June 18, 2025 • 17 mins
Join Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr. Aimee Prasek and identify four fast-acting strategies to end worry and anxiety spirals. They'll discuss the mammalian diver's reflex, engaging in physical activities, shocking the senses with intense flavors, and using aromatherapy. If you haven't already, follow this episode up with the previous episode to learn more about "just enough" worrying and strategies to reduce worrying overall.
If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts!
Sources and Notes:
- Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life.
- Related Joy Lab Episodes:
- How uncertainty & anticipatory anxiety can keep you stressed out & stuck [ep. 212]
- Worrier? You're Not Alone. Here's Why We Worry... [ep. 213]
- Godek, D, & Freeman, A. M. Physiology, Diving Reflex. (2022). StatPearls. Access here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538245/
- Jungmann, M., et al. (2018). Effects of Cold Stimulation on Cardiac-Vagal Activation in Healthy Participants: Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR formative research, 2(2), e10257. https://doi.org/10.2196/10257
Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program.
Please see our terms for more information.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at helpline@nami.org. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome to the Joy Lab podcast,where we help you uncover and
(00:03):
foster your most joyful self.
Your hosts, Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr.Aimee Prasek, bring you the ideal mix of
soulful and scientifically sound tools tospark your joy, even when it feels dark.
When you're ready to experiment withmore joy, combine this podcast with the
full Joy Lab program over at JoyLab.coach
(00:26):
Hello, I'm Henry Emmonsand welcome to Joy Lab.
And I am Aimee Prasek.
So we are in our month ofcuriosity, our element of joy.
And we have explored some reallyimportant things this month; how to
tolerate uncertainty, why we worry,some ways to practice shifting out
(00:48):
of those worrying patterns, and todayas promised, we're gonna hit on some
really fast acting strategies tokind of shake out a worry spiral.
So we're gonna do four of them, I think.
We'll see how it shakes out.
The first strategy I'm gonna share is totrigger your diver's reflex, which is...
(01:10):
Diver's reflex?
is a weird strategy, weird name.
The mammalian divers reflexand mammalian reflex.
So, I'm guessing maybe some ofyou have seen this on TikTok or
Instagram where folks are dunkingtheir face in a bowl of ice water.
And the reason given is usuallyto like stop a panic attack.
(01:32):
So does it work?
Surprisingly, yeah, there's some sciencebehind this and it can be super effective.
So, this is also a great strategyfor kind of a worry spiral.
I'm gonna give you maybe other ways todo it though, but I'll explain it first.
So, the dive reflex or dive response ormammalian dive response is basically a
safety feature that we have, to help ussurvive longer when we get submerged in
(01:57):
water, either accidentally or on purpose.
Like free divers, if we actuallywanted to go diving for food or
something, we would wanna be able tosearch for a longer period of time.
So it's a way for us toconserve oxygen, essentially.
So the response mainly does three things.
It slows down our heart rate, itslows down breathing, and then it
(02:19):
redirects blood flow from, the limbsessentially to the vital organs.
So there's more focused flow onthe brain and center of the body.
And considering that anxiety,worry, panic attacks are very much
associated with increased heart rateand fast breathing, it makes sense
that this could be really helpful.
(02:39):
So, what easily activates this arereally two things, which is why this
whole bowl of water thing started.
But it's two things at the same time.
First, the breath is held and usuallyon inspiration, the research seems to,
you know, so it's inhale and a holdand at the same time, kind of a cold
air or cold wet feeling hits the face.
(03:01):
And mainly it's a space around the nose.
Or that's the latest understanding,sort of in that nose eye space.
And so instead of diving facefirst into a lake, the trend
is to get a bowl of cold water.
Uh, take a deep breath, and then asyou start to hold your breath, you
(03:21):
dunk your face in the water and youhold it there for about, if you can,
up to 30 seconds or so to allow thatreflex to kick in and the heart rate
to drop, and it can stop, worry.
