Dan’s Blog

The Vicious Cycle of Anxiety

by Dan Regan | Aug 5, 2025 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

The Vicious Cycle of Anxiety

Do you feel trapped in the vicious cycle of anxiety?

We all experience unhelpful, worrying and anxious thoughts and feelings from time to time. They may pass through your mind very quickly and be soon forgotten. Or perhaps they linger for a short while but then time passes, or the thing you were anxious about gets sorted, and everything returns to normal. You move on and get back on with your normal routines, activities and thoughts.

However, if you struggle with problematic anxiety then you can get caught in the ever suffocating vicious cycle of anxiety. Your mind races with anxiety provoking potential catastrophes and worst case scenarios. You feel anxious, tense, restless and on edge. You struggle to concentrate and feel negative and low. You start avoiding things because you just don’t feel you’ll be able to cope or you excessively worry about others noticing your anxiety.

With anxiety, your negative thoughts can feel so prevalent, strong and dominant that you struggle to focus and take control over your thinking. You can’t focus as your mind races through all the negative possibilities. Even as you try to grasp what is going on inside your head, the anxiety moves on to something else. It can feel like you are fearfully chasing after your own mind and never catching up with your thinking. Even if you are able to interrupt, block or rationalise one of the worst case scenarios in your head, your anxiety changes direction and flows like a river onto some other perceived threat and awful catastrophe. It’s exhausting.

One thought just flows into another, and because those thoughts are so distressing and overwhelming, you also experience all the physical symptoms of anxiety. Your breathing increases, your heart races, you feel hot, you feel nauseous and you struggle to function. How you feel influences where your thinking goes. Because you feel so anxious, those anxious feelings drive your imagination into more and more negative and anxious thinking. This then keeps you feeling anxious, that then drives anxious thinking and which then adds to your uncomfortable feelings. You get caught in the vicious cycle of anxiety. Your anxious thoughts and feelings feed into each other. You feel worse and worse and your anxiety feels stronger and stronger.

You then start to dread things. What if those imagined worst case scenarios actually happen? What if you go out and feel anxious in front of others? You feel terrible, you are filled with anxiety and so you start to avoid things. This can bring some short term relief. However, the vicious cycle of anxiety gets strengthened by avoidance and the cycle just continues to repeat. You feel anxious even when you are not around the people, places, situations and circumstances you have been dreading. You start to anticipate feeling anxious and you expect it to happen. And then of course, you experience anxiety and this confirms your belief that you can’t handle, deal and cope with things.

Social Phobia – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

by Dan Regan | Jul 25, 2025 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Social Phobia – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

Social phobia, which is sometimes also called social anxiety disorder, is characterised by the dread, fear and anxiety that comes before and during social situations.

At first, you may be keen and excited about an upcoming social situation, especially if it is some way off. But then as it gets closer you start to worry about it. It could be about being judged for your appearance or what you may may or do when you go out. You start to worry about making an idiot of yourself, having nothing to say, struggling to meet people or being there and feeling uncomfortable.

Your anxiety drives your imagination to start thinking of all the things that could go wrong. There are just so many potential pitfalls and opportunities to mess up. It doesn’t matter if it is a social thing, work thing or something else. You worry about being judged and what others think. You don’t feel good enough. And your social phobia can make it seem easier to make an excuse and avoid it. You get the immediate relief from escape but the social anxiety persists.

For a long time I used to struggle with social phobia. I got good at masking it from others but would worry about them noticing or pointing out my anxiety, discomfort or quietness (which would be the worst possible thing to happen for someone with social phobia). I would worry before an event about what to wear, how I’d look, what I’d say and whether I would have anything to say or just be seen as quiet and boring. Sometimes I would just cancel. Other times I would go and feel on edge, and anxious. I would scan to check no one was watching what I was doing. I would feel uncomfortable and sweaty. The overthinking about what I was saying and doing, and what others were thinking about it, was intense.

Afterwards came the negative analysis and self criticism. I would find myself worrying about what I may have said and how others perceived it. I could feel anxious about seeing that person again. I would overthink, dwell and find myself going over and over perceived mess ups and things that just confirmed I wasn’t good enough. There was a constant stream of inner critical and negative self talk. It ran on and on in my head.

