Have you ever found yourself panicking in a grocery store or crying in a hospital bathroom stall and then scolding yourself to “get it together”? You’re not broken. You’re not weak. You’re activated.

In this episode, Charlotte explores why cancer caregivers often feel constantly on edge, anxious, and overstimulated, even in moments that seem “fine.” You’ll learn how caregiving rewires your nervous system to brace for impact and how you can begin offering that system the compassion, grounding, and presence it actually needs.

This isn’t about fixing your reactions, it’s about understanding them. And it starts with one simple message:

You’re not overreacting. You’re overwhelmed.

Key Topics:

• Why panic and anxiety are normal caregiver responses
• How chronic stress trains your nervous system to scan and brace
• The physiology of "fight, flight, or freeze" in everyday caregiving
• Real-time tools to help your body feel safe enough to soften
• Reframing “overreaction” as valuable information from your body

🧰 Mentioned in This Episode:

• 4-4-6-2 Nervous System Reset – A grounding breath pattern for immediate regulation
• Anxiety Brackets – A scheduling tool for managing anticipatory stress or “scanxiety”
• The Hold It Together Handbook – A practical, trauma-informed toolkit built for caregivers in the moment

Favorite Quotes:

“Your nervous system isn’t broken—it’s remembering.”

“You are not weak for reacting this way. You are human. And your body is trying to protect you.”

Resources & Links:

• 💡 Download the Scanxiety Toolkit at cancercaregiverpodcast.com/tools
• 💌 Subscribe to the newsletter for exclusive caregiver tools and reflections
• 📲 Follow @charlottebayala on Instagram for daily cancer caregiver support