It can also stop a panic attack for somefolks, and there's some good research, it
is very limited, but they're looking atother ways to activate this diverse reflex
(03:42):
instead of submerging or a bowl of water.
So I think you can do iteasier, for most of us.
You can simply take something cold.
I've used like, like a soft,ice pack for injuries, the
ones that are kind of pliable.
But you could use a paper towel that hasice in it that you've gotten wet as well.
You could use a bag of frozen cornor something, just a cold, something
(04:06):
that covers this kind of noseunder the eye space and then hold
your breath right as you apply it.
I feel like that's a lot easierwhen you're kind of spinning
out, easier than grabbing a bowl,filling it, towel, all the things.
So that can be a strategy to try.
And to note, I've been hearing folksor influencers suggesting that they
(04:29):
do this dunking their face in icecold water as a daily practice.
And doing it two to three timesa day as a kind of preventive or
optimization body hacking strategy.
And I don't think that's helpful.
I think it's a waste of water.
I think it's a waste of time.
I mean, if you dig it, fine,but, I think it's pointless.
This isn't something youneed as a daily routine.
(04:52):
This is like an emergency exit.
You know, this is a survival mechanism.
It is like, it is like an exit doorreally, you know, so you wanna kind
of save it for worry or panic surgeswhere you wanna use that emergency
exit to get out of that state of mind.
Also, to note, you should check withyour doctor if you have an arrhythmia
(05:13):
or diabetes or any condition that,you know, a cold shock isn't gonna
be a good, perhaps, strategy.
So do check with that.
Henry, do you wanna dive into asecond strategy or have anything
to say about the driver's reflex?
You, you want me to dive into a, a second
Oh, do it.
(05:35):
Well, I'll try somethinga little less jolting.
How about?
Yes, please.
But let me, let me just back up for asecond here and, and just say that I, I
know today we're talking about these kindof quick acting strategies, but I wanna
Yeah.
remind all of us that it ispossible to, for all intents and
(05:59):
purposes, to stop worrying, youknow, as a, as a general thing.
To train our minds essentially to, tojust not, not allow it to constantly
go into worry mode, sort of against ourwill, which is what generally happens.
So, I wanna just talk about thatfor a moment and then I'll come
(06:21):
back to the, the quick acting thing.
So I wanna use an analogyto talk about this.
In our last episode, we talked alittle bit about how worry is a
biological advantage to if a littlebit of worry, not an extreme degree.
So it was built into our ancestorsto help alert them to danger.
(06:45):
And it occurred to me that this is notso different from our built-in taste for
sweet foods, which most of us have, right?
It is there for a reason.
It's actually not that long ago, youknow, we don't have to go back even
(07:05):
very many generations when sweetfoods were kind of a rare treat.
It wasn't that common.
It wasn't that accessible.
And so historically the biological factof being drawn to sweet things like
ripe fruits or even root vegetables.
It was helpful because that drivekind of encouraged our ancestors
(07:31):
to add a few extra calories.
You know, we helped 'em getthrough the winter, or whatever.
But now, sweets are everywhere.
You cannot avoid them.
You have to have a will of iron,which I do not have in order
to keep a sweet tooth in check.
However, is possible to trainourselves to tame that sweet tooth.
(07:56):
It's possible to do that,but it can take a while.
And it takes kind of a systematic,you know, long-term effort.
So, for example,
Hmm.
You can stay on the outer aisles atthe grocery store when you're shopping.
You can not have sweets in your house,or you can develop a taste for healthier
snacks instead of just the sweet ones.
(08:18):
So similar to that, in today's world,compared to our ancestors, there are
so many things that we can worry about,you know, we're just immersed in it.
You cannot avoid them unless you becamea hermit and then you'd still have
your own thoughts to deal with, right?
However, with time it's possibleto learn to walk around some of
(08:43):
these worries, which aren't reallynecessary for us to focus on.
Or to limit our exposure to scary thingslike the news, for example, things or
things that just aren't that importantto us, or to train the mind to develop a
taste for healthier, more joyful thoughts,which is what we're trying to do in
(09:05):
Hmm.
