Science-Based Tools for When You’re Stressed, Obsessed, or Overthinking | Dr. Jenny Taitz
Feb 12, 2024
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Dr. Jenny Taitz, a clinical psychologist and UCLA professor, shares her expertise on managing stress and anxiety. She discusses the critical difference between stress and anxiety, and the importance of understanding their roots. Taitz explores how to prepare for stressful situations and even suggests embracing panic attacks as a learning experience. Practical tools for quick stress resets are shared, alongside insights on overcoming negative beliefs and the value of acceptance for a meaningful life.
Labeling your state of mind as emotion, reasonable, or wise can provide clarity and aid decision-making.
Body reset technique: Submerging face in ice water for 30 seconds activates vagus nerve and calms the mind.
Singing negative thoughts to a tune can weaken their hold and remind you they are not absolute truths.
Deep dives
Acknowledge Your State of Mind
One stress reset is to recognize and label the state of mind you are in – emotion mind, reasonable mind, or wise mind. By labeling our state of mind, we can gain clarity and make better decisions.
Cool Down Literally
A body reset involves cooling down by holding your breath and submerging your face in ice water for 30 seconds. This activates the vagus nerve, slows the heart rate, and redirects blood flow to essential organs, providing a quick reset for the body and mind.
Sing Your Thoughts
To diffuse negative thoughts and play with them, try singing them to a familiar tune. Singing your thoughts can lessen their grip and remind you that thoughts are simply combinations of letters and sounds, not absolute truths.
Tip Technique: Temperature, Intense Exercise, Paste Breathing, Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Another body reset technique is the TIP technique, which involves changing your body's chemistry to reset stress. This technique includes using temperature (such as ice face exercise), engaging in intense exercise (like squat jumps or burpees), practicing paced breathing (inhaling and exhaling for five seconds each), and trying progressive muscle relaxation (tensing and releasing muscles). These techniques can quickly reset the body and mind during times of stress or intense urges.
Releasing Stress and Cultivating a Willing Attitude
One of the main points discussed in the podcast is the importance of releasing stress and tension in the body. The speaker suggests a combination of four exercises, such as tensing and releasing muscles, to help stop rumination and change bodily responses in high-stress situations. Another key idea highlighted is the concept of cultivating a willing attitude. The speaker emphasizes the importance of approaching life with willingness rather than willfulness, accepting and embracing the present moment. This includes being open to feedback, acting counter to negative core beliefs, and preparing in advance to handle stressful situations.
Untangling Negative Core Beliefs and Building Resilience
The podcast explores the significance of untangling negative core beliefs and building resilience. Negative core beliefs, formed from past experiences and upbringing, can impact how individuals view themselves and the world. The speaker encourages identifying these beliefs and understanding how they affect behaviors. Acting in ways that transcend negative core beliefs and counteract them is crucial for personal growth. The practice of coping ahead and mindfulness is emphasized, allowing individuals to prepare for challenging situations and respond differently to trigger events. The podcast also highlights the effectiveness of opposite action, where individuals act opposite to unhelpful emotions or beliefs to create positive change.
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Simple tools you can knit into your life both for when you’re actively freaking out, and for preventing future trips down the anxiety toilet.
Dr. Jenny Taitz is a clinical psychologist and an assistant clinical professor in psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Taitz completed her fellowship in psychology at Yale University School of Medicine and achieved board certifications in both cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy. Her new book, Stress Resets: How to Soothe Your Body and Mind in Minutes, is out now.
In this episode we talk about:
The difference between stress and anxiety
Jenny’s take on the use of benzodiazepines
What she means by, “negative core beliefs”, and how to untangle ourselves from them
How to prepare in advance for stressful situations
The benefit of giving yourself a deliberate panic attack
And why stress, while uncomfortable, is actually part of a healthy and meaningful life
