How to Navigate Situational Anxiety

Episode 83: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube
View transcript on Buzzsprout

Feeling tense or overwhelmed in unfamiliar situations? Whether it’s starting a new job, traveling, or facing a big life shift, many of us experience what’s commonly labeled as situational anxiety. In this episode, Amanda unpacks what’s really happening under the surface through a nervous system lens and how to meet these moments with more understanding, regulation, and self-compassion.

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What We Cover in This Episode

• What situational anxiety really is
• Why reframing activation matters
• The danger of over-identifying with anxiety
• How to regulate your nervous system in the moment
• Tools to build capacity for future change

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Understanding Situational Anxiety

Situational anxiety is a spike in anxious feelings triggered by new, unfamiliar, or personally stressful events. These responses often fade once the situation resolves, but how we name and respond to them can either soften or intensify our experience.

Reframing Activation: Why Language Matters

 Instead of thinking, “I have anxiety about this,” what happens when you say, “I’m noticing activation in my system”? This small shift pulls you into the present, supports curiosity over fear, and connects to the reality that your nervous system is wired to seek safety in the known. Words matter—and naming sensations without judgment makes space for more choice.

You Are Not Broken: Why Activation Makes Sense

From anticipating your last child leaving for college to walking into a crowded room, your brain and body respond to novelty as potential threat. This doesn’t mean something’s wrong with you. It means your system is doing what it knows to keep you safe. Recognizing this can move you from helplessness to empowerment.

When Labels Help (and When They Hurt)

Terms like “situational anxiety” offer language that can validate and connect us to support. But when we over-identify with these labels, they can create limiting beliefs and feed into chronic cycles. Amanda reminds us that your identity is not your diagnosis, and the label should never feel like a life sentence.

Two Paths to Regaining Ground

When activation spikes, your next steps depend on your capacity. Sometimes you need immediate nervous system support: grounding, breathwork, or movement. Other times, you need a safe space and support to reflect, unpack, and understand why this moment feels so big. Inside Restore and the Regulated Living Membership, clients find the tools and space to do both.

Practical Tools for When You’re in It

• Grounding techniques: name what you see, feel your feet, touch something textured
• Breath awareness: start where you are and gradually deepen your breath
• Movement: stretch, shake, or go for a walk to meet your system’s mobilization needs
• Simple reframes: “This is activation,” “It’ll pass,” or “How human of me to feel this way”
• Daily regulation practices: build your baseline capacity through consistent support

This isn’t about eliminating activation—it’s about expanding your container so you can hold more with less overwhelm. As Amanda puts it, “It’s not that your feelings are too big, it’s that your container is too small.” Regulated living is how we build that capacity, layer by layer.

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Three Tangible Takeaways

1. Reframe the Sensation: Shift from saying “I have anxiety” to “I’m noticing activation.” It encourages curiosity and reduces shame.
   
2. Normalize the Experience: Your system’s response to change or stress isn’t wrong. Self-compassion can soften the edges.
   
3. Lean on Support and Tools: Use nervous system regulation practices in the moment, and seek professional support to unpack deeper patterns over time.

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Looking for more personalized support?

• Book a FREE discovery call for RESTORE, our 1:1 anxiety & depression coaching program (HSA/FSA eligible & includes comprehensive bloodwork)
• Join me inside the  Regulated Living Membership, a mental health membership and nervous system healing space (sliding scale pricing available)
• Join my Release Class – Monthly guided nervous system regulation class
• Order my book, Healing Through the Vagus Nerve today!
• Download free resources here

*Want me to talk about something specific on the podcast? Let me know HERE.

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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or qualified mental health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.