Work Stress Anxiety | Burnout Prevention & Work Anxiety Help

When work stress hits, your first instinct is to think harder—but that's exactly what keeps high-achievers stuck. In this episode, Cheryl sits down with Zander, a play coach who treats play as a nervous system regulation skill, not childish filler. Discover why rational problem-solving fails when anxiety takes over, and why a five-minute play break might be the stress recovery tool you've been missing. Perfect for burnt-out managers and overwhelmed leaders who've tried meditation but can't shut off their minds.

Five minutes. That is all it might take to change the chemistry of your day, especially when work stress and anxiety start creeping in before the next meeting. Cheryl sits down with Zander, a play coach who treats play like a serious nervous system skill, not a childish extra. 

We get honest about why “just calm down” fails when your brain is in fight or flight, and why the fastest path back to clarity often runs through your body, not your thoughts.

We dig into the science in plain language: play signals safety, which helps cortisol drop and opens the door to dopamine, oxytocin, and a steadier mood. Then we get practical with tools you can use in real workplaces.

 Cheryl shares her mission to build a 365 song playlist you can dance to at work, because most songs are about five minutes and that is enough time for a genuine reset. 

Zander breaks down juggling as an “ultimate brain exercise,” explaining how cross body patterns and rhythm can pull you into a focused, relaxed play flow state even if you start with one ball.

We also explore footbag as a portable, low stakes way to move, coordinate, and connect, plus the surprising impact of making something by hand and gifting it to others as a form of kindness and stress relief. If you want actionable stress management, workplace wellness ideas, and a fresh approach to nervous system regulation, press play, then stand up and move.

Subscribe for more practical tools, share this with a friend who is running on fumes, and leave a review if it helps. What song would you add to the five minute work dance playlist?

Send us Fan Mail

The contents of this podcast are for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. If you have a specific health concern or condition, please consult a qualified Healthcare professional for more details. Check out herguru dot uk forward slash disclaimers

Support the show

Got feedback, a question, or a future episode suggestion?

https://podcastfeedback.com/workstressanxiety

Work Stress Anxiety by ABGW is part of HerGuru Hypnotherapy and Coaching™ and grounded in the ABGW Method®.

Calm first. Reality first. Then change.™

Connect with Cheryl Paris

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylparis/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/abgwblog

Shared stories are anonymised.

This podcast is provided for educational and self- reflective purposes only and does not constitute medical, psychological, legal, workplace, or professional advice.

Disclaimer:
https://herguru.uk/disclaimers/

© Cheryl Paris. Copyright 2026. All rights reserved.

When did you last genuinely play—not perform, not doom-scroll, but actually play? In this episode, we explore why nervous system regulation and burnout prevention start with reclaiming unstructured play, the stress recovery strategy high-achievers unconsciously abandoned. We'll unpack how adult play interrupts the stress cycle your mind can't think away, with practical ways to bring it back into your week. Perfect for your lunch break or gym workout.

When was the last time you genuinely played, not performed, not scrolled, not numbed out, but actually played? That is our genuine suggestion to you in this episode.

 We start there and quickly land on a surprising point: adult play is not a childish extra; it is one of the best practical ways to calm stress, clear brain fog, and get back to creative thinking when work feels like too much.

We talk with Zander, the “Z Play coach,” about reintroducing play in a way that feels safe and mature. That means building small triggers you can use in the moment: simple body cues, tiny movements, and tactile tools that remind your nervous system it can stand down. 

We also dig into why play and productivity are not enemies. When stress locks you into fight or flight, you lose flexibility, focus, and good judgement. A short pattern break can change your state fast enough to change your day.

Then we go into the real world problem: the office that starts cheerful and feels drained by 11am. Emotions are contagious, so we explore self regulation, finding a comrade, and what leaders can do to create a workplace culture where people do better work because the environment stays light.

You will also hear a story about a team that used five minutes of Nerf gun chaos to reset the whole room and get back to work smiling.

