Together, Aoife and Fiona explore:

– How anticipatory stress affects cardiovascular, immune and cellular function, including signs of accelerated aging
– Why the brain can’t always tell the difference between real danger and imagined fear and how the body pays the price
– The often-overlooked power of social connection, even in fleeting micro-moments
– How visualisation, when used intentionally, can help the body step out of threat mode
– What Aoife’s research into a PTSD app and psychedelic therapy is revealing about trauma, healing, and personalisation

This is a conversation about stress but also about imagination, memory, connection, and the biology of feeling safe.

For more from Fiona visit www.fionamurden.com

Aoife's research can be found here UCSF Profiles

Aoife is Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Director of THRIVE Lab at the University of California, San Francisco and San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System. Dedicated to uncovering the mechanisms by which psychological stress causes ill health and developing new treatments for stress-related health conditions.

Here are key takeaways from the conversation:

1. Small social interactions matter. Even brief, friendly interactions can positively impact your physiological stress response.

2. Practice resilience during calm periods:

• Build social relationships
• Engage in physical activity
• Try meditation and mindfulness
• Practice visualization techniques
• Learn breathing exercises

3. Start small with physical activity. If a full workout seems overwhelming, just start by moving a little - standing up, walking for a minute, or doing a short activity.

4. Recognize that stress is inevitable, but you can manage your response:

• Distinguish between threat and challenge perceptions
• Practice constraining anticipatory stress through visualization (see Fiona's book Defining You for more on how to do visualisation)
• Understand that your body responds similarly to imagined and real stressors

5. Prioritize physiological health to support psychological interventions:

• Exercise can help improve mental health
• Good physical health supports learning and memory
• Small, consistent actions can build resilience

6. Be compassionate with yourself and others:

• Understand that mental health symptoms are normal
• Small acts of kindness can significantly impact someone's stress response
• Helping others can also benefit your own mental health

For more on Fiona visit www.fionamurden.com