In today’s episode, you’ll learn the following:

-Why people have been buying what seems like a decade’s worth of the toilet paper in the grocery store, and why when you see them, you suddenly feel the urge to buy toilet paper yourself.

-The mechanics of reward based learning, which underpins all of our anxious thinking and behavior.

-The role of the neocortex in anxiety. The neocortex is the part of the brain involved in thinking and planning.

-Why a lack of information leads to anxiety, and how fear + uncertainty = anxiety

-The role of social contagion and why it leads to anxiety and panic spreading more rapidly

-The problem with your prefrontal cortex going offline

You’ll also learn how to practice good mental hygiene. There are 3 key steps to this:

-1) take a deep breath (or 3). This helps you literally calm your nervous system so your brain can have time to stop spinning out and get back online.
2) Ground yourself in the present moment by feeling into your hands or feet. Your feet aren’t the place in your body where you feel anxiety, so they’re a safe place to help you ground in the here and now
3) Rinse and repeat.

To ask questions or suggest future topics, please comment below or connect with me on Twitter @judbrewer

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Build your body awareness using mindfulness practices, like those in the free "Breathe by Dr. Jud" app, available on both Apple and Android devices.

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