So I think for this to happen, most of usneed two things to really tame our mind.
One is guidance, like workingwith a therapist or getting some
really good mindfulness training.
So the other thing that we need is time.
(09:25):
It simply takes time.
However, this is why we're doingthe, the, the quick hits today.
'Cause you don't want wait untilyour mind is fully tamed to turn
down the dial of worry, right?
So back to the quick strategies.
(09:46):
This next one that I'm gonna offeris that... It's, it's based on
the principle that the mind isnot actually able to multitask.
Okay.
That's a myth.
We think we can do it, but we can't.
So the mind is really only able to doone thing at a time, means if it's doing
something else, it can't be worrying.
(10:09):
So that's what we're aiming for here.
I think one of the best waysto occupy your mind is to
do something with your body.
And it could be anything really, anykind of movement, but it is possible to
worry while you are walking or biking.
Oh yeah.
(10:29):
I know this because I have done it.
Absolutely.
So it's really best to come up withsomething that really absorbs your mind.
Hmm.
That requires enough focus thatthere is not room to worry at the
same time that you're doing it.
So, for example, there arepeople who find knitting to
(10:50):
really work for that, you know,
it just takes just enough of your mentalfocus to stay on track with that or some
other kind of craft, or even working ona puzzle for, for me doing a crossword
it gets me out of that, you know,especially if you're doing something
that's just a little bit challenging.
So it requires your mental focus.
(11:11):
But what I really liketo do is in the soil,
Yeah.
I cannot tell you how manyholes I have dug in my backyard.
And I'm at the point now, I'vebeen at this point for years where
I cannot keep adding new gardens.
So now I just move things around a lot.
(11:33):
I love that.
And there's nothing quite assatisfying as digging up a hosta,
splitting it, and spreading it around.
And it's just hard enough workthat it quiets my mind and probably
helps me burn off some of thepent up energy while I'm doing it.
Those Henry, that's, that's great.
(11:53):
I love just getting in touchwith nature too, right?
There's, there's so many other benefitsthere too that are associated with
decreased worry, and the parallelto understanding sort of how we
can work on our worry like we workon our taste buds in some ways
and our tolerance for sweet foods.
So I'm gonna go with, I'll go onthat thread, a very opposite strategy
(12:16):
to, to what you've just presented.
So not a calm strategy, but thatas a strategy to kind of shock
your system, your senses, I shouldsay, as a way of distraction
to get you outta your thoughts.
So you can cut a lemon into a quarterand take a big bite out of it.
(12:37):
Mm.
You can do this with wasabi as well.
Hot, spicy, sour, some type of food.
There's like no realart or science to this.
It's just the fact that your senses
Uhhuh.
notice a shock and giveit its full attention.
It's sort of just, you know,it takes you out of the spiral,
(12:57):
Sure.
with these intense flavors.
So, then I would say follow up with whatHenry has suggested to offer yourself a
little bit more nourishment and nurturingafter you sort of jolt your sensory
system back into the present moment.
yeah, then follow it upwith something nourishing.
But you can try that, bite a lemon, bitea lime, take a lick of hot sauce or a bit
(13:23):
I love it.
Aimee, you, you're, you're just alittle edgy today with your suggestions.
I am
I think it's great.
Coming with the fire here.
You're coming with the ease.
Good balance.
Well, I am going to see yourtaste sensation and raise
you one olfactory experience.
Oh, yes, I got it.
(13:45):
I got you.
in the, we're in the, the usingour senses, which I think is such a
great way to, to get out of worry.
Yeah.
One reason I think it works so wellis because when we're in a heightened
state, like when we're worrying,our senses are heightened, right?
So it's, it's like they'rein, they're primed for this.
(14:06):
They are ready to take this in.
It's like they're, they're saying, "Useme. I'm, I'm here. I'm on high alert."
Yes.
Yeah.
It gives them the job they're looking for.
Perfect.
So I think that using, bringing thesense of smell into this might be the
fastest possible way to tone down worry.
