The Breaking Up With Anxiety Podcast

In today’s episode, I am joined by Rebekah Ballagh, a qualified counselor, a coach, a 5x best selling author and illustrator and creator of the popular instagram community Journey to Wellness to discuss how we can get out of the fawn nervous system response and release pleasing people.

Have you heard of the fawn nervous system response? It’s a trauma-induced reaction that occurs when individuals feel the need to appease and please others to avoid perceived danger or conflict. Common symptoms of the fawn response include people-pleasing behaviours, difficulty setting boundaries, struggling to say no, and taking responsibility for others' emotions.

So if you are nodding your head along thinking yup that’s me - this episode will be for you!

In this episode, Rebekah and I discuss:

Connect with Rebekah:

If for some reason (because technology is not always our friend) the links in the show notes aren’t working send me a DM on Instagram or send me an email [email protected] and I will get that link to you!

For more information about all the Breaking Up With Anxiety offerings or to find most links, please check out:

Here are two free resources to get you started on your journey to anxiety freedom:

If you’d like to submit a question for future episodes, fill out this form https://bit.ly/ask-tay-anything in as much detail as possible. All questions will remain anonymous and you will be notified via email when your question is answered!

Looking for a transcript for this episode? CLICK HERE!

I hope you enjoyed this episode and I will see you in the next one!

After a long struggle with anxiety and seemingly endless attempts to find relief, I stumbled upon a shocking solution – supporting my immune health led to a massive decrease in my anxiety and panic. Little did I know that this discovery (thanks to a school textbook) would lead to a life-changing journey, and it’s a journey I take you on today in this Ask Me Anything episode!

This week one question turned into an in-depth conversation around anxiety, allergies, immune system health and even COVID! 

Here’s just a sneak peak of some of the topics covered in this episode: 

Resources & Products mentioned in this episode:

If for some reason (because technology is not always our friend) the links in the show notes aren’t working send me a DM on Instagram or send me an email [email protected] and I will get that link to you! 

For more information about all the Breaking Up With Anxiety offerings or to find most links, please check out:

Here are two free resources to get you started on your journey to anxiety freedom: 

If you’d like to submit a question for future episodes, fill out this form https://bit.ly/ask-tay-anything in as much detail as possible. All questions will remain anonymous and you will be notified via email when your question is answered! 

Looking for a transcript for this episode? CLICK HERE!

I hope you enjoyed this episode and I will see you in the next one! 

In today’s episode, May from Vellum Health joins me to talk about the power of microdosing mushrooms and how it can change your thought patterns and behaviour. I’ve personally been experimenting with microdosing since January 2022, in combination with adaptogenic mushrooms and herbs, and I love it! 

Vellum Health came to be when a mycologist and psychologist started to play with psilocybin to support their own mental health, which moved on to their family and friends. Vellum Health produces safe, accessible and affordable products that are organic, vegan, ethically produced, GMO-, soy- and gluten-free; all while being placed in biodegradable packaging. 

Microdosing has emerged as a cutting edge tool to help change difficult thought patterns and behaviour, supporting mental health and neuroplasticity. 

What is neuroplasticity? 

Neuroplasticity means that the physical structure of the human brain can change, even in adulthood. These physical changes in the brain influence your thought patterns, personality and behaviors - which is huge! Neurological patterns in our brains are being strengthened as we do things, so over time, these patterns become well worn and hard to deviate from. Psilocybin has been shown to help support the new formation of neurons and in return create new patterns that are long lasting changes within your brain. This is not a magic bullet solution but a holistic approach that should be paired with lifestyle and dietary changes. 

Want to give Vellum Health a try? Head over to their website www.vellumhealth.com and use code TAY10 for 10% off all orders! 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts! Send me a message on Instagram after you've listened @tay.gendron

Learn more about my 4-month Breaking Up With Anxiety Program: https://www.taygendron.com/work-with-tay

Website: www.taygendron.com 

Substack: https://breakingupwithanxiety.substack.com/

And don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

In Part 1 of this 5 part podcast mini series, I introduce you to the real root causes of anxiety. There are 6 real root causes and today I will be going over how diet, gut health and nutrient deficiencies can create the symptom of anxiety and keep it chronic.

You may have noticed that I often use the phrase “chronic anxiety”. Well, what is chronic anxiety? When I say chronic anxiety I mean having an anxiety disorder where the feelings and symptoms may last weeks or months and have a negative impact on your daily life.

