Behaviors

Use language to label the emotion you are feeling, especially when angry or emotionally activated; described as a first step for controlling emotions and increasing distress tolerance.

When distressed, deliberately generate additional emotional perspectives rather than only tolerating or suppressing the dominant emotion; described as a fundamental part of emotional intelligence and resilience.

When depressed after a breakup or similar event, deliberately remember the positive experiences and benefits that came from the relationship rather than only catastrophizing.

When highly excited about a new relationship, business idea, or opportunity, deliberately generate some caution or anxiety by asking what could go wrong.

Feel emotions authentically, but do not equate emotion with behavior or let emotion dictate action; instead ask what the emotion is telling you.

Use fear as information by asking what it is telling you, what motivation it is signaling, and what it is telling you to do, rather than simply asking what you are afraid of.

Meditate on shunya, meaning void or emptiness, to connect with the most basic part of self beneath roles and ego; techniques mentioned include focusing on emptiness in the solar plexus, attending to the stillness between breaths, and catching the transition between inhale and exhale.

When sad or grieving, practice stepping back and observing the sadness rather than becoming identified with it.

If recovering from addiction, do not keep hanging out in environments associated with the addictive behavior, such as bars.

Deliberately structure your external environment to support your goals and recovery, while not becoming dependent on it for emotional stability.

In yoga nidra or similar hypno-yogic states, implant a concise resolve or being statement to reprogram subconscious tendencies and guide behavior; one example given for trauma work is 'I deserve to be whole' rather than 'I am whole.'

Described as the first stage of nadi shuddhi pranayam and recommended as a physiologically grounded breathing practice to explore; later the guest suggests trying a ratio of inhale 8 seconds, hold 32 seconds, exhale 16 seconds.

Beliefs do not change through repeatedly saying positive phrases at a superficial level; neuroplasticity does not work that way.

Try to observe yourself falling asleep and catch the exact transition into sleep; described as a difficult but powerful meditation technique.

Avoid social media when emotionally vulnerable or feeling bad, and avoid it in the hour before bed or anywhere near bedtime; the guest says vulnerability increases salience and susceptibility to being programmed, while bedtime use can make you miss your sleep window and reduce the frontal-lobe function needed to stop scrolling and fall asleep. Less overall use is better.

The guest does not say all pornography is bad, but warns that modern pornography is increasingly addictive, emotionally engaging, and associated with erectile dysfunction and parasocial attachment; avoid OnlyFans-style parasocial pornography, do not use pornography for emotional regulation, and avoid second-screen/background pornography consumption.

Prepubescent exposure to pornography is described as a strong risk factor for later pornography addiction.

The guest warns that heavy AI use may increase paranoia or psychosis risk in some people and says he now screens patients for AI use; proposed risk factors mentioned include high usage, using AI for mental health issues, over-customizing it through prompt engineering, and believing its answers are far superior to humans.

Use low-stimulation or boring breaks rather than engaging breaks between demanding cognitive tasks to make it easier to reengage in hard work.

Artificial sweeteners do not activate the gut-brain sugar-sensing pathway and therefore will not satisfy sugar cravings the way sugar does.

Get tested for BRCA mutations, especially if there is a family history of cancer; testing is now widely available and inexpensive.

Minimize exposure to known mutagenic or carcinogenic chemicals such as paints, thinners, laboratory carcinogens, and pesticides.

General principle: less radiation exposure seems better. Avoid unnecessary X-rays, and if traveling often, consider choosing a manual pat-down instead of an airport scanner; when you need an X-ray, you need an X-ray, but avoid optional exposure.

Spend a couple hours a week inspecting the mind and paying attention to what is happening mentally. If interesting thoughts, dreams, or ideas arise, capture them immediately with brief notes or voice memos during the day so they are not lost.

Meditation-related curriculum for preschool children; one exercise involves listening to a bell until the sound disappears.

For 3- to 4-year-olds: ring a bell, have them listen to the sound, and raise their hand when they no longer hear it.

When starting meditation, expect a statistically reliable increase in anxiety in the first week. This is framed as normal and even useful evidence that you are noticing the chaos of the mind; continue practicing rather than quitting.

Use meals as a regular daily cue for practice. Before eating, spend 30 to 90 seconds in appreciation, reflecting on all the people it took to have food on your plate and on your interdependence with them.

Take digital hygiene seriously and cultivate a healthier relationship with digital devices. Practices mentioned include feeling your phone in your pocket without taking it out unless needed, keeping phones off the table during meetings, putting the phone in a different room for normal cognitive focus, creating phone-free environments for study, workouts, and possibly the bedroom, and even turning the phone off for long periods.

If sleepy during meditation, make sleepiness itself the object of awareness. Do not fight it; notice what sleepiness feels like and investigate it with curiosity.