You probably have those certain people you are comfortable around. With these people you can just relax and be yourself. Yet, with social phobia, that persistent dread, fear and anxiety about social situations limits you and makes you uncomfortable. You excessively worry about being messing up or being judged. You just can’t relax and enjoy social situations.

Like all anxiety, there is the habitual pattern of thoughts, feelings and behaviours that create the self re-enforcing, ongoing cycle of social anxiety. However, it is very possible and achievable to take back control over your own mind so that you feel more calm, confident and in control.

Manage Anxious Thoughts and Feelings

by Dan Regan | Jul 22, 2025 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Manage Anxious Thoughts and Feelings

Do you need help to learn how to manage anxious thoughts and feelings?

Hypnotherapy can be effective in helping you to deal, cope and handle anxiety, panic and stress. You can move from unwanted thoughts and uncomfortable feelings to a place where you feel calm, confident and in control. When people work with me, they learn how to change unhelpful thoughts patterns and behaviours that are associated with anxiety. Rather than being controlled by it, you learn how to manage anxious thoughts and feelings effectively.

If you struggle with anxiety then you will be all too familiar with the negative thoughts and overthinking that come with it. Your mind fills with worst case scenarios as you wonder what if this catastrophe or that other disaster happens. Your imagination moves further and further steps away from the present as your dread and foreboding about the future increase. You may struggle to switch off those run away anxious thoughts. And because your mind is searching for potential threats, it can quickly move on from one anxious thing to the next as you struggle to keep up with your own thinking. It can leave you stressed, worried and afraid in case those feared things, with all their negative consequences, become a reality.

Alongside the anxious thoughts, you experience all of the uncomfortable anxious feelings. You feel tense, restless and on edge. It affects your sleep, concentration and appetite. You may struggle to enjoy things you normally do. You can have a racing heart, shortness of breath and sweating. you feel awful and want to do less and less.

The anxious feelings drive the anxious thoughts and that increases the feelings. It becomes like a spiral of ever increasing anxiety that affects how you feel and it can permeate into all the corners of your life. You avoid things and worry. And the anxiety flows on and on.

If you are currently struggling then hypnotherapy can help you to manage anxious thoughts and feelings so that you break the cycle and start feeling better and better in yourself

Car Anxiety – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

by Dan Regan | Jul 21, 2025 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Car Anxiety – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

Do you struggle with car anxiety? Anxiety, fear and panic around being in a car, whether driving or as a passenger, can become limiting and exhausting.

You may try to avoid getting in a car as often as possible. When a passenger, certain drivers, those you consider to be unsafe, can lead to panic. You can be on high alert for dangers, constantly raising the possible hazards to the driver throughout the journey. Or perhaps you cover you eyes or try to use your phone to distract you until you can get out of the car and relax.

If you have to drive (or even if you are still learning and having lessons), sometimes the very thought of it can dominate your mind in the lead up. You feel tense, anxious and on edge. Your car anxiety limits where you will go and there may be certain roads that are just too much for you.

I’ve helped people with car anxiety who struggle on the smaller roads. On these roads there are more parked cars, obstacles and hazards to be aware of and be ready to react to. For others, it is the dual carriageways and motorways that cause their anxiety to spike. On these roads you are moving faster and there is the risk of being hit by another car or a lorry. The possible resulting damage when travelling at that speed causes you to catastrophise and think the worst.

Then there are other road users, road works, possible diversions and unfamiliar roads, new places, finding parking and the many other anxieties about what might happen that race through your mind. You minimise your time in the car and avoid it as much as you can.

Despite the thousands and thousands of cars that take to the road each day, car anxiety is one of the most common fears that I help people to deal with. Hypnotherapy can help you to calm your anxiety and take back control over your thoughts and feelings. You can start driving calmly and confidently on different roads and in different conditions.

What Happens in a Hypnotherapy Session?

by Dan Regan | Jul 20, 2025 | Hypnotherapy Hypnosis and NLP

What Happens in a Hypnotherapy Session?

If you have never had hypnotherapy before then you may well wonder what happens in a hypnotherapy session.

One of the reasons that I always offer you a free initial consultation is so that you can meet me face to face before starting therapy. We can talk through the things you are currently struggling with and the changes you would like to make. I’ll describe what I do, how I do it and how we can work together to get you a positive result. And you can, of course, ask any questions you may have before going ahead with your hypnotherapy sessions. In my view, this in person initial meeting strongly supports the likelihood of you achieving a successful and positive outcome from your sessions.

