Why Operators Stay: Culture, Addiction to the Work

My guest is DJ Shipley, a retired Tier 1 operator Navy SEAL and now a top public educator on how to build mental and physical health and reach top-level performance in any endeavor. DJ’s life is one marked by extraordinary strivings, wins, setbacks and comebacks that together have shaped his approach to overcoming challenges of all kinds and to daily life. DJ explains a regimen of clear, practical steps and a mental stance that can allow anyone—male, female, young or old—to build extreme resilience of mind and body and to be successful in family and work. We also discuss his experience with new, emerging treatments for addiction, PTSD and depression that many people, not just veterans, are benefiting from. The tools DJ describes to “stack small wins” and to be ultra-intentional about your mindset will be of immense benefit to anyone wishing to achieve the best version of themselves.

Read the episode show notes at hubermanlab.com.

Thank you to our sponsors

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Timestamps

(0:00) DJ Shipley

(4:03) Mental & Physical Health, Tools: Morning Routine & Micro-wins

(8:35) Balancing Work & Family, Tools: Compartmentalization, "Control the Controllable"

(13:46) Sponsors: Rorra & BetterHelp

(16:25) Phones, Social Media vs Focus, Negativity, Tool: Consistency & Sleep

(23:05) Routine & Stressors, Exercise & Benefits, Tool: Morning Workout

(29:24) Body Awareness, Hurt vs Injury

(33:53) Physical Injury & Rehab; Exercise; Mobility, Tool: 5-Day Workout Program

(44:26) Sponsors: AGZ by AG1 & Eight Sleep

(47:29) Skateboarding, Career, Navy SEAL, BUD/S & Embracing Discomfort

(56:13) BUD/S, Motivation & Mental Resilience

(1:02:18) Navy SEALs, Iraq War & Casualties, Compartmentalization

(1:08:41) Public Press; Extortion 17, Operation Red Wings; Death of Friends

(1:16:25) High Performers, Social Media Negativity & Legacy

(1:19:37) Sponsor: Function

(1:21:24) Family Legacy, Military & Purpose, Navy SEAL Culture, Wife & Relationship

(1:30:10) Second Deployment, Helplessness & Trauma, Inspiration & Reverence

(1:38:30) Skydiving, Injury & Mental Resilience; Medical Retirement & Addiction

(1:49:17) Art Therapy, Skateboarding, Electrocution & Recovery

(2:00:57) Physical Recovery, Trainer Vernon Griffith

(2:04:38) Miracles, Higher Power; Work & Life Tension

(2:12:52) Sponsor: ROKA

(2:14:39) Physical & Mental Posture, Suicide, Depression, Tool: Control the Controllable

(2:21:22) Suicide, Mental Health & Darkest Hour, Ibogaine, 5-MeO-DMT

(2:31:18) Ibogaine & Empathy, 5-MeO-DMT & Ego Death; Returning Home, Tool: Dials Not Switches

(2:42:42) Psychedelics, Mental Health Plasticity; Veterans' Solutions, Addiction

(2:50:39) Medical Ibogaine, Anger, Numbing Out & Hate; Dogs

(3:03:42) GBRS Program, High Standards, Functional Fitness, Tool: Fitness Test

(3:17:50) Self-Care, Longevity & Fitness, GBRS Program

(3:24:45) Self-Respect, Tools: 20-Minute Walk & Relationships; Micro-wins

(3:32:57) Acknowledgements, American Flag Hat, Patriotism

(3:40:00) Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow, Reviews & Feedback, Sponsors, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter

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