Podcast Summary
Exploring the Science of Anxiety and Our Relationship to It: Anxiety is natural but our relationship to it can lead to problems. Learn techniques to work with the 'tab cycle' and manage anxiety through the Taming Anxiety Challenge.
Anxiety is a common experience, and while it's not a problem in and of itself, our relationship to it can be. In this episode of the 10% Happier podcast, host Dan Harris welcomes back Dr. Luana Marquez, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and the president of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Together, they dive into the science of anxiety and discuss what it is, why it's not a problem on its own, and how our relationship to it can cause issues. Dr. Marquez explains the concept of the "tab cycle" and how to work with it, as well as the short-term benefits and long-term consequences of avoiding things that cause us anxiety. They also take listener voicemails and answer questions about anxiety-induced phobias. Additionally, Dan announces the Taming Anxiety Challenge, a free 10-day program available through the 10% Happier app, which combines clinical insights from Dr. Marquez with meditation expertise from Leslie Booker. The challenge starts on June 21 and provides daily videos, guided meditations, and reminders to help participants learn to manage their anxiety.
Anxiety: Overestimation of threat and underestimation of ability: Recognize cognitive distortions, challenge them, and reframe in a positive light. Anxiety is a natural response trying to protect us.
Anxiety is an overestimation of threat and an underestimation of our ability to handle it, which can lead to the activation of our amygdala and the shutting down of our prefrontal cortex. This response is a natural survival mechanism, but when we relate to it unwisely, it can lead to cognitive distortions, where we believe our anxious thoughts are facts and imagine the worst-case scenario. It's important to recognize that everyone experiences cognitive distortions, and the key is not to take them as facts but to challenge them and reframe them in a more realistic and positive light. Anxiety, while often seen as negative, is trying to protect us and can be a positive signal to pause and deal with underlying issues.
Examine your thoughts critically: Pausing, writing down thoughts, and questioning cognitive distortions can help reduce negative emotions and improve mental well-being.
Recognizing and challenging cognitive distortions is essential for managing negative emotions and improving mental well-being. To do this, we need to pause, ask ourselves what we're thinking, and examine the thoughts critically. Writing down our thoughts can help slow down our thinking and engage the prefrontal cortex. By activating our prefrontal cortex, we can reduce the influence of emotional responses in our brain and bring a more balanced perspective to our thoughts. This process of self-reflection and questioning can help us break free from unhelpful thought patterns and improve our overall mental health.
Enhance self-awareness and reduce anxiety through meditation: Meditation builds the foundation for calmness and self-awareness, improving our ability to recognize cognitive distortions and relate to anxiety differently.
Meditation plays a crucial role in enhancing self-awareness and reducing anxiety by allowing the brain to slow down. This self-awareness is not only beneficial for recognizing cognitive distortions but also for engaging with the world in a calmer manner. Meditation does not instantly make us calm, but it creates the foundation for calmness over time. Furthermore, the ability to focus during meditation, which is associated with attention regulation in the brain, decreases anxiety and helps us relate to it differently. By consistently practicing meditation, we are building the muscle for self-awareness and calmness, making us better equipped to handle anxiety and other stressors in our daily lives.
Changing our relationship with anxiety: Recognize anxiety as a natural response, not a problem. Change perspective to stay calm and focused, practice present moment awareness to reduce anxiety levels.
Our relationship with anxiety matters. Anxiety itself is not the problem, but rather the stories we tell ourselves about it can make it worse. When we label our feelings as anxiety and then feed that anxiety with more negative thoughts, we can get caught in a cycle that amplifies our anxiety. Instead, we can try to change our relationship with anxiety by recognizing that it's just our body preparing for something, not necessarily predicting something bad. This can help us stay calm and focused, rather than getting overwhelmed by our thoughts. Additionally, practicing dropping into our bodies and focusing on the present moment can help us break free from the swirling stories in our heads and reduce our overall anxiety levels.
Practice the Tab cycle in moments of anxiety: In anxiety, pause to observe physiological reactions, identify thoughts, and challenge their validity using the Tab cycle for effective response.
