Navigating the Complexities of Stress

This episode explains what stress is, and how it recruits our brain and body to react in specific ways. I describe the three main types of stress, and how two of them actually enhance the function of our immune system making us less vulnerable to infections. I review tools that allow us to control our stress in real-time, as well as tools to prevent long-term stress, burnout and stress-induced illness and anxiety. As always, we cover behavioral tools and supplements that can assist or hinder stress control.

Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com.

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Timestamps

00:00:00 Introduction  

00:00:31 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up  

00:04:41 Emotions: A Logical Framework of Brain-Body Loops  

00:10:29 Stress: The (Falsely Narrow) Animal Attack Narrative  

00:14:31 The Stress RESPONSE: Generic, Channels blood, Biases Action  

00:21:08 Tools to Actually Control Stress: Reduce Alertness or Increase Calm  

00:24:15 The Fastest Way to Reduce Stress In Real Time: “Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia”  

00:29:45 The Fastlane to Calm  

00:34:53 Important Notes About Heart Rate Deceleration: Vaso-vagal Lag  

00:36:50 Cyclic Sighing For Calm and Sleep Induction  

00:37:57 Nasal Breathing For Cosmetic, Immune and Performance Enhancement  

00:38:46 Two Breathing Centers In The Brain  

00:39:45 Breathing For Speaking Clearly  

00:40:39 The 3 Types of Stress: Short, Medium and Long-Term  

00:42:10 Positive Effects of Short-Term Stress: Immunity and Focus  

00:45:32 Adrenalin (Epinephrine) Deploys Killer Immune Cells  

00:46:40 Cyclic Deep Breathing IS Stress: Wim Hof, Tummo & Super-Oxygenation  

00:50:58 Inflammation Is Useful and Good, In the Short Term  

00:52:02 Procrastination and Self-Manufactured Nootropics  

00:53:00 Relaxation Can Cause Illness  

00:54:30 Immune Activation Protocol  

00:55:20 Medium Term Stress: A Clear Definition  

00:56:07 Stress Threshold  

00:57:10 Stress Inoculation Tools: Separating Mind & Body, On Purpose  

00:59:50 Use Vision to Calm the Mind When the Body Is Agitated  

01:02:36 Beyond NSDR  

01:04:36 Long Term Stress: Definition, Measurement, Cardiovascular Risks  

01:06:30 Tools for Dealing With Long Term Stress  

01:08:20 The Oxytocin Myth  

01:09:15 Serotonin: Satiety, Safety  

01:12:00 Delight and Flexibility  

01:13:30 Chemical Irritants We Make But Can Control: Tackykinin  

01:15:40 Impactful Gratitude  

01:16:25 Non-Prescription Chemical Compounds For Additional Anti-Stress Support  

01:18:04 Melatonin: Cautionary Note About Adrenal Suppression  

01:19:15 Adrenal Burnout Is A Myth… But Why You Need to Know About It Anyway  

01:21:10 L-Theanine For Stress Reduction and Task Completion Anxiety  

01:23:00 Beware Taurine and Energy Drinks With Taurine  

01:23:30 Ashwagandha: Can Powerfully Lower Anxiety And Cortisol  

01:25:50 Examine.com Is An Amazing Free Resource  

01:26:20 How This All Relates to Emotions: State Versus Demand = Valence  

01:32:00 Modulating Reactivity, Mindfulness, & Functionality With Objective Tools  

01:34:00 Next Steps  

01:35:40 Topic Suggestions, Subscriptions and Reviews Please  

01:37:40 Additional Resources, Synthesis  

Disclaimer & Disclosures