(14:29):
Because when you breathe something in,it is on the fast track to your brain.
Mm.
It just goes there almost immediatelyit's, it's kind of built in actually
to what you suggested, Aimee.
You know, if you're taking a bite of alemon, you are smelling it too, right?
At the same time, it's just partof the experience, especially
with those strong flavors.
(14:51):
Now, I think this is a great use foraromatherapy, so you know, if you want
to try this, you can get a diffuser.
But you can also just put a couple ofdrops of essential oil on a piece of
cotton or a cotton ball and hold it, know,near your nose or some people just open
(15:11):
the bottle and kind of hold it in thevicinity of their face and breathe it in.
That works perfectly fine.
There are some essential oils that are,are known historically to be more calming.
Things like lavender or sweet orange.
But what I think works bestis to try a few things out
Yeah.
And then choose one that really appealsto you, one that you really like, if
(15:37):
you're experiencing something reallypleasant, then you can enjoy it.
You can just simply enjoy it fora few moments, and that too makes
it very hard for your mind to holdonto a worry at the same time.
I love that.
I think you can also pick asmell that brings you to a place.
(15:58):
you know, if there's a, a, a smellthat you associate with a good memory
can kind of bring you back into that.
so, quick strategies.
I hope you've maybe found one or twothat you could try, for a worry cycle.
I hope these feel realistic, relatable.
And then, the skills we talked aboutlast episode, those more long term
(16:21):
impacts and what you talked about todaytoo, understanding, Henry, that this
is a practice, that we can create newpaths so that we're worrying less.
This is, we're, we're primedto worry just enough to keep us
safe and we can keep it at that.
So to end our time today, I wanna sharesome short and sweet wisdom from Mark
Twain, or at least it's attributed tohim, and I think it sounds like him.
(16:43):
So here it is.
"Worrying is like payinga debt you don't owe."
Thank you for listeningto the Joy Lab podcast.
If you enjoy today's show, visitJoyLab.coach to learn more
about the full Joy Lab program.
Be sure to rate and review us whereveryou listen to your favorite podcasts.
(17:05):
Please remember that thiscontent is for informational
and educational purposes only.
It is not intended to provide medicaladvice and is not a replacement for advice
and treatment from a medical professional.
Please consult your doctor orother qualified health professional
before beginning any diet change,supplement, or lifestyle program.
(17:25):
Please see our terms for more information.
Welcome to the Joy Lab podcast,where we help you uncover and
(00:03):
foster your most joyful self.
Your hosts, Dr. Henry Emmons and Dr.Aimee Prasek, bring you the ideal mix of
soulful and scientifically sound tools tospark your joy, even when it feels dark.
When you're ready to experiment withmore joy, combine this podcast with the
full Joy Lab program over at JoyLab.coach
(00:26):
Hello, I'm Henry Emmonsand welcome to Joy Lab.
And I am Aimee Prasek.
So we are in our month ofcuriosity, our element of joy.
And we have explored some reallyimportant things this month; how to
tolerate uncertainty, why we worry,some ways to practice shifting out
(00:48):
of those worrying patterns, and todayas promised, we're gonna hit on some
really fast acting strategies tokind of shake out a worry spiral.
So we're gonna do four of them, I think.
We'll see how it shakes out.
The first strategy I'm gonna share is totrigger your diver's reflex, which is...
(01:10):
Diver's reflex?
is a weird strategy, weird name.
The mammalian divers reflexand mammalian reflex.
So, I'm guessing maybe some ofyou have seen this on TikTok or
Instagram where folks are dunkingtheir face in a bowl of ice water.
And the reason given is usuallyto like stop a panic attack.
(01:32):
So does it work?
Surprisingly, yeah, there's some sciencebehind this and it can be super effective.
So, this is also a great strategyfor kind of a worry spiral.
I'm gonna give you maybe other ways todo it though, but I'll explain it first.
So, the dive reflex or dive response ormammalian dive response is basically a
safety feature that we have, to help ussurvive longer when we get submerged in
(01:57):
water, either accidentally or on purpose.
