1 00:00:15,436 --> 00:00:21,236 Speaker 1: Pushkin. Welcome to a special set of episodes of the 2 00:00:21,316 --> 00:00:25,556 Speaker 1: Happiness Lab. The now global spread of coronavirus is affecting 3 00:00:25,556 --> 00:00:29,476 Speaker 1: all of us. This disease has brought a host of medical, economic, 4 00:00:29,516 --> 00:00:32,876 Speaker 1: and political problems, but it's also given us a ton 5 00:00:32,916 --> 00:00:36,076 Speaker 1: of uncertainty and anxiety, which are beginning to have an 6 00:00:36,196 --> 00:00:40,396 Speaker 1: enormous negative impact on our collective While being but whenever 7 00:00:40,476 --> 00:00:43,596 Speaker 1: I'm confused or fearful, I remember that looking for answers 8 00:00:43,716 --> 00:00:46,476 Speaker 1: in evidence based science is always the best way to go, 9 00:00:47,076 --> 00:00:51,636 Speaker 1: and that's where I'm hoping this podcast can help. If 10 00:00:51,636 --> 00:00:54,356 Speaker 1: you're like me, you probably feel like your entire life 11 00:00:54,396 --> 00:00:56,916 Speaker 1: has been or is about to be, upended by this 12 00:00:56,956 --> 00:01:00,276 Speaker 1: awful crisis, which leads to lots and lots of negative 13 00:01:00,276 --> 00:01:05,116 Speaker 1: emotions and stressful personal situations. Last week, for example, I 14 00:01:05,156 --> 00:01:07,236 Speaker 1: wind up working twenty four seven to get all the 15 00:01:07,276 --> 00:01:10,476 Speaker 1: students in my residential college here at back home safely. 16 00:01:11,276 --> 00:01:13,996 Speaker 1: All that stress and rushed goodbyes made me feel incredibly 17 00:01:14,036 --> 00:01:16,636 Speaker 1: sad and anxious. But after paying so much attention to 18 00:01:16,676 --> 00:01:19,116 Speaker 1: my students, I realized that I had not given my 19 00:01:19,156 --> 00:01:21,996 Speaker 1: own situation much thought. So I decided to head to 20 00:01:21,996 --> 00:01:24,796 Speaker 1: the grocery store, which was a major error. All the 21 00:01:24,836 --> 00:01:27,676 Speaker 1: toilet papers gone, a lot of the frozen foods, a 22 00:01:27,676 --> 00:01:31,356 Speaker 1: lot of the vegetables, cleaning supplies, meats and darier hard 23 00:01:31,356 --> 00:01:33,996 Speaker 1: to come. Every single supermarket was just completely wiped out. 24 00:01:34,076 --> 00:01:36,796 Speaker 1: There was no produce left. People were wearing gloves and 25 00:01:36,876 --> 00:01:40,076 Speaker 1: masks frantically grabbing random stuff, and so I too, just 26 00:01:40,076 --> 00:01:43,956 Speaker 1: started rushing round. When I got back home, I realized 27 00:01:43,956 --> 00:01:45,996 Speaker 1: I bought a bunch of foods that didn't make any 28 00:01:45,996 --> 00:01:49,116 Speaker 1: sense whatsoever. I bought cans of stuff that I already 29 00:01:49,156 --> 00:01:51,356 Speaker 1: had in my pantry and a bar of soap I 30 00:01:51,396 --> 00:01:54,916 Speaker 1: totally didn't need. Plus I forgot essentials like coffee, which 31 00:01:54,956 --> 00:01:57,196 Speaker 1: I had planned to pick up but had completely forgotten 32 00:01:57,196 --> 00:02:01,716 Speaker 1: in the mayhem. My futile, panicky shopping experience made me 33 00:02:01,756 --> 00:02:05,356 Speaker 1: realize something important. In this current crisis, None of us 34 00:02:05,356 --> 00:02:07,996 Speaker 1: seem able to make reasonable decisions because we're all too 35 00:02:07,996 --> 00:02:11,516 Speaker 1: anxious and overwhelmed, which is kind of a problem because 36 00:02:11,596 --> 00:02:13,756 Speaker 1: right now we all need our wits about us to 37 00:02:13,796 --> 00:02:16,236 Speaker 1: make effective plans. We need to make sure that our 38 00:02:16,276 --> 00:02:18,996 Speaker 1: kids get to eat healthy, that