How to Overcome Social Anxiety | Dr. Nick Epley

Dr. Nick Epley, PhD, is a professor of behavioral science at the University of Chicago and a leading expert on the science of social connection. We discuss how seemingly small daily interactions with strangers (as well as with people we know) can meaningfully improve our mental and physical health. Dr. Epley also explains how to reduce social anxiety using simple and easily accessible science-supported tools. We also discuss the data on assumptions — both the ones we and others make — and why so often those are wrong when it comes to social dynamics. Show notes: https://go.hubermanlab.com/NaH2OiO Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman Wealthfront*: https://wealthfront.com/huberman Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/huberman Function: https://functionhealth.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Follow Huberman Lab Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hubermanlab Threads: https://www.threads.net/@hubermanlab X: https://x.com/hubermanlab Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hubermanlab TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hubermanlab LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-huberman Website: https://www.hubermanlab.com Newsletter: https://www.hubermanlab.com/newsletter Timestamps 00:00:00 Nick Epley 00:02:29 Assumptions about Other Thoughts; Inferring Behavior 00:09:03 Eye Gaze, Social Cues 00:14:27 Sponsors: Wealthfront & Eight Sleep 00:17:18 Tone, Voice vs Writing; AI; Public Figures & Ambiguity 00:29:59 Importance of Social Connection, Communication Types 00:37:18 Social Isolation, Self-Worth 00:42:33 Sponsor: AG1 00:44:16 Social Media, Conversation & Responsiveness 00:47:52 Social Connection & Cooperation; Adopted Children 00:57:04 Connecting with Strangers, Manners 01:02:52 Fear of Strangers, Tool: Small Moments for Connection 01:08:50 Sponsor: Function 01:10:28 Connection to Humanity, Strangers; Extroversion & Well-Being 01:22:26 Social Anxiety & Changing Beliefs; 100 Days of Rejection 01:33:52 Perceived Creepiness, Social Anxiety; Developing Social Skills 01:41:40 Sponsor: LMNT 01:43:00 Initiating Conversation, Testing Cues, Pessimistic Expectations 01:47:00 Social Gatherings; Blessings of Children with Down Syndrome 01:59:43 Parents, Shame, Children Challenges; Supporting Kids’ Pursuits 02:09:17 Outdoors, Hunters, Conservation, Social Connection 02:17:39 Modeling Social Interactions for Kids, Tool: Habits Awareness 02:27:42 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow, Reviews & Feedback, Sponsors, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter *This experience may not be representative of other Wealthfront clients, and there is no guarantee of future performance or success. Experiences will vary. Andrew Huberman receives cash compensation from Wealthfront Brokerage for paid testimonials in his podcast, creating a conflict of interest. The Cash Account, which is not a deposit account, is offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Wealthfront Brokerage is not a bank. The base APY is 3.30% on cash deposits as of January 30, 2026, is representative, subject to change, and requires no minimum. If eligible for the overall boosted rate of 4.05% offered in connection with this promo, your boosted rate is also subject to change if the base rate decreases during the 3 month promo period. Additional terms and conditions apply, which can be found on Wealthfront.com/Huberman. Funds in the Cash Account are swept to program banks, where it earns the variable APY. Same-day withdrawal or instant payment transfers may be limited by destination institutions, daily transaction caps, and by participating entities such as Wells Fargo, the RTP® Network, and FedNow® Service. New Cash Account deposits are subject to a 2-4 day holding period before becoming available for transfer. Investment advisory services are provided by Wealthfront Advisers LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Securities investments: not bank deposits, bank-guaranteed or FDIC-insured, and may lose value. #hubermanlab Disclaimer & Disclosures: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer

Dr. Nick EpleyguestAndrew Hubermanhost

May 18, 20262h 30mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: May 18, 2026
Duration: 2h 30m
Channel: Huberman Lab
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Dr. Nick Epley, PhD, is a professor of behavioral science at the University of Chicago and a leading expert on the science of social connection. We discuss how seemingly small daily interactions with strangers (as well as with people we know) can meaningfully improve our mental and physical health. Dr. Epley also explains how to reduce social anxiety using simple and easily accessible science-supported tools. We also discuss the data on assumptions — both the ones we and others make — and why so often those are wrong when it comes to social dynamics. Show notes: https://go.hubermanlab.com/NaH2OiO Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman Wealthfront*: https://wealthfront.com/huberman Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/huberman Function: https://functionhealth.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Follow Huberman Lab Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hubermanlab Threads: https://www.threads.net/@hubermanlab X: https://x.com/hubermanlab Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hubermanlab TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hubermanlab LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-huberman Website: https://www.hubermanlab.com Newsletter: https://www.hubermanlab.com/newsletter Timestamps 00:00:00 Nick Epley 00:02:29 Assumptions about Other Thoughts; Inferring Behavior 00:09:03 Eye Gaze, Social Cues 00:14:27 Sponsors: Wealthfront & Eight Sleep 00:17:18 Tone, Voice vs Writing; AI; Public Figures & Ambiguity 00:29:59 Importance of Social Connection, Communication Types 00:37:18 Social Isolation, Self-Worth 00:42:33 Sponsor: AG1 00:44:16 Social Media, Conversation & Responsiveness 00:47:52 Social Connection & Cooperation; Adopted Children 00:57:04 Connecting with Strangers, Manners 01:02:52 Fear of Strangers, Tool: Small Moments for Connection 01:08:50 Sponsor: Function 01:10:28 Connection to Humanity, Strangers; Extroversion & Well-Being 01:22:26 Social Anxiety & Changing Beliefs; 100 Days of Rejection 01:33:52 Perceived Creepiness, Social Anxiety; Developing Social Skills 01:41:40 Sponsor: LMNT 01:43:00 Initiating Conversation, Testing Cues, Pessimistic Expectations 01:47:00 Social Gatherings; Blessings of Children with Down Syndrome 01:59:43 Parents, Shame, Children Challenges; Supporting Kids’ Pursuits 02:09:17 Outdoors, Hunters, Conservation, Social Connection 02:17:39 Modeling Social Interactions for Kids, Tool: Habits Awareness 02:27:42 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow, Reviews & Feedback, Sponsors, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter *This experience may not be representative of other Wealthfront clients, and there is no guarantee of future performance or success. Experiences will vary. Andrew Huberman receives cash compensation from Wealthfront Brokerage for paid testimonials in his podcast, creating a conflict of interest. The Cash Account, which is not a deposit account, is offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Wealthfront Brokerage is not a bank. The base APY is 3.30% on cash deposits as of January 30, 2026, is representative, subject to change, and requires no minimum. If eligible for the overall boosted rate of 4.05% offered in connection with this promo, your boosted rate is also subject to change if the base rate decreases during the 3 month promo period. Additional terms and conditions apply, which can be found on Wealthfront.com/Huberman. Funds in the Cash Account are swept to program banks, where it earns the variable APY. Same-day withdrawal or instant payment transfers may be limited by destination institutions, daily transaction caps, and by participating entities such as Wells Fargo, the RTP® Network, and FedNow® Service. New Cash Account deposits are subject to a 2-4 day holding period before becoming available for transfer. Investment advisory services are provided by Wealthfront Advisers LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Securities investments: not bank deposits, bank-guaranteed or FDIC-insured, and may lose value. #hubermanlab Disclaimer & Disclosures: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer

SPEAKERS

Dr. Nick Epley
guest
Social psychologist and researcher known for work on social connection, perspective-taking, and how people perceive and mispredict others’ thoughts and intentions.
Andrew Huberman
host
Professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine and host of the Huberman Lab podcast.

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Huberman Lab, featuring Dr. Nick Epley and Andrew Huberman, How to Overcome Social Anxiety | Dr. Nick Epley explores simple, real-world social connections reduce anxiety and boost well-being significantly Humans routinely misread other people’s minds using egocentrism, stereotypes, and behavior-based inference, which creates predictable social errors and missed connection opportunities.

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