There are many misconceptions and misunderstandings out there about hypnotherapy. It’s often poorly represented in TV and films and this just adds to the sense that it is all a bit woo-woo and out there. Despite what you may think, you are always in control over your own thoughts and feelings. My role is to help you to take back control over those problematic thoughts, feelings and behaviours so that you can feel better in yourself. Hypnotherapy has a strong evidence base in science and research supporting its effectiveness for a whole range of issues. On top of that, you can read the hundreds of positive reviews on this website to give you the hope, inspiration and motivation you need to achieve your goals.

We are all creatures of habit, pattern and repetition. Hypnotherapy helps you to change these patterns in constructive and beneficial ways. The science and evidence is there but you will want to know what happens in a hypnotherapy session.

Hypnotherapy Clinic of the Year Cambridgeshire

by Dan Regan | Jul 18, 2025 | Hypnotherapy Hypnosis and NLP

Hypnotherapy Clinic of the Year – Cambridgeshire

I’m delighted to let you know that I have been awarded the presitgious accolade of Hypnotherapy Clinic of the Year for Cambridgeshire. This follows closely on from my recent success at the SME Cambridgeshire Business Awards where I won silver for Ely Business of the Year.

If that wasn’t enough I’ve also recently been announced as having won the award for Best Full-Service Hypnotherapy Treatments 2025 (Cambridgeshire) in the SME UK Enterprise Awards. I think it’s fair to say that these multiple awards, along with the various others I’ve won over the year, continue to cement my place as the leading hypnotherapy service in Ely and Newmarket (along with the the evidence from the hundreds and hundreds of positive reviews that you can find on this website).

Thanks so much for your ongoing support, it means everything!

If you’d like to learn more then you can learn more about my previous award successes over in these articles:

Weight Loss Service

by Dan Regan | Jul 17, 2025 | Weight Loss

Weight Loss Service – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

Are you looking for a weight loss service that helps you to naturally take back control over your eating habits?

In a climate of weight loss drugs and jabs, it is still very possible to naturally and successfully take control over your relationship with food. Most people know what they should be eating, but their habits, cravings, thoughts and behaviours around food consistently get in the way. You have the knowledge over what to do but still find yourself not doing it. And all the while your weight creeps up and up and your self-esteem and well-being suffer.

It may be that you eat emotionally. Whenever you feel sad, bad, low, happy or good, you reach for the unhealthy snacks as part of how you feel. Your emotions and the food hit become inter-twinned and an ongoing, self-maintaining pattern. Once your emotions subside, you feel bad for having eaten too much or the wrong things.

For others, it is all about the habits and behaviours they have learnt about food. You learnt that you can make whatever choices you like. You learnt to eat too much and always clear your plate. You learnt that, even when you’ve had enough, there should be no waste and that sweet things follow meals. The sugar cravings can hit you at any time and you struggle to resist. Or maybe you’ve just been snacking in front of screens for so long that it seems normal now.

I often get a surge of weight loss service clients in the summer. You can no longer get away with the baggy clothes to hide your body. You want to go out socially but you feel like you look awful in your clothes (if they still fit). And you may berate yourself, be critical of your weight or compare yourself negatively with others.

You know you could go for another quick fix diet to try and get a bit of a better beach body you are more comfortable with. Yet maybe you are tired of the short term success, followed by long term even greater weight gain afterwards. You want to change your relationship with food and take back control over your eating habits so it becomes your new, healthier, lifestyle.

Alcohol Reduction Help

by Dan Regan | Jul 17, 2025 | Excessive Drinking and Binge Drinking

Alcohol Reduction Help – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

Are you struggling with successful alcohol reduction? Alcohol can shift from something that helps you to relax and enjoy yourself, into something that creeps into your daily habits. Rather that being able to take it or leave it, or to have the one and stop, you find yourself binge drinking and over drinking. Alcohol can take control over your habits and have negative impacts upon your health, well-being, focus, work, relationships and self-esteem.

Many people enjoy a drink. It may be that you drink mainly socially and perhaps you enjoy a nice glass of wine with a meal. But if you drink too much when you drink, or you find that you secretly drink or drink despite your best intentions not too, then your alcohol consumption can become a problem. Maybe you embarrass yourself and have to suffer the embarrassment and shame after drinking too much. It may be that your drinking steals away your motivation and focus and you become unproductive in your life. And alcohol can lead to arguments, friction, guilt and shame.