our elderly family members 39 00:02:18,996 --> 00:02:21,076 Speaker 1: are taken care of. But it's hard to plan for 40 00:02:21,116 --> 00:02:24,956 Speaker 1: this virus effectively, when everything feels so overwhelming and emotional, 41 00:02:25,476 --> 00:02:27,396 Speaker 1: I wanted to call someone who could help me find 42 00:02:27,436 --> 00:02:30,476 Speaker 1: strategies to regulate all this anxiety so that I can 43 00:02:30,556 --> 00:02:33,676 Speaker 1: make better decisions. And I knew just the scientist to call. 44 00:02:33,796 --> 00:02:36,276 Speaker 1: My name's Ethan Cross. I'm a professor in the psychology 45 00:02:36,276 --> 00:02:39,396 Speaker 1: department at the University of Michigan, and I direct a 46 00:02:39,516 --> 00:02:43,956 Speaker 1: laboratory that specializes in the study of self control and emotion. So, Ethan, 47 00:02:44,436 --> 00:02:47,276 Speaker 1: everybody needs somebody who's an expert on self control and 48 00:02:47,276 --> 00:02:50,276 Speaker 1: emotion right now, because this is an incredibly emotional time, 49 00:02:50,436 --> 00:02:53,436 Speaker 1: like everyone's freaking out. Yeah. So I've never lived through 50 00:02:53,436 --> 00:02:56,516 Speaker 1: a time like this before, and it certainly makes me 51 00:02:56,596 --> 00:02:59,716 Speaker 1: think like psychology has a lot to potentially contribute to 52 00:02:59,756 --> 00:03:02,036 Speaker 1: what really the world is going through right now. And 53 00:03:02,076 --> 00:03:04,236 Speaker 1: so a lot of your work focuses on how emotion 54 00:03:04,316 --> 00:03:07,676 Speaker 1: affects planning and what's called self regulation. So talk about 55 00:03:08,356 --> 00:03:11,596 Speaker 1: the effect this sort of heightened emotion is having on 56 00:03:11,636 --> 00:03:14,036 Speaker 1: how people are just acting in their daily lives right now. 57 00:03:14,196 --> 00:03:18,196 Speaker 1: So intense emotions like anxiety can have a powerful effect 58 00:03:18,356 --> 00:03:20,796 Speaker 1: on how we think, feel, and behave. One thing it does, 59 00:03:20,876 --> 00:03:23,996 Speaker 1: is it it zooms us in on the source of threat. 60 00:03:24,236 --> 00:03:26,756 Speaker 1: So when we experience an intense emotion like anxiety, we 61 00:03:26,796 --> 00:03:31,596 Speaker 1: are precision focused on what is potentially bothering us. And 62 00:03:31,876 --> 00:03:35,756 Speaker 1: when we overfocus in that way on things that can 63 00:03:35,836 --> 00:03:39,516 Speaker 1: have some important consequences for our ability to make decisions 64 00:03:39,596 --> 00:03:42,636 Speaker 1: and perform in the context that are important to us. So, 65 00:03:43,036 --> 00:03:46,516 Speaker 1: as an example, if you're in the supermarket and you're 66 00:03:46,596 --> 00:03:50,596 Speaker 1: looking for, you know, supplies to last you the next 67 00:03:50,636 --> 00:03:53,996 Speaker 1: thirty days, if you're overfocused on the anxiety, you may 68 00:03:53,996 --> 00:03:56,916 Speaker 1: have the experience of, you know, putting your hand down 69 00:03:56,916 --> 00:03:59,076 Speaker 1: and running down the aisles and just putting everything in 70 00:03:59,156 --> 00:04:02,356 Speaker 1: your food cart. Right, You're not thinking about the bigger picture, 71 00:04:02,396 --> 00:04:04,236 Speaker 1: the broader contexts. Hey, what do I have in the 72 00:04:04,276 --> 00:04:07,196 Speaker 1: pantry that I need to supplement? Right? What things are 73 00:04:07,196 --> 00:04:09,636 Speaker 1: perishable and what's not. And so that's just one example 74 00:04:09,676 --> 00:04:14,076 Speaker 1: of how anxiety can zoom us in on problems. The 75 00:04:14,116 --> 00:04:17,476 Speaker 1: other consequence of that is if we're