If you want practical stress relief, better focus, and more joy at work without pretending life is perfect, press play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who feels burned out, and leave a review with your favorite small “play cue” so we can try it too.

Send us Fan Mail

The contents of this podcast are for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. If you have a specific health concern or condition, please consult a qualified Healthcare professional for more details. Check out herguru dot uk forward slash disclaimers

Support the show

Got feedback, a question, or a future episode suggestion?

https://podcastfeedback.com/workstressanxiety

Work Stress Anxiety by ABGW is part of HerGuru Hypnotherapy and Coaching™ and grounded in the ABGW Method®.

Calm first. Reality first. Then change.™

Connect with Cheryl Paris

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylparis/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/abgwblog

Shared stories are anonymised.

This podcast is provided for educational and self- reflective purposes only and does not constitute medical, psychological, legal, workplace, or professional advice.

Disclaimer:
https://herguru.uk/disclaimers/

© Cheryl Paris. Copyright 2026. All rights reserved.

When you're exhausted, measuring progress feels impossible—and the traditional metrics fail you. In this episode, discover how to track real wins in burnout recovery: regulated nervous system moments, boundaries you kept, and the tiny brave steps high-achieving women overlook. Learn why progress looks different when you're rebuilding, and why that's not failure—it's wisdom.

Remember this: that “tiny” step you took today might be the bravest thing you have done all week.

When work stress, anxiety, and burnout recovery start to feel like yet another performance review, it is easy to believe you are falling behind, failing at boundaries, or doing wellbeing “wrong”. 

Guess what? I want to challenge that because I see it differently.

Progress is not only the dramatic, visible, social-media-friendly kind. Sometimes it arrives quietly, and it still counts.

We start with a quote I keep on my wall: every step you take, no matter how small, is a step towards a brighter, more balanced future. Then we walk through why this matters for capable, high-functioning people who expect themselves to recover quickly and completely.

Using Allie’s story as a mirror, we talk about the hidden pressure of trying to renovate your whole life in weeks, and how that can lead to burning yourself out while trying to recover from burnout.

From there, we get practical. I explain how acknowledging emotions like anger and anxiety is not the same as acting them out. 

Awareness creates space between emotion and reaction so you can choose a conscious response. We explore the ABGW Method® and how it reframes stress management as transforming energy into awareness, balance, growth, and sustainable wellbeing. We also talk about journaling as a simple tool to turn emotion into information, build healthier boundaries, and move at a pace that fits your real life.

If this lands for you, follow Work Stress Anxiety, share it with someone who needs permission to notice their progress, and leave a review so more people can find the support they deserve. What is one small step you have taken recently that you have not given yourself credit for?

Send us Fan Mail

The contents of this podcast are for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. If you have a specific health concern or condition, please consult a qualified Healthcare professional for more details. Check out herguru dot uk forward slash disclaimers

Support the show

Got feedback, a question, or a future episode suggestion?

https://podcastfeedback.com/workstressanxiety

Work Stress Anxiety by ABGW is part of HerGuru Hypnotherapy and Coaching™ and grounded in the ABGW Method®.

Calm first. Reality first. Then change.™

Connect with Cheryl Paris

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylparis/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/abgwblog

Shared stories are anonymised.

This podcast is provided for educational and self- reflective purposes only and does not constitute medical, psychological, legal, workplace, or professional advice.

Disclaimer:
https://herguru.uk/disclaimers/

© Cheryl Paris. Copyright 2026. All rights reserved.

That sinking feeling when your manager posts a "helpful" reminder isn't you being too sensitive—it's your nervous system recognising a stress pattern you've been conditioned to ignore. On today's episode, Cheryl Paris unpacks toxic positivity at work, how it fuels burnout in high-achieving women, and why nervous system awareness is your key to staying present without burning out.

That sinking feeling when your manager posts a “helpful” reminder in the team chat isn’t always a sign that you’re being “too sensitive.” Sometimes, it’s your nervous system recognising a pattern you’ve been conditioned to ignore.

