A Stuntmans Guide To Anxiety

In this course, I have combined my work as a stuntman and my knowledge from my Masters studies in Psychology and Neuroscience. The result is a mix of practical tools and theoretical knowledge. You'll hear from 4 of the worlds best stuntmen and learn how they overcome their anxiety, the neuroscience behind it and how you can start applying it.

So join me to free yourself from anxiety by seeing what we can learn from those who have been in fights, at heights, on wires, and in fires.

Leçon 1: Fear Itself

This quick intro outlines who I am how my work as a stuntman and neuroscience student uniquely positions me between the theory and practice of fear processing. I’ll tell you what to expect in this course and how to get the most out of it.

I’ll then move on to talking about "fear." We all feel it, but what is it? In this session, we talk at length about the mechanism of fear and its evolutionary history and advantage. You’ll learn why we are predisposed to see threats and how the brain processes them.

I’ll go on to explain how it’s necessary, how it can easily get out of hand, and why anxiety is so common. We will also touch on allostatic load and why you should be managing it. So, join in to find out what the heck fear is and why you shouldn’t run from it.

Leçon 2: Jumping To Conclusions

Damien Walters is my first guest for this course. He’s a world-class stuntman and second unit director. In 2016, he was given the opportunity to jump from 130 feet for the opening sequence of "Assassins Creed." Damien shares his experience, and we learn how important attitudes are to our ability to overcome fear.

In this session, we'll also learn about negative bias and how it can stop us from doing great things in our lives. I’ll take you through the basics of CBT and how you can use them to combat your own negative bias. Lastly, we'll learn about the concept of optic flow. You’ll learn that how you see is just as important as what you see.

Leçon 3: Walking Meditation

Practical session: In this 10-minute meditation, we put into practice some of the concepts we have learned about in the last episode. Take a walk with me as I guide you in what you feel, but also what you see and how you see.

Walking meditations take advantage of both optic flow and exercise and as a result, can be a powerful calming tool. Its barrier to entry is also very low, you just need to put one foot in front of the other. Please be careful out there and always walk in safe environments.

Leçon 4: Exercising Your demons

Paul Lowe is my next guest and has years of experience not just in stunts, but in professional boxing. He explains all the benefits he gets from his body and mind. I’ll pick up from there and go into detail about how exercise is so useful in combating anxiety and all the ways it impacts the brain.

I’ll then give you all the scientific data to help you choose your ideal exercise, your ideal amount, and how to find your flow state. One of the hardest things with exercise is often getting started and for this, we look at the work of psychologist Gabrielle Oettingen and discuss her powerful tool in altering behavior through visualization known as WOOP.

Leçon 5: WOOP Meditation

Whoop whoop, it’s another practice lesson! In this session, we put into practice what we have just learned regarding WOOP meditation. Join me as we start your new exercise habit by using your most powerful muscle - your brain.

Keep in mind, the questions that are asked in this type of meditation seem basic, but they are big questions. Take your time answering them and feel free to pause and think about each answer before rushing into the next one. Also, feel free to do this meditation with a pen and paper as it can be handy to see your answers.

Leçon 6: Into The Fire

Being set on fire is an unusual way to make a living. Dan Euston is an experienced stuntman who specializes in it. He shares the planning and processes that go into it and how important staying calm is in dangerous situations.

I pick up where he leaves off by going into the science regarding breathing and the brain. I’ll also show you the importance of reaching out for help and how that can help your anxiety and build resilience to it.

Leçon 7: Breathing Medley & Sympathetic Help Meditation

Today's meditation will show you a medley of basic breathing exercises that you can follow along with. These techniques are used in many yoga practices as well as therapy sessions. They are super easy to follow, and you’ll feel the effects straight away.

Once you’re good and calm, I’ll lead you in a visualization technique aimed at getting you all the benefits of asking for help. Being vulnerable can often be uncomfortable so this technique is perfect for trying it out in a safe place.

Leçon 8: Down To The Wire

The 007 franchise has captured the imagination of millions. As a stuntman, it’s a dream job. In today's session, my guest is the man behind the stunts in the latest installment and has a lot to teach us about stunts and fear.

We learn all about the methodical processes in designing and executing stunts on the biggest stage. We see how this approach to stunts can also be applied to facing your own fears. I’ll also explain how exposure therapy works and how changing our approach to fear can mitigate fearful situations holding you back.

Leçon 9: Exposure Therapy Practice

In this practical session, I’ll guide you through two versions of exposure therapy for you to take with you and practice when needed. These sessions can be so useful for times when you’re physically affected by anxiety. You’ll get first-hand experience of how your bodily sensations can be misinterpreted by your mind. I’ll then guide you through putting together your own graded therapy list. Using this list, you’ll be given a roadmap to overcoming your own fear.

This session also marks the end of the course. Congrats! Of course, you are welcome to use these techniques whenever you need them. Also, feel free to reach out to me with questions or comments, I'm here to help.

In this session, I'll recap all the things we have done and how far you have come. This is the first step into your fear of freedom and you should be proud of yourself. Now go out there and carry on this good work. Thanks for joining me.

Reviews

This is honestly one of the best courses I have done on insight timer. It presents a toolkit of practices that are easy to implement and backs them with both sound science and memorable anecdotes. The structure is well thought out. Episodes that impart information alternate with episodes where you apply and try out the tools. The explanations are clear and the production is high quality.
For someone who is often anxious, the situations described and the music made me feel a little anxious at first, but I stuck with it and it helped me to understand the relationship between fear and excitement. I now feel less afraid of fear.

Wonderful and extremely interesting course, providing both behind the scenes interviews about various types of stunts and how they are accomplished, but going beyond that to describe the types of emotions and sensations experienced in the process, how they are managed, and how these methods can be applied in daily life for all of us non-stunt performers. 😊

I love movies with well-crafted action sequences, and psychology is my career field, so this was an excellent pairing in my book. Very insightful (see what I did there, Doug? 😉) and well worth the time.

Very highly recommended.

I see you and the light within you. Thank you, and be well. 🤲🏻💖🤲🏻

Excellent!! This course has many techniques to face our fears, and the experiences of the stunts have so much value! Douglas has made a very good work by putting his knowledge and experience together to help us go beyond our fears, and listening to the lessons with his calming and at the same time joyful voice makes this course easy to follow. Thank you Doug for this effort, now it's up to me to take action.