overfocused on a 76 00:04:17,556 --> 00:04:20,636 Speaker 1: particular threat. So let's say, what am I going to 77 00:04:20,716 --> 00:04:23,756 Speaker 1: do for the next thirty days or sixty days when 78 00:04:23,796 --> 00:04:25,916 Speaker 1: I've got to stay at home with my family and 79 00:04:25,956 --> 00:04:29,556 Speaker 1: work and help my kids continue to learn If you're 80 00:04:29,636 --> 00:04:34,596 Speaker 1: constantly thinking about that particular issue, that doesn't leave a 81 00:04:34,636 --> 00:04:37,196 Speaker 1: whole lot of mental space to think about other things, 82 00:04:38,036 --> 00:04:40,356 Speaker 1: the papers you have to do, the projects you're working on, 83 00:04:40,396 --> 00:04:42,076 Speaker 1: and so forth and so on, and so we know 84 00:04:42,156 --> 00:04:45,316 Speaker 1: that human attention is a limited resource. We have this 85 00:04:45,476 --> 00:04:51,036 Speaker 1: unbelievable ability to think in creative, abstract ways about the world, 86 00:04:51,556 --> 00:04:55,596 Speaker 1: but we're using all of that capacity to zoom in 87 00:04:55,636 --> 00:04:57,636 Speaker 1: on this threat, and as a result, you don't get 88 00:04:57,676 --> 00:05:00,596 Speaker 1: a whole lot of work done. So that's how intense 89 00:05:00,636 --> 00:05:04,196 Speaker 1: anxiety can essentially knock out our ability to think well. 90 00:05:04,596 --> 00:05:07,796 Speaker 1: It can also have negative implications for our relationships. That's 91 00:05:07,796 --> 00:05:11,076 Speaker 1: a second big nex consequence. One of the things we 92 00:05:11,116 --> 00:05:14,516 Speaker 1: know about intense emotion is it acts like jet fuel 93 00:05:14,596 --> 00:05:18,916 Speaker 1: that propels us to share our experiences with others. There's 94 00:05:19,316 --> 00:05:22,676 Speaker 1: decades of research which shows that when people experience, across 95 00:05:22,676 --> 00:05:27,156 Speaker 1: different cultures, intense emotions, they are highly motivated to talk 96 00:05:27,436 --> 00:05:30,956 Speaker 1: with other people about what they're experiencing. But oftentimes what 97 00:05:31,036 --> 00:05:33,756 Speaker 1: happens with intense anxiety is we talk to other people 98 00:05:34,156 --> 00:05:38,196 Speaker 1: and we continue to talk and talk and talk and talk, 99 00:05:38,236 --> 00:05:41,116 Speaker 1: and that has the effect of pushing other people away 100 00:05:41,676 --> 00:05:46,956 Speaker 1: of counter productively and paradoxically actually creating a sense of 101 00:05:46,996 --> 00:05:51,076 Speaker 1: social isolation and loneliness rather than bringing us the social 102 00:05:51,076 --> 00:05:54,636 Speaker 1: support we need. And so that's the second negative consequence 103 00:05:54,676 --> 00:05:58,396 Speaker 1: we have to be aware of. The third is what 104 00:05:58,556 --> 00:06:02,516 Speaker 1: intense anxiety, if chronically activated, can due to our bodies, 105 00:06:02,916 --> 00:06:06,476 Speaker 1: our physical health. And the situation doesn't get any rosier 106 00:06:06,516 --> 00:06:09,276 Speaker 1: when we look at that dimension. And the reason for 107 00:06:09,316 --> 00:06:14,116 Speaker 1: that is intense feelings of emotions activate a biological fight 108 00:06:14,196 --> 00:06:18,236 Speaker 1: or flight immune response that can be amazingly helpful for 109 00:06:18,396 --> 00:06:22,676 Speaker 1: dealing with potential threats. It's like activating the army reserves 110 00:06:22,756 --> 00:06:25,996 Speaker 1: or the National Guard to deal with an impending attack. Well, 111 00:06:26,276 --> 00:06:29,956 Speaker 1: turns out that biological system works really well in the 112 00:06:29,996 --> 00:06:34,196 Speaker 1: short term, but when