Body-Scan Meditation for Anxiety

Quote:

You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.

-Jon Kabat-Zinn

Chapters

0:26 Introduction to Anxiety Exploration

1:04 Understanding Why Anxiety Feels Stuck

5:24 The Dangers of Avoidance

6:48 Living in Fix-It Mode

9:55 You Are Not Your Anxiety

10:39 Shifting Your Relationship with Anxiety

13:02 Embracing Allowance Over Control

15:24 Discomfort Does Not Equal Danger

17:34 Inspiring Closing Quote

Long Summary

In this episode of the Anxiety Coaches Podcast, I delve into the pervasive feeling of anxiety that many individuals experience, particularly the sensation of anxiety feeling stuck and unyielding. We start with a crucial acknowledgment: if your anxiety feels like it’s lingering despite your efforts to manage it, this doesn’t signify failure. In fact, it is often your nervous system attempting to protect you, illustrating the paradox where the intense effort to eliminate anxiety can sometimes make it feel more prominent.

I explore the significant role of attention in this dynamic. When we focus on our anxiety to work through it, we inadvertently give it more power. This creates a feedback loop where the more we try to dispel these feelings, the more they manifest, leading to greater anxiety. I explain how anticipatory fear can exacerbate the situation—by worrying about experiencing uncomfortable sensations, we only fuel the anxiety. In this episode, I Stress the importance of understanding our reactions and how the body learns to associate certain sensations with danger, prompting hyper-vigilance that keeps us trapped in an anxious state.

The discussion shifts to the topic of avoidance, a natural response to discomfort that can provide short-term relief but ultimately leads to long-term challenges. I articulate how avoiding uncomfortable situations or sensations can narrow our tolerance and lead to an amplified perception of anxiety. This avoidance creates a vicious cycle where the anxiety not only persists but grows in intensity over time. I emphasize that while it’s essential to find immediate safety, this reliance on avoidance can constrict our emotional range and overall ability to engage fully in life.

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Gina Ryan is the producer and host of the top 50 Mental Health shows on Apple Podcast -The Anxiety Coaches Podcast. Gina is a Nutritionist and coach who, in 1993, opened New Health Natural Products in NY and also struggled with stress, anxiety, and panic for over 20 years.

Before the internet, she was able to climb out of her fear and panic to peace, calm, and well-being by finding what did and did not work. She now teaches thousands of others how to do the same in a fraction of the time.

After moving to Maui in 2005, Gina spent 12 years as a nutritionist/consultant for the Intensive Outpatient Eating Disorder Center and, the only Residential ED Facility in Hawai'i. She shared her compassion, along with her knowledge and wisdom of the mind-body-spirit connection, helping clients clear their food-related anxiety, obsessions, and compulsions.

Gina is dedicated full-time to anxiety-clearing, coaching, writing, and teaching clients worldwide. She considers her work her calling and lives a mindful and compassionate life.