I've Never Been an Anxious Person… So Why Now? Understanding anxiety, perimenopause and your nervous system

Take A Breath

June 30, 2026 ∙ 50 mins
Episode 45

About

For years, I never considered myself an anxious person. Then, during perimenopause, something shifted. I found myself worrying in ways I never had before, feeling overwhelmed by things I'd always coped with and wondering why I suddenly didn't feel like myself anymore.

In this episode, I'm sharing everything I've learnt about anxiety through my own experience, my work with hundreds of women, and the latest science on the nervous system.

In this episode, I'll share:

  •  Why anxiety can appear for the first time during perimenopause, even if you've never thought of yourself as an anxious person. 
  •  How hormonal changes affect your nervous system and why your capacity to cope with stress changes during midlife. 
  •  Why I've stopped seeing anxiety as something to fight, and started seeing it as a message from my body. 
  •  The surprising reason we can get stuck in cycles of anxiety, and why trying to get rid of it often makes it louder. 
  •  How I communicate safety to my nervous system and gently return to a place of calm, clarity and harmony.

Download 15 Breaths to Calm Anxiety - a FREE 5 minute audio to calm you down in real time.

Download The Breath Check-Up - your FREE guide to understanding how well you're breathing right now.

Download my energising 5 Minute Morning Practice to get your day started in the best way possible.

To find out more about my membership The Inner Space go to:  https://www.pollywarren.com/theinnerspace

Email me at:  info@pollywarren.com
https://www.pollywarren.com/
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Information

Podcast

Take A Breath

Episode

45

Date

June 30, 2026

Length

50 mins
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    Millions of women were prescribed Primodos as a pregnancy test even though there were concerns that it was associated with many different and often devastating birth defects. More than 60 years later, many of the questions surrounding the drug – which contains synthetic hormones that are still prescribed to women today – remain unanswered. In […]

  • Your Body Reset: How to Eat & Exercise for a Healthier and Longer Life

    Today’s episode is a MUST listen.  You will learn the surprising science of  exercise and nutrition, the mistakes you’re making, and the simple changes that lead to better health and longevity.  In this powerful episode, Mel sits down with one of her dream guests, Dr. Rhonda Patrick PhD.  Dr. Patrick is a biomedical scientist who […]

  • #246 From Survival Mode to Soul-Led Living with Dr Julie Merriman PhD

    In this deeply honest and eye-opening conversation, I sit down with Dr. Julie Merriman, PhD, LPC-S, to explore what’s really happening beneath the surface for high-achieving women over 50 who “look fine”… but feel anything but. We talk about the invisible load so many women carry—functioning, performing, achieving—while quietly operating past capacity. Dr. Merryman introduces […]

  • Book Club Meets: I wrote a loveable psychopath! Race and female rage, with Imani Thompson

    Yrsa really doesn’t intend to kill anyone… but the Cambridge professor sitting opposite her has manipulated her friend and stolen her research. So, when she flicks a bee into his drink, she just thinks he’ll get a nasty little sting… but now he’s dead. And it’s a sweet, sweet feeling for Yrsa: finally having some […]

  • PCOS Is Dead: Why PMOS Changes Everything for Midlife Women

    The Menopause Mastery Show | PCOS Is Dead: Why PMOS Changes Everything for Midlife Women  | Episode 284 Solocast with Dr. Betty Murray 🌿Welcome to The Menopause Mastery Show!  PCOS has been renamed PMOS — Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome — and Dr. Betty Murray explains why this is a major shift for women’s health. In […]

  • 209 | Why Eating Less May Be Causing More Belly Fat

    Have you ever wondered why your old weight-loss strategies suddenly stopped working after 40? If you’re eating healthy, exercising, and trying harder than ever, yet the belly fat keeps showing up, this episode is for you. Today we’re talking about one of the biggest frustrations women face during perimenopause and menopause: doing all the things […]

  • Kim Alexis on Health, Vitality, and Aging Gracefully

    Kim Alexis, one of the most recognizable supermodels of the 1980s, joins the podcast to share her inspiring journey from the fashion runway to broadcasting, authorship, and podcasting. Discovered by a modeling agency in Buffalo at just 17 years old, Kim quickly rose to international fame and became part of an elite generation of supermodels […]

  • Build a Strong Body for a Messy Life: Training Through Menopausal Chaos with Hailey Babcock (episode 280)