You may have found that your alcohol reduction is successful for short periods of time. With focus, motivation and willpower you can cut down or stop for a while. Yet those habitual thoughts, feelings and drinking behaviours start to creep back in. You start to justify it to yourself that it’s okay to have one or two. In no time at all you are back drinking as much as ever and the same old problems come back to the fore.

Cutting down with willpower alone is hard. You are effectively trying to force yourself to reduce how much you drink. After a pain point, like an alcohol related embarrassment or argument, your resolve and motivation are strong. The freshness of what has happened can keep you on track. Over time that pain lessens. Your limited resources of willpower weaken and the call of the booze intensifies. This is where hypnotherapy can help you to change your habitual patterns around alcohol.

Anxious Thoughts and Feelings – My Latest Ely Standard Column

by Dan Regan | Jul 8, 2025 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Anxious Thoughts and Feelings – My Latest Ely Standard Column

I’m delighted to let you know that my latest Ely Standard column, about anxious thoughts and feelings, has now been published.

It’s estimated that, each year, one in four people in the UK will experience a mental health problem. Back when I used to struggle with anxiety, it was the anxious feelings that used to really trouble me and that used to escalate until they felt overwhelming and uncontrollable. These then fed into the anxious thoughts of dread and worry. Then came the classic anxiety response of avoidance to try and quell all those uncomfortable anxious feelings. This brings short term relief but only maintains the anxiety.

The anxiety cycle of thoughts, feelings and behaviours can just run and run. It’s like a ceaseless torrent of anxious discomfort. However, n matter how bad you feel right now, it is possible to overcome your anxiety. You can start to feel better and better in yourself.

You can read my article about anxious thoughts and feelings over on the Ely Standard website here:

Does Distraction Work For Anxiety?

by Dan Regan | Jun 20, 2025 | Anxiety Stress and Panic Attacks

Does Distraction Work For Anxiety?

Recently I was talking with a client about this subject; does distraction work for anxiety?

Anxiety thrives when there is time and space for thinking. And because you feel anxious you have probably started avoiding things or feeling too low and exhausted to keep busy. You are less occupied and have more time to think. The more time you have to think, the worse you feel and the less you feel able to do. It becomes a negative cycle that chokes the enjoyment and motivation from your life. You spend more and more time thinking and the anxiety just moves from one thing to the next. All the while your feel worse and worse with tension, agitation, poor appetite and disturbed sleeping.

It’s like a river of thinking with a strong current that pulls you from one catastrophic thought to the next. Very soon your anxiety can quash anything positive and you feel helpless to deal with your own thoughts and feelings.

The human mind has a negativity bias anyway so when you feel anxious this just accelerates. Everything is tinged with worry, doubt, overthinking and dread. Even things you’ve done many, many times before now seem like a massive challenge that you struggle to face.

Now, of course, there are several facets to a successful plan for tackling anxiety. You need to learn how to interrupt, direct, disrupt and move on your own thoughts rather than being at the mercy of whatever happens to come into your thinking and awareness. You need to be able to bring anxiety down when it starts high and be able to cut if off early and quickly if it starts to grow and rise.

I’ve written many times before about the scientific support and research that shows that hypnotherapy is effective for treating anxiety so I’m not going to repeat that here. I’ve also covered the use of exercise, relaxation, gratitude, nature, music and a whole range of other things that have been demonstrated to contribute to reducing anxiety.

« Older Entries

Claim your FREE Consultation TODAY

Just call 01353 886158 to book your free 30 minute consultation. Discover how you can start feeling better quickly and effectively and ask any questions you may have before deciding to go ahead.

Call Dan today!

Get Your Copy Right Now…

Subscribe to Dan’s Digest filled with tips, strategies and techniques and get instant access to your free rapid relaxation hypnosis audio track.

Enjoy feeling and being more mentally calm and physically relaxed right now:

Rapid Relaxation hypnosis mp3 dan regan hypnotherapy

Dan in the spotlight!

Click below to see Dan in the media

Hypnosis Downloads

Powerful hypnosis for download that will help you to overcome issues and achieve your goals.

Hypnotherapy Video Testimonials

Click below to see dozens of videos from happy clients who have worked with Dan: