Dan’s Blog

Physical Anxiety Symptoms

by Dan Regan | Dec 27, 2025 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Physical Anxiety Symptoms: Why Anxiety Feels So Physical

Anxiety fills your mind with racing thoughts of the worst happening. You get caught in a loop of worrying thoughts, fear and overthinking. Alongside this, you experience all the unpleasant, frightening and uncomfortable physical anxiety symptoms. For some people, the most distressing part of anxiety is what they feel in their body.

It doesn’t matter whether your anxiety is about something specific or more general. Your heart races, your chest tightens and you can experience dizziness, nausea and a wave of fear. When those bodily sensations and feelings strike and hit you, it can feel debilitating and crushing.

These symptoms can be frightening and feel overwhelming. They can appear suddenly or without any obvious cause. The bodily feelings can become more and more frequent. You start to focus upon them more and more. Even when you feel fine, you worry about feeling that bad again. You may start limiting what you do and avoiding things. You just want to retreat to somewhere where you feel more safe.

It’s very common for people to start worrying that something is physically wrong with them. The medical tests all come back normal but your anxiety about your health continues.

This article will help you to understand why anxiety causes physical symptoms and how you can start feeling better.

Hypnotherapy For Habits: Why Hypnotherapy Works Better Than Willpower

by Dan Regan | Dec 27, 2025 | Hypnotherapy Hypnosis and NLP

Hypnotherapy For Habits: Why Hypnotherapy Works Better Than Willpower

As January begins, you may feel motivated to make changes. It could be healthier habits, better routines or leaving behind some old behaviours. Yet even with the best intentions, these changes can feel difficult to sustain. That’s where hypnotherapy for habits can help you.

After the excess of Christmas, and with some extra time on your hands over the holidays, you may well decide that it is time to do things differently. You may start eating healthier, drinking less or exercising more. You are motivated and focused and things may start well. Then normal routines and demands kick back in and it feels harder to commit to change.

And some people only get as far as thinking they should change their habits and never even get started.

Changing habits can feel hard if you rely on willpower alone. You try to push along and you put effort in, only to end up back where you started after a while. Your mind works on pattern and repetition. In similar situations you are designed to do things in the same way as before. By simply relying on good intentions and forcing a change in behaviours you are not addressing how your mind works. After a while your focus and willpower get depleted and the same old patterns resurface. It feels frustrating and defeating.

I work with many people in Ely, Newmarket and Online who really want to change habits but struggle to maintain any momentum.

If you’ve ever found yourself saying that you know what you should do, but you just can’t stick to it, then you are not alone. This is where hypnotherapy for habits can help.

Returning to Work Anxiety

by Dan Regan | Dec 26, 2025 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Returning To Work Anxiety: How To Ease Post Holiday Stress

Returning to work after the holidays can trigger anxiety.

During the festive break you may have found time to relax, rest, see people and do fun things. If you’ve had time off you’ll have fallen into new patterns and routines, perhaps staying up later and sleeping in. There may have been changes to what you eat, drink and how you have used your time.

Now you face the prospect of returning to the work routine. That likely means getting up earlier and dealing with the rush. You’ll have deadlines, demands and people to deal with. It may feel overwhelming just to think about it after your break from it all. The decorations and lights are taken down, the weather is dark and cold, and the next real break is not for quite some time.

Your anxiety about returning to work may mean you notice tension, restlessness, overthinking and a sense of overwhelm as you face emails, tasks and deadlines. Post holiday anxiety and stress affects countless people each year.

New Year Anxiety

by Dan Regan | Dec 26, 2025 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

New Year Anxiety: How To Prepare Yourself Mentally for January

Christmas is over and January approaches. It’s the time when New Year anxiety starts to rise.

The activities, celebrations, resting and festivities are all over and done for another year. And now comes the dread and worry as January arrives. Your normal routine and rushing around is about to kick back in. Even worse, the weather is rubbish and the nights are dark.

Many people start to notice their anxiety increasing between 27 December and early January.

You might have a sense of dread about returning to work or getting back into the school run. This can come with racing thoughts about demands, routines and responsibilities. There will be people, tasks and things that you’ve enjoyed being away from and that you now need to face. You might also feel under pressure to make healthy changes or improve yourself.

You might notice that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach, or an increasing restlessness and irritability. It’s like a mental countdown where all these things get closer and closer, robbing you of peace and enjoyment right now. It can affect your sleep and lead to low motivation mixed with anxiety.

