What changes when anxiety shows up—and you stop trying to outrun it, and start learning how to work with it?

Dan Harris—journalist, bestselling author, and host of 10% Happier—returns to Finding Mastery to explore practical ways to work with anxiety. Dan unpacks how meditation, compassionate self-talk, and exposure built his capacity after a panic attack on live TV—and why curiosity is a powerful antidote to fear.

Dan and Dr. Mike go beyond optimization into the human side: rebuilding from collapse, confronting panic (on planes, elevators, and big stages), and the daily reps that make composure more accessible. This is a grounded look at attention, identity, and training your inner life—without hacks or magical thinking.

What you’ll learn

• How to use meditation as “bicep curls for the brain”
• Why self-talk (especially in third person) regulates panic in real time
• The key to working at your edge without traumatizing yourself
• How to turn exposure into confidence and capacity
• Why curiosity beats cynicism for mental performance

At its heart, this episode is a reminder: mastery isn’t a shortcut; it’s alignment between awareness, training, and what matters most.

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