In Conversation with Dr. Jeanne Retief: Insights on FIGGI Beauty & The Anxious Calm

A: I'm an anxious over-achiever and highly sensitive person with panic disorder. Prior to my Breaking, I held a PhD in international human rights and consulted globally for 15 years. After my diagnosis and struggles with complex post traumatic stress disorder, my life fell apart. A real breaking of mind and soul.

I had to make very difficult decisions about my health, goals, and way forward. A major symptom of my anxiety is sensitive skin and so I founded FIGGI Beauty luxurious, Free-From skincare line for sensitives with dry skin woes. Made with South African Rooibos Extract, which has decades of scientific proof behind its soothing properties - it truly is nature’s gift to sensitive skin. Wanting to do more for other others struggling with anxiety and its tentacles I founded The Anxious Calm.

An online sacred space for anyone with anxiety seeking to connect with those who understand the anxious path. Access valuable resources, and the tools you need to discover the hidden gifts of your anxiety. Find support in a space where it's okay NOT be okay, and never feel isolated again.

A: I would NEVER have thought I'd say this but my anxiety and high sensitivity; It's made me extremely intuitive and created heightened senses for when things just don't seem right. It's helped me immensely in business, on my healing path, and in confrontational situations.

A recent example? Expanding my team and making difficult decisions around candidates that would be the right fit for me. In the past I would never have trusted my instincts like this. I would have written it off as being overly nervous or passed it along for someone else to make the key decision.

A: I have panic disorder and this is all-encompassing. It is SO much more than just panic attacks. It is a constant, everyday, maintenance of mind, body and soul. So there are many rituals that go into making this a balance. All of my rituals are mostly based on working with my known triggers and eliminating what I can from my daily life. For example, when I get hungry I get shaky and dizzy. These are two things I associate with an incoming panic attack and it can trigger me. So I always have a protein snack with me to mitigate this trigger. I really don't just have a single thing that works, it's based on the day , the feeling, the need and the complexity of mind.

A: Heart chakra without even thinking about it. I love that my heart is so open but it's gotten me in trouble many times. I take on too much of someone else's journey, I don't create proper boundaries and I overflow my heart space with compassion and empathy for others, forgetting to rebalance and refuel it for myself. There is also a lot of trauma in my heart space I am working through and I am still on the journey toward this.

We can't wait to share Laura's live interview with Jeanne - check it out here.