it's chronically activated over time, as 113 00:06:34,316 --> 00:06:37,876 Speaker 1: is the case with chronic rumination and worry and anxiety, 114 00:06:38,556 --> 00:06:42,356 Speaker 1: that's when the biological systems begin to break down, so 115 00:06:42,396 --> 00:06:45,916 Speaker 1: they begin to perform less well. And as a result, 116 00:06:45,996 --> 00:06:48,916 Speaker 1: we know that intense anxieties linked to a host of 117 00:06:48,996 --> 00:06:53,236 Speaker 1: negative physical maladies. This is all pretty darn negative, right, 118 00:06:53,316 --> 00:06:55,396 Speaker 1: and the good news is that it need not be 119 00:06:55,516 --> 00:06:57,996 Speaker 1: that way, and that's what you're an expert on this 120 00:06:58,036 --> 00:07:00,956 Speaker 1: phenomena of emotion regulation. So talk to our listeners, what 121 00:07:01,236 --> 00:07:03,836 Speaker 1: is emotion regulation kind of how does it work? So, 122 00:07:03,916 --> 00:07:09,436 Speaker 1: emotion regulation is the ability to align how you're feeling 123 00:07:09,516 --> 00:07:11,676 Speaker 1: with how you want to feel. Oftentimes it takes the 124 00:07:11,716 --> 00:07:14,676 Speaker 1: form of being able to reduce a negative response, a 125 00:07:14,716 --> 00:07:18,916 Speaker 1: negative feeling like an anxious state or sadness. If we're regulating, 126 00:07:18,916 --> 00:07:20,876 Speaker 1: we want to bring those down a little bit. But 127 00:07:20,916 --> 00:07:23,716 Speaker 1: it can also take the form of amplifying those states, right, 128 00:07:23,716 --> 00:07:25,956 Speaker 1: so you could push up your anger sometimes if you 129 00:07:26,036 --> 00:07:28,556 Speaker 1: want to. Sometimes that can be helpful in a particular 130 00:07:28,596 --> 00:07:32,436 Speaker 1: interpersonal context. And the same thing applies to positive emotions too, 131 00:07:32,636 --> 00:07:37,116 Speaker 1: So it's really this facility that people have with pushing 132 00:07:37,116 --> 00:07:39,996 Speaker 1: their emotions up and down. I do think it's important 133 00:07:40,076 --> 00:07:42,956 Speaker 1: to just clarify from the outset that when we talk 134 00:07:42,956 --> 00:07:46,876 Speaker 1: about emotion regulation, we're not talking about turning emotions off 135 00:07:46,916 --> 00:07:51,076 Speaker 1: and not feeling anything. We're often talking about raining them 136 00:07:51,196 --> 00:07:54,876 Speaker 1: in to a point that we think is most adaptive 137 00:07:54,916 --> 00:07:57,636 Speaker 1: for us given the situations that we're in and in 138 00:07:57,676 --> 00:08:01,156 Speaker 1: the current climate when dealing with coronavirus, I don't think 139 00:08:01,196 --> 00:08:05,316 Speaker 1: we want to actually shut off anxiety altogether. That feeling 140 00:08:05,316 --> 00:08:08,196 Speaker 1: of anxiety is what is leading people to stay in 141 00:08:08,236 --> 00:08:10,476 Speaker 1: their home as they should stay in their home to 142 00:08:10,716 --> 00:08:14,116 Speaker 1: flatten the curve and get this under control. So we 143 00:08:14,156 --> 00:08:17,556 Speaker 1: want to maintain some anxious feelings, but what we don't 144 00:08:17,596 --> 00:08:21,636 Speaker 1: want to do is let those anxious feelings explode. So 145 00:08:21,716 --> 00:08:23,596 Speaker 1: your work has focused on certain things we can do 146 00:08:23,636 --> 00:08:26,236 Speaker 1: to emotionally regulate. And one of the strategies I love 147 00:08:26,276 --> 00:08:29,036 Speaker 1: that comes from your lab is this idea of psychological distance. 