Neuroscientist Dr. Jud Brewer discusses unwinding anxiety by understanding habit loops, using mindfulness tools, and accessing brain's wisdom. Explore rise of anxiety in society, breaking habit loops, mindfulness practices, and non-attachment. Learn how to overcome test anxiety with curiosity, kindness, and self-regulation. Discover the importance of shared human experiences for well-being.
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Quick takeaways
Understanding the habit loop of anxiety is crucial to breaking free from worrying patterns.
Anxiety arises from the intertwining of fear and planning, leading to heightened stress and cognitive disruption.
Practicing mindfulness tools like curiosity and compassion can shift focus from anxiety to growth and resilience.
Deep dives
Understanding Anxiety in Times of Uncertainty
In times of uncertainty, anxiety levels have spiked significantly, leading to feelings of learned helplessness for many individuals. This anxiety epidemic has been exacerbated by repeated rounds of uncertainty due to various global events. People are giving up in the face of overwhelming anxiety, feeling that their brains are fried. The normalization of anxiety due to its prevalence has created a sense of togetherness in facing this common challenge.
Definition and Mechanism of Anxiety
Anxiety is defined as the feeling of nervousness or unease about uncertain future events, essentially a fear of the future. This fear arises as a mix of two survival mechanisms in our brains - fear and planning. While fear is a helpful survival tool, planning for the future can amplify this fear, leading to excessive worrying and spiraling thoughts. Anxiety often stems from this intertwining of fear and planning, creating a cycle of heightened stress and cognitive disruption.
Breaking the Habit Loop of Anxiety
Anxiety is driven by habitual behaviors, where the feeling of anxiety triggers the mental habit of worrying. This worrying perpetuates the cycle of anxiety, as our brains seek reward from feeling in control or occupied. By being aware of this habit loop and realizing the lack of true benefits from worrying, individuals can start to break free from this pattern. Introducing tools like curiosity and compassion alongside awareness can shift the focus from spinning out in anxiety to fostering growth and resilience.
Rethinking Mindfulness Practice
The podcast episode discusses rethinking mindfulness practice by introducing the concept of 'short moments many times' based on Tibetan Buddhism. It emphasizes forming habits through repetition and being aware in the present moment rather than focusing on long meditation sessions. The speaker highlights the idea of cultivating curiosity as a powerful tool for mindfulness practice, drawing parallels to the practice of microdosing psychedelics in psychiatry.
RAIN Practice and Self-Compassion
The episode explores the RAIN practice, an acronym for Recognition, Acceptance, Investigation, and Noting, as a tool to cultivate mindfulness and curiosity. It delves into how curiosity can shift habitual behaviors like worry, anxiety, and shame. Additionally, the importance of self-compassion in managing anxiety and trauma is discussed, emphasizing the value of being kind to oneself to break free from negative thought patterns and cultivating a growth mindset.
Neuroscientist and addiction expert Dr. Judson Brewer unveils a practical, evidence-based approach to transforming your relationship with anxiety.
Learn how to "unwind" worry and fear by understanding the habit loop of anxiety, applying mindfulness tools, and accessing your brain's innate wisdom. Discover why anxiety persists and how retraining your brain can create more ease and joy, drawing from Jud's research and bestselling book, Unwinding Anxiety: New Science Shows How to Break the Cycles of Worry and Fear to Heal Your Mind.