The Happier Approach: Quieting your High Functioning Anxiety

We hope you enjoy this super special bonus episode, here to tide you over until our next season begins in a few months. This is my extended conversation with Katherine May, author of the book Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times. We talk about how to get through our winters, what we love about winter, and why different people need to rest in different ways.Listen to the full episode to hear:Nancy's extended conversation with Katherine May, author of Wintering and the forthcoming book Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age, available in March 2023.Extra insight from Katherine May, who we interviewed for Episode 6 of this season.Tips for folks with HFA who want to learn to be kind to themselves as they go through the winters of their lives.Learn more about Katherine May:Go to katherine-may.co.ukhttps://katherine-may.co.uk/Buy Katherine's book, Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times on her website, or pre-order her forthcoming book, Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age, out in March 2023. Listen to Katherine's podcast, The Wintering Sessions, wherever you get your podcasts.Follow Katherine on Twitter @_katherine_may_Visit: https://NancyJaneSmith.comLearn More About Self Loyalty School: https://selfloyaltyschool.com

Here it is, our final episode in our season all about rest! Remember in the first episode when Nancy talked to her friend Stephanie Pollock about the seven different types of rest? Well, for our last episode, we're coming full circle and talking to Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith-- the physician, author, and researcher, who literally came up with that concept! We'll learn all about the seven different types of rest and how we can treat ourselves kindly when we feel exhausted.Listen to the full episode to hear:- Nancy's personal relationship with the seven types of rest.- Nancy's journey to accepting that rest isn't just about sleep.- Insight and information from Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, author of the book Sacred Rest.- Tips for folks with HFA who want to better understand their rest deficits.Learn more about Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith:- Go to drdaltonsmith.com to learn more about Saundra's work, how you can work with her, and buy her book.- Take the rest quiz to find out what your personal rest deficits are at restquiz.com.Visit: https://NancyJaneSmith.comLearn More About Self Loyalty School: https://selfloyaltyschool.com

One thing you should know about people with High Functioning Anxiety-- we love our rules! Even when they don't help us live happy and healthy lives. In particular, I have A LOT of rules around rest. When I can rest, how I can rest, if I've earned the rest I'm taking. You get the idea. In this episode, I talk with one of my clients, Michelle, whose rules for rest are similar to my own. We talk about how we're learning to loosen up our rules, one step at a time.Listen to the full episode to hear:- Nancy's personal relationship with her rules for rest.- Nancy's journey to accepting that she is worthy of rest and to loosen up her rest rules.- Insight from one of Nancy's clients, Michelle, who is also learning to loosen up her rules around rest.- Tips for folks with HFA who want to try to loosen up their own rest rules.Visit: https://NancyJaneSmith.comLearn More About Self Loyalty School: https://selfloyaltyschool.com

Hey guys! So we're supposed to have a new episode for you today, but as it often does, life happens. And my producer Nicki, well, she's quite sick. So in the spirit of this season on rest, we are practicing what we preach and waiting until the new year to publish our last two episodes of the season. Our next episode will be out on January 6th. Have a happy holiday, and make sure you take some time for rest. Until next time!Visit: https://NancyJaneSmith.comLearn More About Self Loyalty School: https://selfloyaltyschool.com

Have you ever been through a period of your life where you felt like nothing was going right? And during that period, did you think: "Oh my god, what is WRONG with me?? I have to get out of this as fast as I can!!" Well, Nancy's been there. But after talking with Katherine May, author of the book Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times, she learned that these difficult, dark periods are just a part of life. And it's the grace that we show ourselves as we get through them that really matters.Listen to the full episode to hear:- Nancy's personal relationship with wintering.- Nancy's journey to accept wintering as an important stage of life.- Nancy's conversation with author Katherine May about the importance of rest in difficult times.- Tips for folks with HFA who may be going through a winter themselves.Learn more about Katherine May:- Go to  https://katherine-may.co.uk/- Buy Katherine's book, Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times on her website, or pre-order her forthcoming book, Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age, out in March 2023. - Listen to Katherine's podcast, The Wintering Sessions, wherever you get your podcasts.- Follow Katherine on Twitter @_katherine_may_Visit: https://NancyJaneSmith.comLearn More About Self Loyalty School: https://selfloyaltyschool.com