Like free divers, if we actuallywanted to go diving for food or
something, we would wanna be able tosearch for a longer period of time.
So it's a way for us toconserve oxygen, essentially.
So the response mainly does three things.
It slows down our heart rate, itslows down breathing, and then it
(02:19):
redirects blood flow from, the limbsessentially to the vital organs.
So there's more focused flow onthe brain and center of the body.
And considering that anxiety,worry, panic attacks are very much
associated with increased heart rateand fast breathing, it makes sense
that this could be really helpful.
(02:39):
So, what easily activates this arereally two things, which is why this
whole bowl of water thing started.
But it's two things at the same time.
First, the breath is held and usuallyon inspiration, the research seems to,
you know, so it's inhale and a holdand at the same time, kind of a cold
air or cold wet feeling hits the face.
(03:01):
And mainly it's a space around the nose.
Or that's the latest understanding,sort of in that nose eye space.
And so instead of diving facefirst into a lake, the trend
is to get a bowl of cold water.
Uh, take a deep breath, and then asyou start to hold your breath, you
(03:21):
dunk your face in the water and youhold it there for about, if you can,
up to 30 seconds or so to allow thatreflex to kick in and the heart rate
to drop, and it can stop, worry.
It can also stop a panic attack for somefolks, and there's some good research, it
is very limited, but they're looking atother ways to activate this diverse reflex
(03:42):
instead of submerging or a bowl of water.
So I think you can do iteasier, for most of us.
You can simply take something cold.
I've used like, like a soft,ice pack for injuries, the
ones that are kind of pliable.
But you could use a paper towel that hasice in it that you've gotten wet as well.
You could use a bag of frozen cornor something, just a cold, something
(04:06):
that covers this kind of noseunder the eye space and then hold
your breath right as you apply it.
I feel like that's a lot easierwhen you're kind of spinning
out, easier than grabbing a bowl,filling it, towel, all the things.
So that can be a strategy to try.
And to note, I've been hearing folksor influencers suggesting that they
(04:29):
do this dunking their face in icecold water as a daily practice.
And doing it two to three timesa day as a kind of preventive or
optimization body hacking strategy.
And I don't think that's helpful.
I think it's a waste of water.
I think it's a waste of time.
I mean, if you dig it, fine,but, I think it's pointless.
This isn't something youneed as a daily routine.
(04:52):
This is like an emergency exit.
You know, this is a survival mechanism.
It is like, it is like an exit doorreally, you know, so you wanna kind
of save it for worry or panic surgeswhere you wanna use that emergency
exit to get out of that state of mind.
Also, to note, you should check withyour doctor if you have an arrhythmia
(05:13):
or diabetes or any condition that,you know, a cold shock isn't gonna
be a good, perhaps, strategy.
So do check with that.
Henry, do you wanna dive into asecond strategy or have anything
to say about the driver's reflex?
You, you want me to dive into a, a second
Oh, do it.
(05:35):
Well, I'll try somethinga little less jolting.
How about?
Yes, please.
But let me, let me just back up for asecond here and, and just say that I, I
know today we're talking about these kindof quick acting strategies, but I wanna
Yeah.
remind all of us that it ispossible to, for all intents and
(05:59):
purposes, to stop worrying, youknow, as a, as a general thing.
To train our minds essentially to, tojust not, not allow it to constantly
go into worry mode, sort of against ourwill, which is what generally happens.
So, I wanna just talk about thatfor a moment and then I'll come
(06:21):
back to the, the quick acting thing.
So I wanna use an analogyto talk about this.
In our last episode, we talked alittle bit about how worry is a
biological advantage to if a littlebit of worry, not an extreme degree.
So it was built into our ancestorsto help alert them to danger.
(06:45):
And it occurred to me that this is notso different from our built-in taste for
sweet foods, which most of us have, right?
It is there for a reason.
It's actually not that long ago, youknow, we don't have to go back even
(07:05):
very many generations when sweetfoods were kind of a rare treat.