148 00:08:29,276 --> 00:08:31,636 Speaker 1: So we're all talking about social distancing now, but that's 149 00:08:31,636 --> 00:08:34,996 Speaker 1: not what psychological distance means. Walk me through what psychological 150 00:08:34,996 --> 00:08:36,996 Speaker 1: distance is and kind of how we achieve it in 151 00:08:36,996 --> 00:08:39,316 Speaker 1: our normal lives. The example I like to give people 152 00:08:39,356 --> 00:08:42,876 Speaker 1: to really convey what psychological distance is all about is 153 00:08:42,916 --> 00:08:45,076 Speaker 1: to ask you to think about a situation or a 154 00:08:45,156 --> 00:08:46,916 Speaker 1: time in your life when a friend or loved one 155 00:08:46,956 --> 00:08:49,516 Speaker 1: has come to you with a problem that they are 156 00:08:49,676 --> 00:08:53,556 Speaker 1: spinning over. They're ruminating, they're worrying excessively, they don't know 157 00:08:53,596 --> 00:08:56,316 Speaker 1: what to do, and when they pose a problem to you, 158 00:08:56,596 --> 00:08:59,836 Speaker 1: it's relatively easy for you to coach them through that situation. 159 00:09:00,596 --> 00:09:03,996 Speaker 1: The reason for that is that you have psychological distance 160 00:09:04,036 --> 00:09:07,116 Speaker 1: from that problem. It's not happening to you. It's happening 161 00:09:07,116 --> 00:09:10,076 Speaker 1: to your friend. Then you're, as a result, realt more 162 00:09:10,156 --> 00:09:14,076 Speaker 1: capable of weighing in on that problem more objectively, more rationally. 163 00:09:14,636 --> 00:09:19,196 Speaker 1: What we've learned is that we have evolved tools to 164 00:09:19,236 --> 00:09:23,916 Speaker 1: gain psychological distance from our own problems, and that when 165 00:09:23,956 --> 00:09:27,836 Speaker 1: we adopt more distanced stances when we think about our 166 00:09:27,876 --> 00:09:30,716 Speaker 1: own life, that can offer us think about our experiences 167 00:09:30,716 --> 00:09:34,236 Speaker 1: more objectively, just like we are capable of thinking about 168 00:09:34,276 --> 00:09:37,556 Speaker 1: other people's situations more objectively, and there are lots of 169 00:09:37,556 --> 00:09:39,996 Speaker 1: different tools that exist to help us do that. We 170 00:09:40,116 --> 00:09:42,596 Speaker 1: naturally get this idea of seeking advice from someone with 171 00:09:42,636 --> 00:09:45,716 Speaker 1: a bit of psychological distance. When times are tough, we 172 00:09:45,756 --> 00:09:47,516 Speaker 1: know we need a friend or coach to help us. 173 00:09:47,836 --> 00:09:50,356 Speaker 1: But the problem with the current crisis is that no 174 00:09:50,396 --> 00:09:53,436 Speaker 1: one has psychological distance. We're all in the same boat, 175 00:09:53,796 --> 00:09:56,596 Speaker 1: which means everyone we know is freaking out and anxious. 176 00:09:57,116 --> 00:09:59,796 Speaker 1: It feels like we're all under threat. So what can 177 00:09:59,836 --> 00:10:02,316 Speaker 1: we do to gain a little psychological distance when all 178 00:10:02,356 --> 00:10:04,876 Speaker 1: our friends are just as stressed as we are. When 179 00:10:04,916 --> 00:10:07,116 Speaker 1: we get back from the break ethan, we'll share some 180 00:10:07,156 --> 00:10:11,316 Speaker 1: psychological tips for harnessing your inner BF, your own wise 181 00:10:11,356 --> 00:10:14,916 Speaker 1: internal psychological coach who can calm you down and get 182 00:10:14,916 --> 00:10:30,836 Speaker 1: you thinking a little bit more rationally again. Scientists find 183 00:10:30,876 --> 00:10:34,156 Speaker 1: inspiration in lots of ways. Isaac Newton began thinking about 184 00:10:34,156 --> 00:10:37,636 Speaker 1: gravity after seeing an apple fall from a tree. Alexander 185 00:10:37,636 --> 00:10:41,996 Speaker 1: Fleming discovered penicillin after someone accidentally left a petri dish uncovered. 