This episode will be for you - if you are ready and committed to prioritizing your health - and want to find the answers you need to feel safe, secure and grounded.

Every person, at some point in their life will experience anxiety as it is a normal human emotion. However living with chronic anxiety is not a “normal” emotion to experience. As you know, I lived with an anxiety and panic disorder through the majority of my 20s. Do I still experience anxiety? Yes, but it’s rare (maybe a few times a year) and I have the tools and resources to work through those moments with confidence and ease.

Tune in to this episode to find out how you can learn to banish your chronic anxiety from a root-cause perspective.

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts! Send me a message on Instagram after you've listened @tay.gendron

Learn more about my 4-month Breaking Up With Anxiety Program: https://www.taygendron.com/work-with-tay

Website: www.taygendron.com 

Substack: https://breakingupwithanxiety.substack.com/

And don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Do you struggle with “infertility”? Do you have anxiety? Or are you simply just a female who is curious about how to support fertility for when the time comes? If so, this episode is for you!

In today’s episode, I am joined by Dr. Katie Rose, Naturopathic Physician.

Katie and I dive into what it means to take a holistic approach with your health and how that can help with anxiety and, in turn, fertility. There are a number of factors at play that need to be addressed in order for your body to feel safe. This is one of the most important factors when trying to conceive… that your body feels safe and prepared.

Both Katie and I dislike and don’t use the term “infertility” and have replaced that with “subfertile” which we explain in depth in this episode. We also explore the most important steps you can take if you are struggling with subfertility, have anxiety and/or are just looking to optimize your fertility health for when the time comes to birth new life into this world.

Connect with Dr. Katie Rose:

Resources from Dr. Katie Rose:

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts! Send me a message on Instagram after you've listened @tay.gendron

Learn more about my 4-month Breaking Up With Anxiety Program: https://www.taygendron.com/work-with-tay

Website: www.taygendron.com 

Substack: https://breakingupwithanxiety.substack.com/

And don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

This is an Ask Me Anything episode where I answer questions from you - my amazing community! This week I answered questions on how to release the symptoms of a racing heart; how to get back to your old (but good) sleeping habits, how to fall asleep and stay asleep; and, whether or not MCT oil can cause or increase anxiety and nervousness.

In this episode, you will learn that many of the root cause solutions for these questions are similar… well, there’s a reason for that! Tune into this week’s AMA episode to learn more!

00:02.11 - Racing heart and procrastination
00:14.40 - How to fall asleep and stay asleep
00:38.59 - Does MCT oil spike anxiety? Especially if sensitive or prone to nervousness?

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts! Send me a message on Instagram after you've listened @tay.gendron

Learn more about my 4-month Breaking Up With Anxiety Program: https://www.taygendron.com/work-with-tay

Website: www.taygendron.com 

Substack: https://breakingupwithanxiety.substack.com/

And don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

In this week’s episode, I am joined by my alumni client Paige. Paige and I began our work together in November 2020 after she tried EVERYTHING, with no real results. Paige has studied and worked in the holistic nutrition space for years and, because of this, she was stumped as to why nothing was working. That’s when she stumbled across my page and connected with me. After she completed the Breaking Up With Anxiety Program™️, we caught up in April 2021 to check in on how and what she was doing now.

Fast forward to Jan 2023, Paige came back to share updates on her story and how she has broken up with anxiety and maintains what she learned throughout the program. Does she still experience the normal human emotion of anxiety from time to time? Yes. Does she have the tools and resources to overcome her anxiety when she feels it coming on? Yes.

Paige is just one example of many of my clients who have eliminated chronic anxiety for good and her story shows how Breaking Up With Anxiety can work for you - you just have to decide if it’s time to dive in and start prioritizing your health!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts! Send me a message on Instagram after you've listened @tay.gendron

Learn more about my 4-month Breaking Up With Anxiety Program: https://www.taygendron.com/work-with-tay

Website: www.taygendron.com 

Substack: https://breakingupwithanxiety.substack.com/

And don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

You asked for it, so here it is… how I found myself in burnout, what my symptoms are and how I’m slowly getting back to my normal. 