These thoughts and feelings are often called New Year anxiety or January anxiety. You dread things, think the worst and feel agitated. However, it is possible to successfully tackle these negative thoughts and feelings and to enter January feel calm, confident and positive.

Social Anxiety vs Low Confidence

by Dan Regan | Dec 23, 2025 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Social Anxiety vs Low Confidence

In this article I’m covering the difference between social anxiety and low confidence and how hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket can help you.

Feeling uncomfortable in social situations is very common. Some people describe it as anxiety, others as low confidence — and many aren’t sure which applies to them.

I’ve covered in previous articles about how I used to struggle with social anxiety and low self esteem. When I first became aware of how I would dread and avoid certain social situations, I assumed it was just low confidence. There was all the self doubt, overthinking and worry about what others were thinking. And there was all the thinking the worst, negative inner commentary and ruminating. It was exhausting and limiting.

It was a constant theme in my life for years until hypnotherapy helped me to overcome my social anxiety and move forward with confidence. Knowing how bad it feels is why I love helping others to end that fear of being judged. It’s life changing and allows you to move forward feeling lighter and more free.

Wondering “Is this social anxiety, or am I just not very confident?” is very common. The two experiences often overlap, but they aren’t always the same thing. Understanding the difference can make it much easier to find the right kind of support (spoiler: hypnotherapy can help you with both).

What to Expect in Your First Hypnotherapy Session

by Dan Regan | Dec 22, 2025 | Hypnotherapy Hypnosis and NLP

What to Expect in Your First Hypnotherapy Session

In this post, I’ll walk you through what happens in your first hypnotherapy session so you feel prepared, calm and confident — from your free consultation to the hypnotherapy experience itself.

Starting hypnotherapy can feel like a big step, especially if you’re not sure what to expect. You may not have seen a therapist before but someone has recommended me or you’ve read through my reviews. Or perhaps you’ve had hours of therapy and you feel no better so coming to see me seems like your last hope.

Either way, you may feel curious, positive, sceptical or slightly nervous before your first session. This may be because it is all new to you or it may be influenced by myths and misunderstandings about hypnosis.

It’s why I always suggest starting with a free consultation. We can meet in person, talk through how I work and how I can help you, and I’ll answer any questions you have. Once you go ahead we have a shared understanding and you’ll have already met me and seen my office before your first hypnotherapy session.

If you’re considering hypnotherapy and wondering what actually happens in a session, this guide will help you feel more prepared, reassured, and confident about taking that next step.

Wishing You a Merry Christmas

by Dan Regan | Dec 21, 2025 | Hypnotherapy Hypnosis and NLP

Wishing You a Merry Christmas

Wishing you a Merry Christmas!

It’s that time of year again…already! I’ve still got a whole load of gift buying to do and the clock is ticking down quite quickly to Christmas Day! Thank goodness for the awesome local Ely shops and Amazon.

I feel like I’m less organised than last year but think I’m just about going to get everything done on time. Luckily my girls are now old enough to just tell me what they want and I just need to add a few little surprises. Then there’s just the dreaded wrapping it all up to go! At least I can watch my favourite version of A Christmas Carol while I’m fighting the sellotape again.

This year I took the opportunity to go out and help Santa on his annual journey around the streets of Ely. The Rotary Club organises the annual fundraiser as part of their work to raise funds for local charities. Santa is pulled around on his sleigh each night through different streets. I remember how excited my kids would get when they were little and Santa was coming. You can hear the Christmas music before he arrives and they would be sitting at the window looking out for the first glimpse. Then it was run downstairs, shoes on and out to see him. It was a delight to be on the other side and to see so many excited children on our rounds (and a few very excited adults too!).

And here is the man himself:

Post Christmas Anxiety and Emotional Crash

by Dan Regan | Dec 17, 2025 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Post Christmas Anxiety: Feeling low or anxious after Christmas?

Do you struggle with post Christmas anxiety? The build up and the rushing around are all over. You stop and pause. And you experience a wave of anxiety, low mood and negativity.

You knew the Christmas pressure would pass but you also know how you usually feel once it’s all over. Every year, many people experience a sudden dip in mood or a rise in anxiety in the days after Christmas. It’s a sort of post Christmas emotional crash or holiday letdown. It can feel confusing, especially if you’ve enjoyed the festive period or feel you should be grateful and content.