 I’m Cheryl Paris, and today I’m addressing a modern workplace issue that lurks behind the facade of professionalism: toxic positivity, which may seem sensible on paper but feels like quiet supervision in your body.

We’ll discuss the small moments that accumulate into work stress, workplace anxiety, and an increased risk of burnout. This includes missing information, limited ownership, ideas that travel upward without your acknowledgement, and the pressure to remain calm, grateful, and relentlessly constructive.

 I’ll explain how the phrase “assume positive intent” can serve as a conversation stopper, how high-achieving women often find themselves acting both as detectives and suspects, and what I refer to as the "umbrella manager dynamic," where praise is shared while placing blame is deflected.

Then, we’ll get practical. You’ll learn some simple tools to help you communicate more accurately without needing to be overly positive. These include a three-column note format (facts, meaning, clarification), a brief factual log to prevent late-night rumination, and concise one-sentence replies that don’t require apologies or elaborate defences. 

We will conclude with three guiding principles for clearer communication and setting boundaries: integrity, simplicity, and control.

If this resonated with you and provides language for something you’ve been struggling to articulate, please subscribe, share this episode with someone who would benefit, and leave a review so that more people can discover the show.

What pattern at work are you finally ready to identify?

Send us Fan Mail

The contents of this podcast are for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. If you have a specific health concern or condition, please consult a qualified Healthcare professional for more details. Check out herguru dot uk forward slash disclaimers

Support the show

Got feedback, a question, or a future episode suggestion?

https://podcastfeedback.com/workstressanxiety

Work Stress Anxiety by ABGW is part of HerGuru Hypnotherapy and Coaching™ and grounded in the ABGW Method®.

Calm first. Reality first. Then change.™

Connect with Cheryl Paris

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylparis/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/abgwblog

Shared stories are anonymised.

This podcast is provided for educational and self- reflective purposes only and does not constitute medical, psychological, legal, workplace, or professional advice.

Disclaimer:
https://herguru.uk/disclaimers/

© Cheryl Paris. Copyright 2026. All rights reserved.

When one colleague triggers panic, shrinking, or freezing—it's rarely about them. In this episode with Amy Vincze, we unpack why that coworker activates your nervous system and what your stress response is trying to tell you. Learn how emotional triggers point to older wounds, and why naming them is the real work stress recovery begins.

One person at work can flip a switch in us and suddenly we’re not in a normal conversation anymore, we’re in panic, shrinking, or trying to disappear. That’s the moment we unpack today: why the colleague who “shouldn’t” have so much power over our mood might be activating an older emotional wound, and how we can calm the nervous system quickly and safely. 

I’m joined by Amy to talk about EFT tapping (Emotional Freedom Techniques) as a practical tool for workplace stress and work anxiety. We walk through three grounding questions you can ask yourself when the same stress keeps coming back: does this person remind me of someone from my past, what exactly about their behaviour makes me feel unsafe, and what is the real threat I’m reacting to? From fear of judgement and criticism to imposter syndrome and fear of rejection, we show how getting specific helps you tap on the true driver of the reaction instead of staying stuck in vague overwhelm. 

We also cover how often to practice tapping when you’re starting, why repetition lowers intensity faster, and an important caution around severe OCD where tapping may need a gentler approach with professional guidance. If you’re new to EFT, Amy shares a smart starting point: work through your “top fears” first, because symptoms like procrastination often trace back to deeper fear of failure, not being enough, or not belonging. If this resonates, subscribe, share the episode with a friend who’s carrying work stress, and leave a review. What workplace trigger do you want to reset first?

 As an EFT specialist myself, I was especially keen to explore this with Amy in a grounded, practical way for people dealing with work stress, anxiety and emotional overwhelm. 

About Amy Vincze

Amy Vincze is an EFT tapping coach with more than 16 years of experience and the founder of the Soar with Tapping App. She helps people use tapping as a practical self-regulation tool for stress, anxiety, emotional overwhelm and recurring emotional patterns.