It wasn't that common.
It wasn't that accessible.
And so historically the biological factof being drawn to sweet things like
ripe fruits or even root vegetables.
It was helpful because that drivekind of encouraged our ancestors
(07:31):
to add a few extra calories.
You know, we helped 'em getthrough the winter, or whatever.
But now, sweets are everywhere.
You cannot avoid them.
You have to have a will of iron,which I do not have in order
to keep a sweet tooth in check.
However, is possible to trainourselves to tame that sweet tooth.
(07:56):
It's possible to do that,but it can take a while.
And it takes kind of a systematic,you know, long-term effort.
So, for example,
Hmm.
You can stay on the outer aisles atthe grocery store when you're shopping.
You can not have sweets in your house,or you can develop a taste for healthier
snacks instead of just the sweet ones.
(08:18):
So similar to that, in today's world,compared to our ancestors, there are
so many things that we can worry about,you know, we're just immersed in it.
You cannot avoid them unless you becamea hermit and then you'd still have
your own thoughts to deal with, right?
However, with time it's possibleto learn to walk around some of
(08:43):
these worries, which aren't reallynecessary for us to focus on.
Or to limit our exposure to scary thingslike the news, for example, things or
things that just aren't that importantto us, or to train the mind to develop a
taste for healthier, more joyful thoughts,which is what we're trying to do in
(09:05):
Hmm.
So I think for this to happen, most of usneed two things to really tame our mind.
One is guidance, like workingwith a therapist or getting some
really good mindfulness training.
So the other thing that we need is time.
(09:25):
It simply takes time.
However, this is why we're doingthe, the, the quick hits today.
'Cause you don't want wait untilyour mind is fully tamed to turn
down the dial of worry, right?
So back to the quick strategies.
(09:46):
This next one that I'm gonna offeris that... It's, it's based on
the principle that the mind isnot actually able to multitask.
Okay.
That's a myth.
We think we can do it, but we can't.
So the mind is really only able to doone thing at a time, means if it's doing
something else, it can't be worrying.
(10:09):
So that's what we're aiming for here.
I think one of the best waysto occupy your mind is to
do something with your body.
And it could be anything really, anykind of movement, but it is possible to
worry while you are walking or biking.
Oh yeah.
(10:29):
I know this because I have done it.
Absolutely.
So it's really best to come up withsomething that really absorbs your mind.
Hmm.
That requires enough focus thatthere is not room to worry at the
same time that you're doing it.
So, for example, there arepeople who find knitting to
(10:50):
really work for that, you know,
it just takes just enough of your mentalfocus to stay on track with that or some
other kind of craft, or even working ona puzzle for, for me doing a crossword
it gets me out of that, you know,especially if you're doing something
that's just a little bit challenging.
So it requires your mental focus.
(11:11):
But what I really liketo do is in the soil,
Yeah.
I cannot tell you how manyholes I have dug in my backyard.
And I'm at the point now, I'vebeen at this point for years where
I cannot keep adding new gardens.
So now I just move things around a lot.
(11:33):
I love that.
And there's nothing quite assatisfying as digging up a hosta,
splitting it, and spreading it around.
And it's just hard enough workthat it quiets my mind and probably
helps me burn off some of thepent up energy while I'm doing it.
Those Henry, that's, that's great.
(11:53):
I love just getting in touchwith nature too, right?
There's, there's so many other benefitsthere too that are associated with
decreased worry, and the parallelto understanding sort of how we
can work on our worry like we workon our taste buds in some ways
and our tolerance for sweet foods.
So I'm gonna go with, I'll go onthat thread, a very opposite strategy
(12:16):
to, to what you've just presented.
So not a calm strategy, but thatas a strategy to kind of shock
your system, your senses, I shouldsay, as a way of distraction
to get you outta your thoughts.
So you can cut a lemon into a quarterand take a big bite out of it.
(12:37):
Mm.
You can do this with wasabi as well.
Hot, spicy, sour, some type of food.
