Good Life Project Ultimate Stress and Anxiety Hack: Flip Your Body’s Safety Switch! | Stephen Porges, Ph.D. and Seth Porges
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Mar 17, 2025 
Stephen Porges is a pioneering neuroscientist known for the polyvagal theory, while his son Seth Porges is a journalist and science communicator. Together, they dive into how our sense of safety influences health and creativity. They unpack the role of the vagus nerve in emotional communication and discuss innovative strategies to flip your body's safety switch to combat stress and anxiety. The duo emphasizes the importance of nurturing safe environments and strong social connections to enhance well-being and resilience.
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Safety is Subjective
- Feeling safe is crucial for well-being, but it's about how safe our body feels, not actual safety.
- Our nervous system's definition of safety differs from society's, impacting our health.
Trauma's Physiological Basis
- People can experience the same event differently; trauma is a physiological response, not just external events.
- Shaming someone for their trauma response is harmful, as their physiology has shifted into a state of defense.
Vagus Nerve and Social Interaction
- The vagus nerve connects the brainstem to organs, acting as a conduit for different signals.
- Positive social interaction is the most effective way to activate the vagus nerve and promote safety.