 In this three-part series, Amy joins Cheryl to explore what tapping is, how it may help people steady themselves during workplace stress, and how repeated work anxiety triggers can be approached with more curiosity, safety and choice.

Website: https://soarwithtapping.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-vincze-1a86063

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soarwithtapping/

Guest Resource

Soar with Tapping App Podcast Special

Listeners can visit the podcast special page to find a code for 50% off the first year of an annual subscription to the Soar with Tapping App.

https://soarwithtapping.com/podcast-special/ 

Send us Fan Mail

The contents of this podcast are for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. If you have a specific health concern or condition, please consult a qualified Healthcare professional for more details. Check out herguru dot uk forward slash disclaimers

Support the show

Got feedback, a question, or a future episode suggestion?

https://podcastfeedback.com/workstressanxiety

Work Stress Anxiety by ABGW is part of HerGuru Hypnotherapy and Coaching™ and grounded in the ABGW Method®.

Calm first. Reality first. Then change.™

Connect with Cheryl Paris

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylparis/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/abgwblog

Shared stories are anonymised.

This podcast is provided for educational and self- reflective purposes only and does not constitute medical, psychological, legal, workplace, or professional advice.

Disclaimer:
https://herguru.uk/disclaimers/

© Cheryl Paris. Copyright 2026. All rights reserved.

When work anxiety spirals, you don't have a thinking problem—you have a nervous system problem. With Amy Vincze, discover how two minutes of EFT tapping can calm your fight-or-flight response and bring you back to clarity before a big meeting, tough conversation, or moment of overwhelm. This discreet, do-anywhere technique is designed for high-achieving women who need to regain control *right now*—no meditation cushion required.

Two minutes can make all the difference between walking into a meeting filled with adrenaline and entering with the calm needed to think and speak clearly. 

We’re discussing EFT tapping for workplace stress and anxiety, guiding you through a discreet, do-anywhere routine designed specifically for those moments when nerves spike right before a presentation or high-pressure conversation.

If public speaking makes your voice shake, your hands tremble, or your mind go blank, you’ll hear a practical script that you can quietly run through during a bathroom break or in a quiet corner just before you go on stage.

We also address something often overlooked in self-help advice: forcing positivity can backfire.

 Instead, we explore why acknowledging your fear is beneficial, how saying “I’m scared” can help calm your swirling thoughts, and how tapping can redirect your attention back to your body, allowing your nervous system to settle naturally. The goal isn’t to pretend you feel confident; it’s to create a sense of safety that enables you to show up and do the task at hand.

From there, we broaden our discussion to patterns that many high-functioning individuals, especially women, are all too familiar with, such as over-preparing, over-explaining, or over-apologising to feel secure.

 We talk about how tapping can help neutralise the fears behind these habits rather than merely covering them up. Amy also introduces her app, Soar We Tap In, which includes quick “boost” options, longer scripts for dealing with overwhelm and anxiety, and a 14-day free trial to explore the complete library. 

If you’re looking for a grounded, practical way to manage work-related stress in real time, hit play, subscribe, share with a friend who dreads presentations, and leave a review sharing your biggest work stress trigger.

 As an EFT specialist myself, I was especially keen to explore this with Amy in a grounded, practical way for people dealing with work stress, anxiety and emotional overwhelm. 

About Amy Vincze

Amy Vincze is an EFT tapping coach with more than 16 years of experience and the founder of the Soar with Tapping App. She helps people use tapping as a practical self-regulation tool for stress, anxiety, emotional overwhelm and recurring emotional patterns.

 Amy joins Cheryl to explore what tapping is, how it may help people steady themselves during workplace stress, and how repeated work-anxiety triggers can be approached with more curiosity, safety, and choice.