There's like no realart or science to this.
It's just the fact that your senses
Uhhuh.
notice a shock and giveit its full attention.
It's sort of just, you know,it takes you out of the spiral,
(12:57):
Sure.
with these intense flavors.
So, then I would say follow up with whatHenry has suggested to offer yourself a
little bit more nourishment and nurturingafter you sort of jolt your sensory
system back into the present moment.
yeah, then follow it upwith something nourishing.
But you can try that, bite a lemon, bitea lime, take a lick of hot sauce or a bit
(13:23):
I love it.
Aimee, you, you're, you're just alittle edgy today with your suggestions.
I am
I think it's great.
Coming with the fire here.
You're coming with the ease.
Good balance.
Well, I am going to see yourtaste sensation and raise
you one olfactory experience.
Oh, yes, I got it.
(13:45):
I got you.
in the, we're in the, the usingour senses, which I think is such a
great way to, to get out of worry.
Yeah.
One reason I think it works so wellis because when we're in a heightened
state, like when we're worrying,our senses are heightened, right?
So it's, it's like they'rein, they're primed for this.
(14:06):
They are ready to take this in.
It's like they're, they're saying, "Useme. I'm, I'm here. I'm on high alert."
Yes.
Yeah.
It gives them the job they're looking for.
Perfect.
So I think that using, bringing thesense of smell into this might be the
fastest possible way to tone down worry.
(14:29):
Because when you breathe something in,it is on the fast track to your brain.
Mm.
It just goes there almost immediatelyit's, it's kind of built in actually
to what you suggested, Aimee.
You know, if you're taking a bite of alemon, you are smelling it too, right?
At the same time, it's just partof the experience, especially
with those strong flavors.
(14:51):
Now, I think this is a great use foraromatherapy, so you know, if you want
to try this, you can get a diffuser.
But you can also just put a couple ofdrops of essential oil on a piece of
cotton or a cotton ball and hold it, know,near your nose or some people just open
(15:11):
the bottle and kind of hold it in thevicinity of their face and breathe it in.
That works perfectly fine.
There are some essential oils that are,are known historically to be more calming.
Things like lavender or sweet orange.
But what I think works bestis to try a few things out
Yeah.
And then choose one that really appealsto you, one that you really like, if
(15:37):
you're experiencing something reallypleasant, then you can enjoy it.
You can just simply enjoy it fora few moments, and that too makes
it very hard for your mind to holdonto a worry at the same time.
I love that.
I think you can also pick asmell that brings you to a place.
(15:58):
you know, if there's a, a, a smellthat you associate with a good memory
can kind of bring you back into that.
so, quick strategies.
I hope you've maybe found one or twothat you could try, for a worry cycle.
I hope these feel realistic, relatable.
And then, the skills we talked aboutlast episode, those more long term
(16:21):
impacts and what you talked about todaytoo, understanding, Henry, that this
is a practice, that we can create newpaths so that we're worrying less.
This is, we're, we're primedto worry just enough to keep us
safe and we can keep it at that.
So to end our time today, I wanna sharesome short and sweet wisdom from Mark
Twain, or at least it's attributed tohim, and I think it sounds like him.
(16:43):
So here it is.
"Worrying is like payinga debt you don't owe."
Thank you for listeningto the Joy Lab podcast.
If you enjoy today's show, visitJoyLab.coach to learn more
about the full Joy Lab program.
Be sure to rate and review us whereveryou listen to your favorite podcasts.
(17:05):
Please remember that thiscontent is for informational
and educational purposes only.
It is not intended to provide medicaladvice and is not a replacement for advice
and treatment from a medical professional.
Please consult your doctor orother qualified health professional
before beginning any diet change,supplement, or lifestyle program.
(17:25):
Please see our terms for more information.
Popular Podcasts
United States of Kennedy
United States of Kennedy is a podcast about our cultural fascination with the Kennedy dynasty. Every week, hosts Lyra Smith and George Civeris go into one aspect of the Kennedy story.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com