In moments of anxiety, practicing the Tab cycle can help us better understand and manage our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. By taking a pause to observe our physiological reactions, identify specific thoughts, and consider the validity and reliability of those thoughts, we can slow down our brain and break the cycle of anxiety. The Tab cycle is a valuable tool drawn from cognitive behavior therapy that allows us to approach skills in a practical way, even in the heat of the moment. Instead of reacting impulsively to anxiety-provoking situations, we can use the Tab cycle to become detectives of our own thoughts, challenge their validity, and respond in a more mindful and effective way.
The Tab Cycle: thoughts, emotions, behaviors: Pausing before reacting helps engage thinking mind instead of emotional one. Approaching fears instead of avoiding them helps manage anxiety.
Understanding the connection between our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, particularly in response to stressors like emails or texts, can help us make more intentional choices. The Tab Cycle, consisting of thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, often occurs without us consciously linking them. Pausing before reacting allows us to engage with a clearer, thinking mind instead of an emotional one. Avoidance, another common behavior, may provide short-term relief but reinforces anxiety and makes it harder to face the source of fear in the long run. Instead, we should aim to approach and challenge our fears to help our brains learn that anxiety can be tolerated and managed.
Balancing fear and control for anxiety management: Find a middle ground between approaching fears and maintaining control for effective anxiety management. Gradually face fears with patience and persistence for greater mental and emotional well-being.
Managing anxiety involves finding a balance between approaching fears and maintaining control. This approach, known as comfortably uncomfortable, is based on exposure therapy principles. It's important to avoid complete comfort, as we don't learn in that state, but also to avoid complete discomfort, which can lead to panic and catastrophic outcomes. Instead, we should find a middle ground where we can stay with our fears long enough to learn that nothing terrible will happen. This idea of comfortably uncomfortable allows us to gradually face our fears and build resilience against anxiety. It's a process that requires patience and persistence, but ultimately leads to greater mental and emotional well-being.
Confronting and overcoming fears through exposure therapy: Exposure therapy involves repeatedly facing uncomfortable situations to overcome phobias, with guidance from a therapist to enhance habituation and cognitive reframing. Progress may take multiple sessions or prolonged engagement.
Exposure therapy, such as repeatedly entering an uncomfortable situation like being stuck in an elevator, can help individuals overcome their phobias through a combination of habituation and cognitive reframing. The therapist's guidance, including focusing on bodily sensations and examining thoughts, can enhance the effectiveness of the therapy. It may take multiple sessions or prolonged engagement for significant progress. While some may be able to overcome their fears on their own, working with a professional therapist can provide valuable insights and support. Ultimately, the goal is to confront and overcome the worst-case scenarios that trigger our fears, allowing us to live more balanced and fulfilling lives.
Balancing self-help and professional help for anxiety: Recognize normal anxiety, but seek help for excessive fear and avoidance. Effective treatments are available, and self-compassion and support can lead to improvement.
Managing anxiety, especially during uncertain times like the ongoing pandemic, involves a balance between self-help and seeking professional help. While some people may be able to practice resilience-building skills on their own, others may benefit from treatment, particularly if they've been avoiding social situations for an extended period. It's important to recognize that some anxiety is normal, but excessive fear and avoidance can worsen conditions like social phobia. Effective treatments are available, and seeking help can lead to significant improvement. Overall, the key is to practice self-compassion, allow for uncertainty, and seek support when needed.
Maintaining Emotional Stability During Loved One's Anxiety: Recognize and regulate your emotions during loved one's anxiety to prevent an emotional spiral and effectively support them.
During anxious situations, it's crucial to ensure that you, as a partner, maintain emotional stability to effectively help your loved one manage their anxiety. This means regulating your own emotions first. When someone's anxiety sparks a reaction in you, it's essential to recognize this and take a step back to prevent an anxiety spiral. Additionally, Whole Foods offers various solutions for hosting a perfect brunch, including high-quality eggs and catering options. Audible provides an extensive selection of audio books, including thrilling crime mysteries and thrillers, for entertainment. For those dealing with anxiety, practicing self-regulation and maintaining emotional stability is key to supporting a loved one during anxious moments.