Most people think that napping is great! A little break during the middle of the day. But Nancy HATES naps, with a fiery passion. They don't help her feel refreshed, and she just wakes up feeling yucky. But! She has a sinking suspicion that if she gave the whole napping thing a try her way, then maybe she could make napping work for her. So Nancy embarks on the dreaded NAPPING EXPERIMENT... DUN DUN DUN. And chats again with Dr. Sara Mednick to learn: what's so great about napping?Listen to the full episode to hear:- Nancy's personal relationship with napping.- Nancy's journey to accomplish the NAPPING EXPERIMENT... DUN DUN DUN.- Insight into why napping could work for you with sleep expert Dr. Sara Mednick.- Tips for folks with HFA who want to try napping for themselves.Learn more about Dr. Sara Mednick:- Go to https://www.saramednick.com/   - Buy Sara's book Take a Nap, Change Your Life on her website, or wherever books are sold. - Follow Sara on Twitter @Sara_MednickVisit: https://NancyJaneSmith.comLearn More About Self Loyalty School: https://selfloyaltyschool.com

When most people think of vacation, their thoughts are simple: awesome, great, I love to go on vacation, and this will be THE BEST.  For people with High-Functioning Anxiety, vacation can be a lot more complicated than that. Resting sounds delightful, but it can cause anxiety to go even higher! Nancy shares why she both loves and hates vacations. Plus, she answers listener questions and gives concrete advice about how to actually have fun on your next vacation, even if you have High Functioning Anxiety.Listen to the full episode to hear:Nancy's personal relationship with vacation.A Q&A where Nancy answers questions about how to handle vacation when you have high-functioning anxiety.Tips for folks with High Functioning Anxiety who actually want to relax on vacations.Visit: https://NancyJaneSmith.comLearn More About Self Loyalty School: https://selfloyaltyschool.com

Nancy has tried and tried again to be a consistent meditator. Everyone says it's the key to getting rid of anxiety! But the "traditional" ways of meditating that she's tried-- sitting on a pillow for 5 minutes a day thinking about *nothing*-- have NOT worked for her. That's why she got in touch with Jessica Snow. Jessica is a spiritual teacher and writer of guided meditations whose approach to mindfulness is anything but rigid. Jessica shares some tips for using your imagination to help make mindfulness work for you and even shares a short guided meditation with Nancy.Listen to the full episode to hear:- Nancy's struggle with meditating and how the traditional rules of meditation clash with her high-functioning anxiety.- A conversation about imagination, mindfulness, and rest with Jessica Snow.- Tips for folks with HFA who want to harness the benefits of mindfulness.Learn more about Jessica Snow:- Go to youaremagicla.com to sign up for Jessica's newsletter, listen to her guided meditations, watch her videos, and sign up for her workshops.- Follow Jessica on Instagram @meditation_jessVisit: https://NancyJaneSmith.comLearn More About Self Loyalty School: https://selfloyaltyschool.com

Nothing hits harder over the age of 30 than a bad night of sleep. When Nancy thinks about rest, she automatically thinks about sleep, and how hard it can be to give ourselves the space to actually allow ourselves to get the full amount of sleep we need. Nancy talks about her personal "sleep rules" and how she's learning to bend them. And we talk to Dr. Sara Mednick, a cognitive neuroscience, author and sleep researcher about the truly magical things that our bodies do while our eyes are shut.Listen to the full episode to hear: Nancy's personal journey with sleep and how she's learning to overcome her ingrained "sleep rules."A conversation about the science of sleep with Dr. Sara Mednick.Tips for folks with HFA who want to harness the power of sleep.Learn more about Sara Mednick:Go to https://www.saramednick.com/Buy Sara's book The Power of the Downstate on her website, or wherever books are sold.Follow Sara on Twitter @Sara_MednickLearn more about Self Loyalty School: https://selfloyaltyschool.com/Visit: https://NancyJaneSmith.comLearn More About Self Loyalty School: https://selfloyaltyschool.com

In the first episode of our new season (!) Nancy wades into a topic that's both frustrated and fascinated her over the years-- rest. She grapples with why it's so hard for people like her with HFA to truly rest, and talks with her friend, Stephanie Pollock, about why rest is such a hot topic these days. This is just the first of our eight episode season all about rest-- so stay tuned for more!Listen to the full episode to hear:- Nancy's personal relationship to rest, including why COVID has made resting even harder.- A conversation about rest with Nancy's friend Stephanie Pollock.- A sneak peek at what we'll be covering in the realm of rest this season.Learn more about Stephanie Pollock:- Go to https://stephaniepollock.com/- Listen to Stephanie's podcast, "Everyday Leadership for Smart Women": https://stephaniepollock.com/podcast/- Subscribe to her newsletter: https://newsletter.stephaniepollock.com/- Follow Stephanie on Twitter @Steph_PollockLearn more about Nancy:-  https://nancyjanesmith.com- https://selfloyaltyschool.comVisit: https://NancyJaneSmith.comLearn More About Self Loyalty School: https://selfloyaltyschool.com