In August 2022, I realized I had crashed in burnout (or aka stage 3 adrenal dysfunction) despite working on steps to avoid it. I recognized stage 1 and 2 earlier but figured I could “catch it in time” before it got too far. Essentially, I became a shell of myself. I no longer felt excited about my passions and I was experiencing physical symptoms that I haven’t experienced in years. 

The signs and symptoms of burnout and the recovery protocol will be different for everyone, much like everything else I do with my clients - the path is not linear. 

Tune in to hear what happened, what I did when I realized what was happening and how I continue to honour my body to this day.

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts! Send me a message on Instagram after you've listened @tay.gendron

Learn more about my 4-month Breaking Up With Anxiety Program: https://www.taygendron.com/work-with-tay

Website: www.taygendron.com 

Substack: https://breakingupwithanxiety.substack.com/

And don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

On today’s episode I brought on my friend, relationship expert and manifestation coach, April Mather to help me unpack how we can know if our romantic relationships are contributing to or even causing anxiety.

This happened to me and no amount of dietary changes, gut health optimization or hormone balancing was going to eliminate the anxiety that was coming from my romantic relationship.

Are you being your authentic self in your relationship? Are you able to communicate your needs? Is love enough? When is it time to stick around and when is it time to leave? These are just some of the questions April and I explore in this episode.

If you are aware that maybe your relationship is a source of anxiety or maybe it’s something you are now thinking about after listening to this episode, April gives some incredibly helpful steps you can take to unpack this further.
Step 1: Take alone time to figure out what your needs are. Who would you be and how would you be living your life if everyone cheered you on? Are you doing these things?
Step 2: Communicate! How comfortable do you feel communicating your needs? If you don’t feel comfortable communicating, why is that? Dig into this.
Step 3: Look at your relationship from a very honest perspective. Have you tested out your communication? Have you explained how you feel? Is it working? To grow intimately together both parties need to be vulnerable. If it’s not working, can you be brave enough and courageous enough to know it’s this or something better?
Step 4: Explore your first baby step. How do you want to move forward? What do you want to work on? How can you grow and evolve so that your next relationship (or the current relationship you are choosing to stay in) can improve.

Connect with April on Instagram: @aprilmather.xo

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts! Send me a message on Instagram after you've listened @tay.gendron

Learn more about my 4-month Breaking Up With Anxiety Program: https://www.taygendron.com/work-with-tay

Website: www.taygendron.com 

Substack: https://breakingupwithanxiety.substack.com/

And don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

And finally, every few episodes, I will be answering your specific questions! If you’d like to submit a question for future episodes, fill out this form https://bit.ly/ask-tay-anything in as much detail as possible. All questions will remain anonymous and you will be notified via email when your question is answered!

Looking for a transcript for this episode? CLICK HERE!

I hope you enjoyed this episode and I will see you in the next one!

This episode is a piece of my story. How I went from being on the highest daily dose of Prozac to poppin’ Ativan like it was candy… to being completely medication AND anxiety free. 

It all started in 2011 when I experienced my first panic attack. As many of you may have experienced, my very first panic attack was intense; I felt like I was having a heart attack and sought out medical attention.

In my mind I was doing all the right things and couldn’t understand why I was still experiencing anxiety, depression and panic. I was exercising, meditating, on medication and going to therapy, but I still felt crippling pressure to the point where I would shut down and hide. 

It wasn’t until 2014 when I started working with a psychiatrist that a light bulb turned on. He introduced me to natural medicine as a way to reduce and rid myself of anxiety. The idea of eliminating anxiety by looking at body-based imbalances sent me down a rabbit hole and brought me to where I am today… The Anxiety Nutritionist who helps women relieve and resolve their anxiety, naturally.

The path that I took was long and difficult and it will look different for everyone so make sure to give yourself the grace to work through your own journey. Being the person I am, I like to compartmentalize, so I like to describe my journey to being anxiety-free in multiple parts:

Wherever you are in your journey, know that there are resources available to support you. The first step is being open and able to put in the effort. The pathway to eliminating anxiety or other mental health illnesses will vary between women and will require differing protocols. I’m here to work with your individual needs and support you based on your goals and lifestyle. 

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts! Send me a message on Instagram after you've listened @tay.gendron

Learn more about my 4-month Breaking Up With Anxiety Program: https://www.taygendron.com/work-with-tay

Website: www.taygendron.com 

Substack: https://breakingupwithanxiety.substack.com/

And don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!