 Website: https://soarwithtapping.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-vincze-1a86063

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soarwithtapping/

Guest Resource

Soar with Tapping App Podcast Special

Listeners can visit the podcast special page to find a code for 50% off the first year of an annual subscription to the Soar with Tapping App.

https://soarwithtapping.com/podcast-special/ 

Send us Fan Mail

The contents of this podcast are for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. If you have a specific health concern or condition, please consult a qualified Healthcare professional for more details. Check out herguru dot uk forward slash disclaimers

Support the show

Got feedback, a question, or a future episode suggestion?

https://podcastfeedback.com/workstressanxiety

Work Stress Anxiety by ABGW is part of HerGuru Hypnotherapy and Coaching™ and grounded in the ABGW Method®.

Calm first. Reality first. Then change.™

Connect with Cheryl Paris

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylparis/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/abgwblog

Shared stories are anonymised.

This podcast is provided for educational and self- reflective purposes only and does not constitute medical, psychological, legal, workplace, or professional advice.

Disclaimer:
https://herguru.uk/disclaimers/

© Cheryl Paris. Copyright 2026. All rights reserved.

A panic spike at your desk, tension in your body, and your inner critic on overdrive—it feels like it comes out of nowhere. With Amy Vincze, we unpack Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT tapping) as a practical, evidence-informed nervous system reset for high-functioning anxiety and burnout prevention. Learn when to tap, why it works, and how to use it before stress takes over—no pseudoscience required.

A panic spike at your desk can feel like it comes out of nowhere, and then suddenly you cannot think straight, your body is tense, and your inner critic gets loud. We sit down with Amy to unpack Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT tapping) in a way that is practical, evidence-informed, and easy to try during a real workday without turning it into a big production.

We talk through what EFT tapping actually is: a blend of acupressure points (think acupuncture without needles), cognitive therapy language (saying what is true right now), and somatic therapy (getting out of your head and back into your body). Amy explains the biology of stress, including the amygdala’s threat response and the cortisol surge that can knock your prefrontal cortex offline. When you understand that mechanism, “calming down” stops sounding like a moral failing and starts sounding like nervous system regulation.

You will also hear a simple, desk-friendly approach you can use immediately: first, feel where the stress sits in your body for about 90 seconds, then use a short one-minute tapping sequence (eyebrow, side of eye, under eye, under nose, under mouth, collarbone, top of head) with grounding phrases that honour the emotion instead of fighting it. We also address scepticism head-on, share research outcomes discussed in training studies, and explain why stress is not just “in your head” but a whole-body response you can shift.

If this helps, subscribe, share the show with someone who is carrying work stress, and leave a review so more people can find practical anxiety relief tools like EFT tapping.

 As an EFT specialist myself, I was especially keen to explore this with Amy in a grounded, practical way for people dealing with work stress, anxiety and emotional overwhelm. 

Amy references research and statistics These should be attributed to Amy

About Amy Vincze

Amy Vincze is an EFT tapping coach with more than 16 years of experience and the founder of the Soar with Tapping App. She helps people use tapping as a practical self-regulation tool for stress, anxiety, emotional overwhelm and recurring emotional patterns.

 Amy joins Cheryl to explore what tapping is, how it may help people steady themselves during workplace stress, and how repeated work-anxiety triggers can be approached with more curiosity, safety, and choice.

 Website: https://soarwithtapping.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-vincze-1a86063

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soarwithtapping/

Guest Resource

Soar with Tapping App Podcast Special

Listeners can visit the podcast special page to find a code for 50% off the first year of an annual subscription to the Soar with Tapping App.

https://soarwithtapping.com/podcast-special/ 

Send us Fan Mail

The contents of this podcast are for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. If you have a specific health concern or condition, please consult a qualified Healthcare professional for more details. Check out herguru dot uk forward slash disclaimers

Support the show

Got feedback, a question, or a future episode suggestion?

https://podcastfeedback.com/workstressanxiety

Work Stress Anxiety by ABGW is part of HerGuru Hypnotherapy and Coaching™ and grounded in the ABGW Method®.

Calm first. Reality first. Then change.™

Connect with Cheryl Paris

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylparis/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/abgwblog

Shared stories are anonymised.

