When Anxiety Drives the Bus: How Fundraisers Lose Their Power — and How to Get It Back

Understanding your body’s stress response so you can fundraise from clarity instead of panic.

Anxiety shows up loudly in fundraising… tight chest, clenched gut, racing thoughts, shrinking creativity. In this episode, Erin shares a deeply personal story of fundraising during a budget crisis — and how her body’s ancient fight-or-flight wiring took over, narrowing her focus, driving unsustainable actions, and ultimately exacting a physical cost.

You’ll learn why anxiety feels so overwhelming, why it isn’t evidence that something is wrong with you, and how your nervous system is simply trying to keep you safe. Most importantly, you’ll discover how to recognize the signs, interrupt the panic cycle, and return to a grounded state where creative solutions, agency, and clarity live.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How fundraisers accidentally let anxiety run the show — and the cost of that
• What your fight-or-flight system is designed to do (and why it misfires at work)
• The physical symptoms that signal your body is asking for help
• Why anxiety is a feeling… not a fact
• A guided check-in to reconnect you with your body and breath
• The truth about fundraising from scarcity — and why it leads straight to burnout

This conversation is especially for fundraisers who feel like their work is “life-or-death” for the mission, their jobs, or their team. You are not alone — and your body has been trying to talk to you.

If this episode stirred something in you, keep an eye out for the companion meditation episode designed to help you regulate and return to center.

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