In our final episode of Season 3, Nancy reflects on all the thinking and learning she's done around change this season. She writes a letter to her younger self, looking back on how the big changes in her life have often come at her fast and furious, but always for the better. Then Nancy checks in with her husband Doug, about how they've both changed throughout their lives together. Finally, we hear a very special letter to Nancy's older self, 20 years in the future.Listen to the full episode to hear:- Nancy's reflections on change and the importance of being self-loyal in moments of transition.- A conversation about change between Nancy and her husband Doug.- Resources for staying connected with Nancy and the podcast before our next season comes out.Learn more about Self Loyalty School:- Go to https://selfloyaltyschool.comVisit: https://NancyJaneSmith.comLearn More About Self Loyalty School: https://selfloyaltyschool.com

In this episode Nancy reveals that she's *always* had a business nemesis. A person that she compares herself to when she feels like things aren't going great. And that really gets her Monger AND her BFF going at it! Nancy tells the story of how she confronted this comparison behavior head-on and speaks to Regan Walsh-- Chief Renegade Officer at Renegade Global-- about how tricky comparison can be when we're trying to make meaningful change.Listen to the full episode to hear:- Nancy's personal experiences with comparison and its negative effects on creating change.- A conversation about change and comparison with Regan Walsh.- How to learn more about Self Loyalty School.Learn more about Regan Walsh:- Go to reganwalsh.com - Learn about Renegade Global at renegade.global- Order Regan's book "Heart Boss" at https://reganwalsh.com/heartboss/- You can follow Regan on Twitter @reganwalsh Learn more about Self Loyalty School:- Go to https://selfloyaltyschool.comVisit: https://NancyJaneSmith.comLearn More About Self Loyalty School: https://selfloyaltyschool.com

In this episode, Nancy shares a relatable tale: her struggle to stay off social media. She made that change a while ago, but her BFF is always gunning for her to get back on. Especially when a really special opportunity presents itself... In this episode, we hear an exclusive interview between Nancy's BFF and her Biggest Fan, hashing out the pros and cons of social media, and how hard it is to make a lasting change when confronted with a decision between false self-compassion or true self-loyalty.Listen to the full episode to hear:- Nancy's personal story about change and her BFF.- A fun and information conversation between Nancy's BFF and her Biggest Fan.- Learn more about Self Loyalty School: https://selfloyaltyschool.com-Listen to Nancy's Conversation with Leann Rimes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nancy-jane-smith/id1540357529?i=1000556139496Visit: https://NancyJaneSmith.comLearn More About Self Loyalty School: https://selfloyaltyschool.com

In this episode Nancy shares the story we've all been waiting for... a little tale about a rogue Segway. But it's actually about a lot more than that. The Segway story brings Nancy to think about how she's viewed her body over the years, and the way that changes around our physical self can be tough. Then she talks to an expert practitioner and teacher of the Feldenkrais Method-- a movement practice that encourages gentle movement and bodily awareness to promote overall wellness. Listen to the full episode to hear:- Nancy's personal story about change and her body.- Information and insights from Feldenkrais practitioner Elizabeth Beringer.- How to learn more about Self Loyalty School.Learn more about Elizabeth Beringer:- feldenkraisresources.comLearn more about Self Loyalty School-SelfLoyaltySchool.comVisit: https://NancyJaneSmith.comLearn More About Self Loyalty School: https://selfloyaltyschool.com

Nancy talks to a leading psychologist and expert in emotions, who tells her all about how our emotions can help us create change in our lives. She learns about the kind of self-reflective emotions-- like pride, jealousy, and embarrassment-- that can be a real challenge to untangle. Then she shares a story about a time when she felt totally lost in a sea of her own messy emotions, and how she learned how to pop her head out from under the water and float to shore.   Listen to the full episode to hear: - Nancy's personal experiences with getting lost in the emotion ocean. - Information and insights from Dr. Jessica Tracy. - How to learn more about Self Loyalty School.   Learn more about Dr. Jessica Tracy: - Find Jessica on Twitter @ProfJessTracy - Order Jessica's book   Learn more about Self Loyalty School  Visit: https://NancyJaneSmith.comLearn More About Self Loyalty School: https://selfloyaltyschool.com

In this episode, Nancy talks to an expert in creativity, who had to reevaluate her whole life and career when everything fell apart, then re-learn what she valued as she rebuilt her life from the ashes. But first, she tells us a story that illustrates some entrenched beliefs she had about herself for a long time, that she had to let go of in order to move forward.   Listen to the full episode to hear: - Nancy's personal experiences with shaking off entrenched beliefs. - Tips and advice from Melissa Dinwiddie, Founder and CEO of Creative Sandbox Solutions. - How to learn more about Self Loyalty School.   Learn more about Melissa Dinwiddie. - Visit Melissa's website: https://melissadinwiddie.com/ - Order Melissa's book: https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Sandbox-Way-Your-Full-Color/dp/0997962615    Learn more about Self Loyalty School: - Go to https://selfloyaltyschool.com     Visit: https://NancyJaneSmith.comLearn More About Self Loyalty School: https://selfloyaltyschool.com

In honor of my new course Self Loyalty School, this season we are looking at how to make change. In this episode, Nancy learns how hard it is to form habits and goals all from a psychologist and neuroscience expert! She tells us about her journey to accept her new physical limitations in her workouts, and why learning about how change works on a scientific level, can make space for kindness and grace. Nancy talks with Dr. Elliot Berkman, a psychology professor at the University of Oregon who studies the science of habits. He'll tell us what's really going on inside our brains when we try to do something new and make it stick.    Listen to the full episode to hear: - Nancy's personal experiences with trying to form habits and routines. - The science behind forming habits and achieving goals from Dr. Elliot Berkman. - How to learn more about Self Loyalty School.   Learn more about Dr. Elliot Berkman: - Go to the University of Oregon website: https://ctn.uoregon.edu/profile/berkman  - You can follow him on Twitter @Psychologician   Learn more about Self Loyalty School: - Go to https://selfloyaltyschool.comVisit: https://NancyJaneSmith.comLearn More About Self Loyalty School: https://selfloyaltyschool.com

In the first episode of our new season, Nancy brings us on a personal journey of change through self-loyalty. She describes how she embarked on the most self-loyal year she's ever had, both in her business and her personal life, which culminated in the creation of Self Loyalty School. Nancy speaks with her friend and business collaborator, Hillary Rea. They discuss Hillary's storytelling philosophy and the work they've done together to cultivate self-loyalty through story. Then Nancy checks in with our favorite recurring guest, her husband Doug, to get his read on how she's been able to pivot toward self-loyalty over the past year.   Listen to the full episode to hear: - Nancy's journey to make the change to become self-loyal in her business and in her personal life. - Storytelling and communication tips from Hillary Rea.  - How to learn more about Self Loyalty School.   Learn more about Hillary Rea: - Go to https://tellmeastory.info to learn more about Hillary and how to work with her. - Sign up for Hillary's Monthly Speak Up Session: https://www.tellmeastory.info/session    Learn more about Self Loyalty School: - Go to https://selfloyaltyschool.com  Visit: https://NancyJaneSmith.comLearn More About Self Loyalty School: https://selfloyaltyschool.com

In this episode, Nancy recounts a story of a moment where she didn't feel like she fit in her surroundings at all, but was able to find a very solid moment of connection with her inner voice of self-loyalty. Nancy shares a conversation with her childhood pastor, and friend, Gary Ritts. Gary tells the story of how he switched denominations partway through his ministerial career and never looked back. Finally, we get to hear a little more about Nancy's dad Ted, and how he inspired friends like Gary by being their human personification of the Biggest Fan. Listen to the full episode to hear: How to separate the voice of the Biggest Fan from the Monger and the BFF. How to accept your own square peg style. How to use moments of connection to tap into the voice of the Biggest Fan. Stories and advice from Gary Ritts. Visit: https://NancyJaneSmith.comLearn More About Self Loyalty School: https://selfloyaltyschool.com

This episode traces a familiar circle, pun intended! Nancy explores the idea of "spiraling" through a personal story about living the same lessons about high functioning anxiety over and over again. Then, she talks to movement educator and expert on the mind body connection, Jenn Pilotti, about ways to combat anxiety by using your brain to tune into bodily sensations. Jenn shares some movement exercises, tips and tricks for calming the nervous system through movement. At the end of the episode Nancy puts what she learned from Jenn to the test, by taking a walk through a labyrinth. Listen to the full episode to hear:- How to look at the so-called "anxiety spiral" in a new light.- How to use movement to calm anxiety.- Tips and tricks for tapping into the sensations of the body.- Resources and advice from Jenn Pilotti.  Learn more about Jenn:- Go to jennpilotti.com  Learn more about Nancy:Coach in Your PocketThe Happier Approach BookVisit: https://NancyJaneSmith.comLearn More About Self Loyalty School: https://selfloyaltyschool.com