This podcast is provided for educational and self- reflective purposes only and does not constitute medical, psychological, legal, workplace, or professional advice.

Disclaimer:
https://herguru.uk/disclaimers/

© Cheryl Paris. Copyright 2026. All rights reserved.

You've done brilliant work. But is it ever 'enough'? Explore the Kohler Principle—why high-achieving women sacrifice nervous system health chasing polish over truth—and the burnout pattern hiding behind your "I'm fine." Cheryl Paris reveals how perfectionism becomes the invisible driver of workplace burnout, and what recovery actually requires.

If you’ve ever looked at something you created and thought, “It’s fine… but it doesn’t look impressive enough,” you’re not alone.

I’m Cheryl Paris, and I’m exploring a common thread that ties together work stress, anxiety, and perfectionism: our tendency to value polish over truth. A polished presentation, a neatly crafted email, a confident reply, or an attractive wellbeing program can all give the impression of quality. However, presentation is not the same as substance, and when we confuse the two, we start doubting our own judgment and reward appearances instead of true value.

We examine how “high standards” can trap us: rewriting, rehearsing, checking, and then doing the invisible second job of making everything appear effortless. This shifting goalpost keeps you in a constant state of work without allowing you to truly land or succeed.

I also delve into the fears underlying perfectionism—the belief that if you can achieve perfection, you can ensure your safety. The issue is that you can be fully prepared and still face criticism; not all criticism reflects your true worth.

Then, we move into practical territory with a simple framework that you can start using today: good, better, best. These are not measures of your self-worth but levels of investment based on time, energy, and the needs of the situation.

I share four questions to help you choose the right standard, along with the ABGW method: Awareness, Balance, Growth, and Wellbeing. This approach aims to alleviate the pressure of work feeling like a judgment of your value.

If this resonates with you, please subscribe, share it with a friend who might also be over-polishing their work, and leave a review. What’s one task you’re ready to finish at “good” today?

Send us Fan Mail

The contents of this podcast are for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. If you have a specific health concern or condition, please consult a qualified Healthcare professional for more details. Check out herguru dot uk forward slash disclaimers

Support the show

Got feedback, a question, or a future episode suggestion?

https://podcastfeedback.com/workstressanxiety

Work Stress Anxiety by ABGW is part of HerGuru Hypnotherapy and Coaching™ and grounded in the ABGW Method®.

Calm first. Reality first. Then change.™

Connect with Cheryl Paris

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylparis/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/abgwblog

Shared stories are anonymised.

This podcast is provided for educational and self- reflective purposes only and does not constitute medical, psychological, legal, workplace, or professional advice.

Disclaimer:
https://herguru.uk/disclaimers/

© Cheryl Paris. Copyright 2026. All rights reserved.

When one email undoes a week of solid work, is it really about performance—or about how high-functioning anxiety hijacks your identity at work? Meet Roberta, a bus driver who saves lives with her first aid skills, yet finds her confidence crashing after a single critical incident. In this episode, we unpack the 'Umbridge Effect'—how perfectionism and nervous system dysregulation convince high-achieving women to discount their own evidence of competence.

You'll learn why job insecurity, stress, and burnout recovery start with reality-testing your thoughts, and practical nervous system regulation techniques to reclaim your confidence when self-doubt spirals.

One email can undo a week's worth of solid work, and it's not because you've suddenly become “bad at your job.” We share the story of Roberta, a capable bus driver who remains professional through difficult incidents and even saves a life with her emergency first aid skills, yet finds her confidence diminishing under a manager’s selective attention.

When your biggest achievements are overlooked and your smallest mistakes are highlighted in public, it alters your perception of what constitutes evidence about your performance.

We explore the underlying mechanics of workplace stress and anxiety: how “email theatre” turns feedback into a public display, how language becomes vague when the team fails but painfully specific when an individual slips, and why control can often appear friendly, cloaked in rules, procedures, and performative concern.