If you feel anxious or low after Christmas, then you may find the days after are harder and more draining than the build up. Once the pressure, anticipation and activity stop, you may notice a sudden drop in mood, anxiety without a clear cause and that you feel emotional or even tearful. You start overthinking everything, have trouble relaxing and may have trouble sleeping.

The most frustrating part is that you looked forward to these quieter days. They were a sort of reward to look forward to and that you used to push on in the build up to Christmas itself. Just when you think you can enjoy relaxing and resting, you get post Christmas anxiety, sometimes called a post Christmas emotional crash.

Like all anxiety, once it starts, you may have trouble stopping it. You dwell on how bad you feel and worry about it continuing. You start to think about how you will cope in January if you haven’t had time to recharge. And outside of your normal routine, those anxious thoughts and feelings can expand and accelerate. You find yourself feeling lower, more drained and more anxious.

In this article I’ll be covering why anxiety increases after Christmas, and more importantly, how to calm your post Christmas anxiety.

End of Year Reflection Anxiety and Overthinking

by Dan Regan | Dec 16, 2025 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

End of Year Reflection Anxiety and Overthinking

Do you struggle with end of year reflection anxiety and overthinking? Sometimes it can be hard to quiet a busy mind in December.

As the year draws to a close, many people notice their minds becoming busier than usual. Even before Christmas arrives, it’s common to start mentally reviewing the past twelve months. For some, this reflection quickly turns into overthinking. Thoughts loop and regrets resurface. Self-criticism creeps in – often at the same time as festive pressure and emotional overload. The tiredness from the Christmas rush can play a part in where your mind goes, along with the increased alcohol and sugar. Your normal routines can be thrown out and you can have more time to think. Old family and festive triggers and memories can also create anxiety.

The end of the year can feel like something significant. It’s a time of endings and the coming of a fresh chapter with the twelve months ahead. You find all sorts of overthinking can fill your mind. Thoughts about the past twelve months, what went well, what didn’t, what should have been different, what you didn’t achieve and what the New Year might bring can all start circling at once.

For some, this reflection can feel positive and motivating. For others, their end of year reflection triggers overthinking, anxiety, regret, guilt or self criticism. End of year reflection anxiety can dominate your mind and leave you feeling low frustrated and full of worry. It could be part of your general anxiety and habitual thinking processes. Or it may be something that just hits you as the year draws to a close.

You can find yourself overthinking and replaying moments from the year, worrying about the future, or feeling uneasy instead of peaceful in December. End of year anxiety can trigger and exacerbate anxious thoughts and feelings that then quickly take hold.

Alcohol Anxiety

by Dan Regan | Dec 15, 2025 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks, Excessive Drinking and Binge Drinking

Alcohol Anxiety: Why Drinking Makes Anxiety Worse

Does drinking alcohol seem to make your anxiety worse?

You may have a drink or two as a way to relax. It can mark the end of the busy day and the transition into evening. You have a couple of drinks to take the edge off, to unwind or to feel more at ease socially. Perhaps you look forward to that first sip, or you long for that initial nice feeling it can give you.

But rather than helping you feel relaxed, you may have noticed the opposite effect happening afterwards. You experience a spike in worry, racing thoughts, poor sleep and that familiar feeling of dread. Rather than waking up the next day feeling refreshed, you drag yourself out of bed fearing the worst.

With anxiety and social anxiety you may drink at social situations to try and feel more comfortable and confident. It may work for a bit but it’s easy to drink too much, too quickly. The following morning you are filled with anxiety and overthink what you may have said and done. It’s well known that hangovers often come with anxiety alongside all the other after effects of drinking too much. And some anxious people avoid alcohol as much as possible because they hate the feeling of being out of control.

I’ve worked with many people who binge drink, drink excessively or drink too much. They promise themselves (and others) that they will cut back this time. But the same habits and patterns creep back in again. They are no longer in control over their drinking.

If you’ve ever woken up the day after drinking with a pounding heart, low mood and a sense that something is wrong, then that is the alcohol anxiety. Alcohol can significantly increase your anxiety, even in people who don’t usually struggle with anxious thoughts and feelings. And if you already struggle with anxiety, despite the promise of relaxation, alcohol often makes it much worse.

As my anxiety clients have discovered, it is possible to take back control over your drinking habits and behaviours.

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