Tools for Managing Stress & Anxiety

This might be the single most universally useful podcast on Youtube right now

This man is a blessing genius

My Notes Framework: sympathetic system - that runs through below our neck and to our core containing neurons that manages stress. Stress response is generic and therfore effects the entire system indiscriminately. Stress response activates certain things and shutdowns other features. Stress response is activated to support you moving, fundamentally its goal is to make you do something. To control stress you need to learn to work with the agitation (Exposure Therapy) parasympathetic system - system that is responsible for activating your calm state (This is what you should be activating when stressed) Realtime Practice: physiological sigh - two inhales take place followed by a long exhale. (Reduces stress significantly) (Long & vigorous exhales arouses calmness and slows heart.) (Long & vigorous inhales increases heart rate.) If stress is so high and you activate the parasympathetic system too much it may cause you to faint It takes 30 seconds for you heart to calm down after activation and you may need to use sighs more than once. Passive Practices: Mindfullness Meditation Exercise Sleep Supplementation Reminder: "Telling yourself to calm down will exacerbate stress" "Life happens, you can't completely avoid stress" "It's very hard to control the mind with the mind" "when you are stress in the mind look towards the body" "When you are stress in the body look towards the mind"

Telling yourself to calm down doesn't reduce stress 22:30 Tool 1 24:12 when lung expands heart volume expands and so blood flows slowly so in response brain makes it beat faster So whenever your inhales are shorter in duration or more vigorous than exhales heartbeat increases But to reduce stress we need to reduce heart rate so will have to exhale longer and more vigorously than our inhales 29:27 Physiological SIGH : Two inhale and one exhale 31:27 stress is of three types , short term , med term amd long term stress , we can use short term stress for our benefit as it can induce 1)a immune response which can help us to manage mld infectons 2) better cognition 3) improved focus , etc , BUT we must know how to switch on and off this short term stress , short term stress can be induced through flow of adrenaline [also known as epinephrine] in our blood which can be achieved by [1] cold shower [2] tummo breathing TUMMO breathing is a technique in which we inhale through nose and exhale through our mouth continuously for 25 reps and then hold the breath for 15 sec and again repeat this exercise for 3-4 times and and then hold your breath one shd avoid this technique near water as one may faint and can drown Stress threshold is the maximum amount of stress one can manage , we can increase our stress threshold by training our body in a particular way [the key here is to relax the mind when the body is not relaxed/ is activated] 1] we have to increase or heart rate by methods ike cold showers , sprinting , cyclic tummo breathing , etc 2] now as the heart rate goes up , adrenaline increases in our blood and we experience tunnel vision as the pupils dilate 3] now we have to broaden our vision deliberately seeing more of the environment around you creates a calming effect 4] as a result you start being comfortable at the higher activation state , what felt like a lot of work now feels manageable Long term stress can be reduced by 1] getting a good sleep 2] doing exercises 3] social connections release serotonin oxytocin is rarely released because of person to person interactions , it is released post orgasm , lactation in mom and child etc , generally it is serotonin which gives a sense of satisfaction and well being , excess of serotonin in blood can reduce our libido and desire to do things due to feeling of satisfaction. the social isolation that goes too long is associated with the molecule Taqi Kynan .Taqi Kynan is a molecule that makes us more fearful, paranoid, and impairs our immune system. And so, Taqi Kynan is like this internal punishment signal. It's like our body and our brain telling us, "You are not spending enough time with people that you really trust , "You re not doing things that you really enjoy \ Non-Prescription Chemical Compounds For Additional Anti-Stress Support > Ashwagandha , melatonin[not recommended] , L theanine melatonin is secreted by the pineal gland , its secretion depends upon the amount of darkness you are in. The darker the surrounding the more the secretion , it helps to induce sleep /fall asleep but not stay asleep Ashwagandha reduces anxiety and cortisol ( responsible for waking us up but becomes a problem if high level maintained throughout the day.)

Who thinks that this podcast is full of gold nuggets?

This brilliant man deserves an award for helping humanity.

With the growth of anxiety, anxiety medication (benzodiazapene, zanax etc), can you do a podcast on anxiety specifically. Why do we get panic attacks, side effects of medication. Through your podcast and NSDR, I've improved my introception....this has made me more aware of my internal state. Through the benefits of meditation I've been able to improve internal and external focus. I'd love to hear more about the internal workings of the body and hormonal pathways while dealing with these things. Thank you

I’m glad he actually acknowledged Eastern medicines like ashwagandha and didn’t try to brush it off as “alternative medicine quackery” like most doctors.

"Excercise is good, sleep is good, moving is good, everybody knows that. BUT LIFE HAPPENS." Just listening to this podcast slows my heart rate down.❤

Dr. Huberman, I quit smoking after 20 years and learned how to manage my anxiety and general health thanks to you. You have provided me with a clear and simple paradigm for thinking about addiction, as well as general health. Thank you!

I felt lost and hopeless. Thank you for the factual and therapeutic support. I am still a work in progress, but your talks give me a little faith that I might get better. Thanks again.

Such a good community on this site. Its really refreshing to see people being so polite.

“It’s very hard to control the mind with the mind” this is one of the most eye opening statements I have came across in terms of stress management. Thank you.

Coming from an educational deficit and a dysfunctional childhood I don’t possess the words of appreciation for how much I’ve learned from you in the last couple of months. . My toolbox 🧰 is so heavy it needs wheels. Thank you 🙏🏽

As a 58 year old suffering results of a lifetime of chronic stress, this information is the most useful information i have ever received! Practices in place immediately!! God bless!!

I am an Orthodontist from India Listening to your evidenced based podcasts has changed my physical and mental health Thank you so much

My daughter deals with general anxiety, which tends to increase her heart rate at certain times. I taught her how to do the physiological sigh since listening to Dr. Huberman, and it has slowed her heart rate down and helped her to relax.

Never in the history of calming down has anyone calmed down by being told to calm down

Thank you so much for making this important info accessible. It is extremely helpful. 🙏

This is the best podcast in the whole world, no cap.