Tools for Managing Stress & Anxiety | Huberman Lab Essentials

In this Huberman Lab Essentials episode, I explain strategies for managing stress, both in the short and long term, to enhance overall well-being. I explain how the mind and body respond to stress and how acute stress has immune-boosting benefits. I discuss science-supported tools and supplements to better manage stress in real time and protocols for raising one's stress threshold to build resilience to life’s inevitable challenges. I also describe practices to reduce chronic stress and maintain a balanced, healthy life. Episode show notes: https://go.hubermanlab.com/D9nUxLz Huberman Lab Essentials are short episodes focused on essential science and protocol takeaways from past full-length Huberman Lab episodes. Watch or listen to the full-length episode: https://youtu.be/ntfcfJ28eiU Watch more Huberman Lab Essentials episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPNW_gerXa4OGNy1yE-W9IX-tPu-tJa7S *Timestamps* 00:00:00 Huberman Lab Essentials; Emotions & Stress 00:02:37 What is Stress? 00:04:23 Short-Term Stress Response 00:06:49 Breathwork to Reduce Stress; Tool: Physiological Sigh 00:11:52 Physiologic Sigh, Carbon Dioxide & Rapid Stress Reduction 00:13:30 Short-Term Stress, Positive Benefits, Immune System 00:16:35 Tool: Deliberate Hyperventilation, Adrenaline & Infection 00:21:01 Raising Stress Threshold, Tool: Eye Dilation 00:25:00 Mitigating Long-Term Stress; Tool: Social Connection, Delight 00:28:58 Melatonin, Caution 00:30:06 L-theanine, Ashwagandha 00:31:19 Recap & Key Takeaways Disclaimer & Disclosures: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer

Andrew Hubermanhost

Jan 16, 202532mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: January 16, 2025
Duration: 32m
Channel: Huberman Lab
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

In this Huberman Lab Essentials episode, I explain strategies for managing stress, both in the short and long term, to enhance overall well-being. I explain how the mind and body respond to stress and how acute stress has immune-boosting benefits. I discuss science-supported tools and supplements to better manage stress in real time and protocols for raising one's stress threshold to build resilience to life’s inevitable challenges. I also describe practices to reduce chronic stress and maintain a balanced, healthy life. Episode show notes: https://go.hubermanlab.com/D9nUxLz Huberman Lab Essentials are short episodes focused on essential science and protocol takeaways from past full-length Huberman Lab episodes. Watch or listen to the full-length episode: https://youtu.be/ntfcfJ28eiU Watch more Huberman Lab Essentials episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPNW_gerXa4OGNy1yE-W9IX-tPu-tJa7S *Timestamps* 00:00:00 Huberman Lab Essentials; Emotions & Stress 00:02:37 What is Stress? 00:04:23 Short-Term Stress Response 00:06:49 Breathwork to Reduce Stress; Tool: Physiological Sigh 00:11:52 Physiologic Sigh, Carbon Dioxide & Rapid Stress Reduction 00:13:30 Short-Term Stress, Positive Benefits, Immune System 00:16:35 Tool: Deliberate Hyperventilation, Adrenaline & Infection 00:21:01 Raising Stress Threshold, Tool: Eye Dilation 00:25:00 Mitigating Long-Term Stress; Tool: Social Connection, Delight 00:28:58 Melatonin, Caution 00:30:06 L-theanine, Ashwagandha 00:31:19 Recap & Key Takeaways Disclaimer & Disclosures: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer

SPEAKERS

Andrew Huberman
host

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Huberman Lab, featuring Andrew Huberman, Tools for Managing Stress & Anxiety | Huberman Lab Essentials explores science-Based Stress Tools: Breathing, Stress Thresholds, and Social Connection Andrew Huberman explains stress as a generic biological mobilization system that can be either beneficial or harmful depending on its duration and our ability to control it. He details how the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems interact, and teaches specific breathing tools—especially the physiological sigh—to rapidly reduce stress in real time. He distinguishes short-, medium-, and long-term stress, showing how acute stress can enhance immune function and cognition, while chronic stress damages health and sleep. The episode closes with strategies for raising stress thresholds, mitigating long-term stress through social connection, and selectively using certain supplements.

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