    This week’s guest, renowned midlife trainer Hailey Babcock, wants you to know one thing: No one is crushing it 100%. Not the celebrities or big names she trains; not the tens of thousands of women she works with, and certainly not herself. Hailey is currently going through it with brain fog, joint pain, 2 a.m. […]

  • The Risk Factor Nobody's Talking About: Menopause, Estrogen, and the Heart Disease Epidemic in Women

    Cardiologist Dr. Jayne Morgan has a message that cuts through the noise: menopause is not a gynecological footnote. It’s a cardiovascular inflection point — and most women don’t find out until it’s too late.In this episode, Dr. Morgan and Stacy cover the full arc of women’s cardiovascular health: why complicated pregnancies are early warning signs, […]

  • Episode 223 – Four Years, Hundreds of Conversations and One Big Question: What's Next?

    Four years ago, I sat down and recorded the very first episode of The Menopause and Cancer Podcast. At the time, I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t know whether anyone would listen, whether I’d make it past a handful of episodes, or that four years later I’d still be here, talking […]

  • Ep. 224 -Patriarchy Stress Disorder and Menopause with Jeffrey Tambor

    In this deeply transformative episode, Dr. Fiona Lovely welcomes Jeffrey Tambor, a seasoned healer and co-founder of The Thriving Institute™, who has dedicated over two decades to understanding and resolving trauma at its deepest roots. Alongside his partner, Dr. Valerie Rein—who pioneered the concept of Patriarchy Stress Disorder (PSD)—Jeffrey brings a unique perspective on how […]

  • Most replayed moment: What The Science Says About Supplements | Prof Tim Spector & Prof Sarah Berry

    Today, we’re talking about supplements. We’ve all seen them; the multivitamins, the fortified foods, the neatly packaged powders promising improved energy, immunity and longevity.  Supplements boast bold claims, however, it’s hard to know if they’re genuinely helpful or just well-marketed. Professor Tim Spector and Professor Sarah Berry join me to unpack why supplements exist, what […]

  • Are Your Shoes Ruining Your Foot Health

    This episode is sponsored by Bluesky CBD and Timeline. Bluesky CBD: Get to sleep faster, experience more restorative sleep and save 30% with code FLIPPING50 at https://www.bluesky-cbd.com/discount/Flipping50. Timeline – Timeline’s clinically proven formula is now available at a new, lower price. Mitopure now starts at $99, with the exact same science and formula. And my […]

  • image of woman with dark hair named Mary Claire Haver

    Train Your Brain To Thrive Through Menopause

    In this episode of unPAUSED, Dr. Mary Claire Haver sits down with Dr. Sue Varma, a board certified psychiatrist, distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, and author of Practical Optimism. They open by taking on a question that sits at the intersection of psychiatry and menopause medicine: why do some women thrive through the […]

  • Ep 533: A Simple Technique to Handle Food Urges Differently in Menopause

    You don’t need more willpower. You need a different relationship with your urges. In this episode, I talk about one simple technique that can help women in menopause handle food cravings differently. Inspired by conversations around GLP-1 medications, I explain what these medications appear to do for food noise and how you can begin creating […]

  • 335 💛 How Hard Can It Be: Friendship, Reinvention & Real Talk with Diana Maria Riva of Netflix’s Dead to Me

    What happens when a Hollywood actress realizes her glam-squad friends and her hometown Ohio friends are all wrestling with the exact same midlife stuff? In this episode of The Midlife Makeover Show, Wendy Valentine sits down with Diana Maria Riva — beloved as Detective Ana Perez on Netflix’s Dead to Me and now host of […]

  • How To Give Your Nervous System A Real Break

    I’ve just returned from Self Love Camp, a retreat where I spent a few days guiding breathwork, listening to inspiring speakers, learning new things, and stepping away from the routines of everyday life. As I drove home, I found myself reflecting on something I always notice after retreats and intentional breaks: I come back feeling […]

  • 77 – Hormones after cancer: why women deserve a choice

    For many women diagnosed with cancer, conversations about hormones end before they’ve even begun. They’re often told they can never take hormone treatment again, without being given the evidence, the options or the opportunity to make an informed choice. In this episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by women’shealth nurse and educator Jill Chmielewski to […]

Take A Breath

A podcast for creating practical calm in the messy middle of midlife. This is your space to pause.  Because life in midlife is full-on. Between work, family, menopause, and the mental load, your nervous system can easily end up in constant overdrive — leaving you feeling exhausted, reactive, and overwhelmed by even the smallest things.  […]

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