186 00:10:42,436 --> 00:10:46,316 Speaker 1: For psychologist Ethan Cross, inspiration about finding the importance of 187 00:10:46,316 --> 00:10:49,356 Speaker 1: an inner coach came from what might at first seem 188 00:10:49,396 --> 00:10:53,276 Speaker 1: like an odd source, basketball player Lebron James. It was 189 00:10:53,316 --> 00:10:56,116 Speaker 1: this interesting moment in time where Lebron James for the 190 00:10:56,196 --> 00:10:58,596 Speaker 1: first time was about to become a free agent, and 191 00:10:58,636 --> 00:11:01,236 Speaker 1: he had his choice of where he wanted to play basketball, 192 00:11:01,836 --> 00:11:04,996 Speaker 1: and several teams, including my beloved Nicks, were vying for 193 00:11:05,196 --> 00:11:10,516 Speaker 1: his attention, and he ended up doing an ESPN primetime 194 00:11:10,596 --> 00:11:15,236 Speaker 1: special to declare his decision. But I didn't realize when 195 00:11:15,236 --> 00:11:17,116 Speaker 1: I was about to watch the show that he was 196 00:11:17,156 --> 00:11:20,396 Speaker 1: going to provide this insight into his thinking process, which 197 00:11:20,396 --> 00:11:22,836 Speaker 1: he did. At one moment in the interview, he said, 198 00:11:22,996 --> 00:11:24,276 Speaker 1: one thing that I didn't want to do is make 199 00:11:24,276 --> 00:11:27,756 Speaker 1: an emotional decision, and I wanted to do what was 200 00:11:27,836 --> 00:11:30,716 Speaker 1: best for Lebron James, and what Lebron James is going 201 00:11:30,756 --> 00:11:33,396 Speaker 1: to do to make him happy. He basically utters an 202 00:11:33,396 --> 00:11:36,316 Speaker 1: emotion regulatory goal. Right, He says, you know, the one 203 00:11:36,356 --> 00:11:39,156 Speaker 1: thing I first person didn't want to do is make 204 00:11:39,196 --> 00:11:42,996 Speaker 1: an emotional decision. And the moment he committed to that goal, 205 00:11:43,396 --> 00:11:47,116 Speaker 1: he switched. He did something very seemingly odd. He started 206 00:11:47,156 --> 00:11:50,236 Speaker 1: talking about himself using his own name. Lebron James has 207 00:11:50,276 --> 00:11:53,396 Speaker 1: got to do what is best for Lebron James. And 208 00:11:53,476 --> 00:11:55,756 Speaker 1: so this scot my collaborators and I to start thinking 209 00:11:55,796 --> 00:12:00,356 Speaker 1: about why would a person do such a thing? Right, Like, 210 00:12:00,516 --> 00:12:02,716 Speaker 1: ninety nine percent of the time we use names to 211 00:12:02,756 --> 00:12:05,636 Speaker 1: think about refer to others. And so what we started 212 00:12:05,676 --> 00:12:09,556 Speaker 1: doing and thinking about and importantly running la lots of 213 00:12:09,636 --> 00:12:14,476 Speaker 1: experiments on, was the idea that language can provide people 214 00:12:14,516 --> 00:12:18,156 Speaker 1: with a tool to gain distance from their own problems. 215 00:12:18,716 --> 00:12:21,476 Speaker 1: The idea is that when we use words like names 216 00:12:21,996 --> 00:12:25,116 Speaker 1: or words like you or he or she, we almost 217 00:12:25,116 --> 00:12:27,916 Speaker 1: exclusively use those parts of speech when we think about 218 00:12:27,996 --> 00:12:31,076 Speaker 1: and refer to other people. And so the idea is 219 00:12:31,116 --> 00:12:34,476 Speaker 1: that when we use those parts of speech to refer 220 00:12:34,516 --> 00:12:38,116 Speaker 1: to ourselves, that should lead us to think about ourselves 221 00:12:38,196 --> 00:12:41,036 Speaker 1: more similar to how we think about others and it 222 00:12:41,076 --> 00:12:44,556 Speaker 1: should provide us with the distance that comes with thinking 223 00:12:44,556 --> 00:12:47,436 Speaker 1: about other people as a result, And Lebron was using 224 00:12:47,436 --> 00:12:49,916 Speaker 1: this in a time