Effective communication and understanding are key in managing anxiety and depression: Listening, validating feelings, acknowledging emotions, and empathizing can help reduce anxiety and potentially prevent depression
Effective communication and understanding are crucial in managing anxiety and depression. Anxiety and depression often co-occur, and it's essential to listen and validate feelings before attempting to provide solutions. Avoiding anxiety by rushing to fix problems can actually make the situation worse. Instead, acknowledging and empathizing with the person's emotions can help reduce anxiety and potentially prevent depression. It's also important to remember that the cause-and-effect relationship between anxiety and depression is complex and not always clear-cut.
Understanding the Connection Between Anxiety, Depression, and Physical Health: Cognitive therapy skills can help treat anxiety and depression, which often co-occur and share symptoms like sleep disturbances. Being sensitive can increase vulnerability, and individuals with anxiety disorders may be more prone to physical illnesses. The complex relationship between anxiety and physical health requires more research.
Anxiety and depression often co-occur, and they share common symptoms such as sleep disturbances. The skills taught in this course, like cognitive therapy, can help treat both conditions. Being sensitive, or emotionally receptive, can increase vulnerability to anxiety and depression. Research suggests that individuals with anxiety disorders are more likely to develop physical illnesses, such as GI conditions and respiratory problems, compared to those without anxiety disorders. The relationship between anxiety and physical illness is complex, and more research is needed to fully understand it. It's important to be aware of the stories we tell ourselves and the filters we use, as they can impact our perception of reality and contribute to anxiety and depression. Living with anxiety for a long time can have negative health consequences.
Anxiety's Impact on Physical Health: The Gut-Brain Connection: Anxiety can lead to digestive issues, including stomach pain and pre-ulcer diagnoses. Consider the role of anxiety in physical symptoms and practice mindfulness techniques to manage anxiety and alleviate stomach issues.
Anxiety disorders can have a long-term impact on our physical health, specifically our digestive system. This gut-brain connection is becoming increasingly evident, as new data suggests that anxiety can lead to GI trouble. This was personally experienced by the speaker during a stressful house move, which resulted in stomach issues and a pre-ulcer diagnosis. This phenomenon is not unique to certain cultures, as many people, especially those from Latino backgrounds, may express stomach pain instead of acknowledging anxiety. Therefore, it's essential to consider the potential role of anxiety in physical symptoms and explore ways to calm the mind to alleviate stomach issues. Additionally, for those facing anxiety during medical procedures or waiting for test results, it's important to remember that anxiety is normal and practicing mindfulness techniques, such as meditation, can help manage anxiety in real-time.
Focus on facts and the present moment during uncertain times: During uncertain times, focus on facts, the present moment, and activating the thinking brain to minimize worst-case scenarios.
During uncertain times, especially when facing a potential medical diagnosis with a worst-case scenario, it's essential to face reality and minimize feeding the brain with worst-case scenarios. Luana Marques, a psychologist, suggests focusing on facts and the present moment, such as the best care being provided and the current situation. Additionally, she recommends activating the thinking brain by describing the room or environment to avoid dwelling on worst-case scenarios. Luana's book, "Almost Anxious," provides further skills and techniques based on cognitive behavioral therapy to build resilience. For more information, visit DrLuana.com and join her free course, Mental Health for All. The Taming Anxiety Challenge, starting June 21st in the 10% Happier app, can help put these skills into practice. Listen to more expert interviews and join the community at 10% Happier.
A Safe Haven with a Dark Side: The city of Pura promises safety and security, but hides a darker side in 'The Last City'.
Pura, a city promoted in the scripted audio series "The Last City," offers a safe and climate-stable haven from the world's disasters, with no crime and no cost to join. The Chief Excursion Officer, who is a Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business American Express card member and a frequent traveler, finds refuge in this city amidst the chaos and destruction outside. However, the promise of safety comes with a darker side, as shown in the series through phrases like "I killed her! You took everything!" and "Here, impure." Despite these ominous hints, the city of Pura remains an alluring prospect for those seeking safety and security. Listeners can immerse themselves in the story of The Last City by starting a free trial on Wondery.com or through the Wondery app.
