COURSE

Mastering Calm: Practical Neuroscience Tools To Manage Anxiety Everyday

In the course "Manage Anxiety: Simple Neuroscience Tools for Everyday Calm" Sensei Paul David provides a clear, practical approach to understanding and managing anxiety. Over ten days, you'll learn how your brain's wiring contributes to anxiety and how you can effectively rewire it to reduce stress and fear. This course offers easily understandable neuroscience principles paired with practical, everyday strategies, ideal for anyone looking to gain control over their anxiety. By the end, you'll have a toolkit of techniques for tackling anxiety in your daily life, leading to lasting peace and control. In "Manage Anxiety: Simple Neuroscience Tools for Everyday Calm," Sensei Paul David offers an insightful and actionable plan to tackle anxiety using neuroscience principles. The course demystifies how anxiety affects your brain and provides practical strategies to manage and overcome it. Over ten days, you will learn to identify triggers and apply neuroscience-based techniques to lessen their impact, enabling you to navigate daily life with more calm and less worry.

Anxiety Confidence Stress Secular Mindfulness Open Awareness Stress & Anxiety Health & Happiness Secular Mindfulness

Meet your Teacher

Sensei Paul David

Toronto, ON, Canada

Welcome! Sensei Paul is a mental health book author, and kids’ books author, private pilot, jiu-jitsu instructor, musician & former finance project manager. He prefers a science-based approach to focus on these & other areas in his life to stay hungry to evolve. His approach to facilitating guided mediations & courses stems from a combination of strategy and emotion, with striving to perceive more and evaluate less. All with the focus on transmitting a calming state of mind to his audience in a meaningful way. He hopes you will join him on this journey of engaging in interaction and self-discovery. As always - It's a great day to be alive!

10 Days

703 students

4.9 stars

10 min / day

Anxiety

English

Lesson 1

Anatomy Of Anxiety

Today’s objective is to lay out the theoretical foundation upon which we can stack neuroscience-based strategies for managing anxiety. The theory for this section states that anxiety is largely driven by the brain's response to perceived threats, with the amygdala playing a key role in triggering the fight-or-flight response and the cortex amplifying the effect.

Lesson 2

Relaxation Strategies Part 1: Breathing, Muscle Relaxation, Imagery

Welcome Back! In the last session, we explored the anatomy of anxiety, understanding the role of the amygdala and the cortex in processing fear and triggering anxiety. Today’s objective is to introduce and practice relaxation strategies that directly calm the amygdala, focusing on breathing, muscle relaxation, and imagery. The theory for this section states that while the amygdala may not respond to logical reassurances, certain strategies like deep breathing, muscle relaxation, and imagery can effectively reduce its activation and therefore, the anxiety response.

Lesson 3

Relaxation Strategies Part 2: Mindfulness

Welcome Back! In the last session, "Relaxation Strategies Part 1," we focused on techniques like deep breathing, muscle relaxation, and imagery to calm the amygdala and reduce anxiety. Today’s objective is to delve into Mindfulness as a relaxation strategy, understanding how it influences both the amygdala and the cortex to alleviate anxiety. The theory for this section states that mindfulness meditation not only reduces the overactivity of the amygdala in the short term but can also lead to long-term structural changes in the brain.

Lesson 4

Amygdala-friendly Lifestyle

Welcome Back! In the last session, "Relaxation Strategies Part 2," we delved into mindfulness practices and how they help break the cycle of anxiety by focusing on the present. Today’s objective is to explore the concept of an amygdala-friendly lifestyle and understand how daily routines like sleep, diet, exercise, and laughter can significantly reduce anxiety by keeping the amygdala less reactive. The theory for this section states that lifestyle choices can directly influence the reactivity of the amygdala, thereby affecting our anxiety levels.

Lesson 5

Triggers

Welcome Back! In the last session, "Amygdala-friendly Lifestyle," we discussed how lifestyle choices like sleep, diet, exercise, and laughter can influence the amygdala's reactivity and, in turn, our anxiety levels. Today’s objective is to understand the concept of triggers, how they are formed, and how recognizing and facing them can aid in managing anxiety. The theory for this section states that the amygdala forms associations through experiences, especially negative ones, turning various elements into triggers. Understanding and consciously facing these triggers in a safe environment can retrain the amygdala and reduce anxiety.

Lesson 6

The Thought Trap

Welcome Back! In the last session, "Triggers," we explored how the amygdala forms associations with past experiences and turns various elements into triggers, influencing our anxiety. Today’s objective is to understand how our identification with our thoughts can contribute to anxiety and how techniques like defusion can help manage it. The theory for this section states that thoughts are transient and not an integral part of our identity. The belief that thoughts reflect our true self can lead to thought-action fusion, increasing anxiety and fear.

Lesson 7

Interrogate Your Thoughts

Welcome Back! In the last session, "The Thought Trap," we discussed the nature of thought-action fusion and how over-identification with our thoughts can lead to increased anxiety. Today’s objective is to explore cognitive restructuring, a method for addressing and altering persistent negative thoughts, which can be a significant source of anxiety. The theory for this section states that many of us experience recurring negative thoughts, or cognitive distortions, which can intensify anxiety. Cognitive restructuring involves identifying these thoughts, questioning their validity, and reframing them into more rational and positive perspectives.

Lesson 8

Make A Plan to Deal With Worry

Welcome Back! In the last session, "Interrogate Your Thoughts," we learned about cognitive distortions and how actively engaging with recurring negative thoughts through cognitive restructuring can help manage anxiety. Today’s objective is to understand the nature of worry and learn how to shift from a worry-centric mindset to one focused on actionable planning. The theory for this section states that worrying, while a common response to life's uncertainties, is often unproductive. Learning to shift focus from worrying to actionable planning can significantly reduce anxiety and improve problem-solving.

Lesson 9

Acceptance

Welcome Back! In the last session, we focused on shifting from worrying to creating actionable plans to manage and reduce anxiety. Today’s objective is to explore the concept of acceptance, particularly how accepting, rather than resisting anxiety, can lead to better management of it. The theory for this section states that resisting anxiety often intensifies it. Acceptance involves acknowledging anxiety without judgment, which can paradoxically lead to its reduction.

Lesson 10

Self-Compassion

Welcome Back! In the last session, "Acceptance," we explored the concept of accepting anxiety without resistance, and how this approach can lead to better management of anxiety. Today’s objective is to explore the concept of self-compassion and understand how being kind to oneself, especially during times of distress or failure, can contribute to managing anxiety and promoting overall well-being. The theory for this section states that self-compassion, involving self-kindness, recognition of common humanity, and mindfulness, can significantly reduce feelings of distress and increase emotional resilience.

4.9 (17)

Recent Reviews

Amy

September 5, 2024

This person’s courses are all the best on the app!!!

Anthony

January 31, 2024

I really enjoyed learning about the role of the amygdala in feelings of anxiety. Historically it's been difficult to separate my sense of self from negative feelings and thought loops, but now it doesn't seem as difficult knowing that I can visualise the amygdala, just doing it's job, and trying to help like an overbearing helicopter parent! This, along with the great methods you've taught to challenge, accept and breath through, are already providing me great benefits and decreased anxiety. Thank you very much for this unique course. Today is indeed a great day to be alive :)

Ant

January 30, 2024

by Sensei Paul David

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