Most importantly, we address what’s happening within your body. The nervous system doesn’t analyse paragraphs; it scans for danger. After facing repeated scrutiny, your brain begins to predict the next blow, leading you to rewrite messages, rehearse explanations, and monitor yourself before anyone else even speaks.

Next, we provide practical tools for rebuilding informed confidence without disregarding the validity of criticism. We differentiate between what actually happened and what was implied, use quick grounding techniques to signal safety to the body, and create a “full evidence record” to ensure your true competence isn’t edited out of the narrative.

 If this pattern continues to negatively affect your health, we will also discuss the importance of seeking support rather than shouldering it alone.

If this resonates with you, please subscribe, share the episode with someone who could benefit, and leave a review. What’s one win you’ve achieved recently, even if it wasn’t perfect?

Send us Fan Mail

The contents of this podcast are for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. If you have a specific health concern or condition, please consult a qualified Healthcare professional for more details. Check out herguru dot uk forward slash disclaimers

Support the show

Got feedback, a question, or a future episode suggestion?

https://podcastfeedback.com/workstressanxiety

Work Stress Anxiety by ABGW is part of HerGuru Hypnotherapy and Coaching™ and grounded in the ABGW Method®.

Calm first. Reality first. Then change.™

Connect with Cheryl Paris

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylparis/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/abgwblog

Shared stories are anonymised.

This podcast is provided for educational and self- reflective purposes only and does not constitute medical, psychological, legal, workplace, or professional advice.

Disclaimer:
https://herguru.uk/disclaimers/

© Cheryl Paris. Copyright 2026. All rights reserved.

You know the right answer—so why can't you trust yourself to act? That gap between knowledge and confidence is where high-functioning anxiety lives, especially for conscientious managers. In this episode, we follow Caroline's story of perfectionism-fueled overthinking and share a nervous system reset that helps high achievers move from analysis-paralysis to confident action. Stop gathering evidence and start trusting what you already know.

You can know the right answer and still feel unsure the moment you have to act. 

That single gap between knowledge and trust is where work stress and anxiety loves to live, especially for conscientious people who carry responsibility and want to do a good job.

We share the story of Caroline, a 25-year-old newly qualified pharmacist who reads a prescription, understands what to do, then checks and checks again.

 She isn’t unsafe or careless, but her delays start to appear uncertain to others.

 From managers rewriting emails to teachers second-guessing lessons, we explore why overthinking at work is so common among smart, capable professionals, and why “just be more confident” misses the point.

The turning point comes with a Sherlock Holmes lens: great detectives gather evidence, but they also stop. 

Overthinking is often not a lack of ability, but evidence gathering with no finish line. 

We talk about how training, exams, and constant assessment can condition your nervous system to behave as if you’re still being marked, long after you’re qualified. 

Then we introduce a practical way to end the mental loop by chairing the “committee meeting” inside your head, deciding which protective voice gets the casting vote.

You’ll leave with a simple three-question exercise to separate facts from assumptions and fear, and a clearer definition of confidence as timely professional judgment.

 If you know someone stuck in reassurance seeking, perfectionism, imposter syndrome, or decision paralysis, share this with them. 

Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us what decision you’re ready to close the case on.

Send us Fan Mail

The contents of this podcast are for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. If you have a specific health concern or condition, please consult a qualified Healthcare professional for more details. Check out herguru dot uk forward slash disclaimers

Support the show

Got feedback, a question, or a future episode suggestion?

https://podcastfeedback.com/workstressanxiety

Work Stress Anxiety by ABGW is part of HerGuru Hypnotherapy and Coaching™ and grounded in the ABGW Method®.

Calm first. Reality first. Then change.™

Connect with Cheryl Paris

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylparis/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/abgwblog

Shared stories are anonymised.

This podcast is provided for educational and self- reflective purposes only and does not constitute medical, psychological, legal, workplace, or professional advice.

Disclaimer:
https://herguru.uk/disclaimers/

© Cheryl Paris. Copyright 2026. All rights reserved.