How to Prevent and Release Needless Anxiety: Talk with Dr. Rick Hanson

Anxiety is a normal human experience - we all feel anxious or afraid sometimes - but excessive or chronic anxiety can wear us down and be detrimental to our long-term happiness and health. Plus, many of us are anxious about things that we don’t actually need to be anxious about.
In my Wednesday meditation and talk from April 3, I shared some ideas on how to prevent and release needless anxiety.
Some key points that I covered this week are:
- We can feel undisturbed, undefended, and uncontracted in the moment - which is what we meditated on (see the meditation here: rickhanson.com...)
- In order to receive the present moment without fear, we have to recognize that the brain is a prediction machine and can be stuck in predictions, especially regarding fear.
- The scientific understanding of how the brain generalizes fear, including the biological and neurological mechanisms involved.
- Strategies for preventing and managing overgeneralized fear, including mindfulness, self-compassion, and self-awareness practices.
I hope you find it helpful. You are welcome to join my free Wednesday Meditations - which are open to everyone - by signing up for free, here: rickhanson.com...
You can see the meditation that went along with this talk, here: rickhanson.com...

[@carolinaacastro2516]

Thanks for the lecture Rick, really appreciate you!

[@manideli2662]

Rick, you and Tara Brach are God gifts to me!

[@kriskelley3562]

I just missed it live session, but at least I get it here

[@lmansur1000]

Very helpful episode - grounded and realistic. Thank you!

[@rjtmsc]

This is how college lectures should be

[@gyans.tomasic6134]

Thank you for the cortisol switch flipping in Headline No 1, using the example of a dental visit. It was just what I needed to hear as I contemplate a long delayed dental visit. The fee alone releases a bit of cortisol. I will have to feel my toes to get grounded here.

[@didirogakos8855]

Loved this...and moved that you acknowledged the little beings in the study. I feel sorrow for them, too. Thank you.

[@susanfalcon8716]

Thank you

[@annwilbert57]

Love this one. Thank you. I'm trying to think about how I can use these techniques when the anxiety and fear seems to be based about nothing but worry about not feeling good, as though it's coming from nowhere.

[@babygonda1226]

We acquired that unnecessary fear after the 3rd vac..

[@staleyexplores]

Needless anxiety is my life…it’s really 😞.

[@staleyexplores]

Ok I will try these things.

[@babygonda1226]

Sorry for the mices...

[@staleyexplores]

Why gaba instead of glutamate?

[@staleyexplores]

In the q and a section dr Hansen discusses this more..

[@Alphacentauri819]

Glutamate is excitatory and GABA is inhibitory. Connect that to anxiety

[@staleyexplores]

So we have to learn to control cortisol so that means? Coping mechanisms?

[@staleyexplores]

Yes think so but also overriding fear and anxiety too I reckon. Climb on dr. Hansen!

[@Alphacentauri819]

@@staleyexploresit’s not overriding fear, anxiety, but instead changing your thoughts, habits that feed those…and when fear, anxiety come up, you can feel it and release it. When we try to “over-ride” it it feeds the “what you resist persists”. Learn to reset your nervous system. Parasympathetic reset is very powerful. When the parasympathetic system is activated your cortisol system (sympathetic nervous system) turns off. Breathing with longer exhales is one simple one you can do anywhere. We often don’t exhale long enough…exhaling triggers parasympathetic activation.

[@staleyexplores]

@@Alphacentauri819 I have a lot to apply within my life to do this, ty for these kind words friend.

[@Alphacentauri819]

@@staleyexplores you’re welcome! It’s been a long journey of learning for me, and I’m still figuring it out :) I have developed (over years) a routine of bookending my day with calming activities. How we start and end the day is powerful, how to affects our mindset, anxiety,etc. I wake up and do a 5-15 min yoga, and occasionally I write/meditate for 5min/5min. Short, doable and powerful. So much healthier for our nervous system than news, social media, and the like. I do a midday yoga. I try to get outside once a day, no phone (except if I take an occasional picture of nature). I end my day with a 10 minute guided sleep meditation. It has made a huge difference. Shifting to an intentional awareness of how I could assist my nervous system to be more calm, throughout the day, has changed my life. I hope for you peace, light, and comfort 💫

[@NaniLata_A2]

How lucky we are to have your talks!!! Thanks a trillion.

[@babygonda1226]

Id like to name it as disorder not anxiety...

[@annaward9178]

I hope your wife can take in you’re wisdom and expertise 😊

[@babygonda1226]

Meditate about the vaccine

[@complexlittlepirate3589]

As a vegan I sincerely thank you for expressing your awareness and sorrow about the mice whose lives were sacrificed against their will for the research to be done. Every animal's life is everything to them.

[@chrisharris6462]

7:18 'shrink behind the bars of our invisible cage' avoidant behavior to a 't!' Ask me how I know. 17:46 sounds like existential dread.

[@staleyexplores]

Ozempic for cortisol?

[@vimalaeru5640]

Such a to the point talk - so wise and wonderful guide

[@joanasaad915]

Love your talks but I believe God has created us in His image and likeness! We are fearfully and wonderfully made.

[@casario2808]

I tend to believe that "God" would not suffer from health anxiety lol