when that was incredibly anxious for him, 225 00:12:49,956 --> 00:12:51,956 Speaker 1: right like when he might have had that same narrowing 226 00:12:52,036 --> 00:12:54,676 Speaker 1: we were just talking about a second ago, where you know, 227 00:12:54,716 --> 00:12:56,436 Speaker 1: there's this kind of threat of is he going to 228 00:12:56,436 --> 00:12:58,276 Speaker 1: make the right decision. He's kind of too narrow and 229 00:12:58,316 --> 00:13:00,916 Speaker 1: he can't make the right choice. But in some sense, 230 00:13:00,916 --> 00:13:03,876 Speaker 1: he's like harnessing an external coach, like he's kind of 231 00:13:03,956 --> 00:13:06,276 Speaker 1: talking to himself as though he was someone else. And 232 00:13:06,316 --> 00:13:08,716 Speaker 1: so you've done studies that have looked at this empirically, 233 00:13:08,756 --> 00:13:11,076 Speaker 1: trying to get people to do exactly what Lebron did 234 00:13:11,236 --> 00:13:15,436 Speaker 1: in times of stress. Yeah, so we brought participants into 235 00:13:15,476 --> 00:13:18,956 Speaker 1: the laboratory and we induce stress using one of the 236 00:13:18,956 --> 00:13:23,876 Speaker 1: most powerful techniques that we can humanely use. People are 237 00:13:23,916 --> 00:13:26,116 Speaker 1: going to think shocks, but it's not extray shocks, right, 238 00:13:26,516 --> 00:13:29,196 Speaker 1: I would argue that it's worse than shocks. Actually, it's 239 00:13:29,236 --> 00:13:32,436 Speaker 1: like public speaking. Yeah, public speaking, which I think is 240 00:13:32,476 --> 00:13:35,556 Speaker 1: worse for many people than physical harm. And when they 241 00:13:35,596 --> 00:13:37,596 Speaker 1: got into the lab, we told them today, we want 242 00:13:37,636 --> 00:13:39,516 Speaker 1: you to give us a speech on why you're ideally 243 00:13:39,556 --> 00:13:42,236 Speaker 1: qualified to land your dream job. This is a total 244 00:13:42,276 --> 00:13:45,036 Speaker 1: surprise for participants, and we tell them you can't take 245 00:13:45,076 --> 00:13:48,516 Speaker 1: any notes, and so this is a very reliable way 246 00:13:48,516 --> 00:13:53,036 Speaker 1: of inducing social threat anxiety. So after we get everyone 247 00:13:53,116 --> 00:13:56,836 Speaker 1: stressed out, we basically randomly assign people by the flip 248 00:13:56,876 --> 00:13:59,396 Speaker 1: of a coin, to one of two groups. In one condition, 249 00:13:59,436 --> 00:14:01,116 Speaker 1: we say, you know, one of the things we're interested 250 00:14:01,116 --> 00:14:04,076 Speaker 1: in the study are the different ways that people preparing 251 00:14:04,116 --> 00:14:08,196 Speaker 1: themselves psychologically before having to give public speeches. Some people 252 00:14:08,276 --> 00:14:10,316 Speaker 1: report trying to work through and make sense of what 253 00:14:10,356 --> 00:14:12,316 Speaker 1: they're feeling in the first person, So that's what we'd 254 00:14:12,316 --> 00:14:15,516 Speaker 1: like you to do, ask yourself, why am I feeling 255 00:14:15,516 --> 00:14:18,756 Speaker 1: this way? In the other condition, we give people the 256 00:14:18,836 --> 00:14:22,356 Speaker 1: exact same set of instructions, with one difference. We say, 257 00:14:22,956 --> 00:14:26,556 Speaker 1: some people report trying to work through their feelings using 258 00:14:26,596 --> 00:14:29,476 Speaker 1: their own name and other non first person pronounced, So 259 00:14:29,476 --> 00:14:31,516 Speaker 1: that's what we'd like you to do. Why is Ethan 260 00:14:31,596 --> 00:14:34,076 Speaker 1: feeling this way? And so in one condition, that's why 261 00:14:34,076 --> 00:14:35,836 Speaker 1: am I? And the other condition it's why is Ethan? 262 00:14:35,876 --> 00:14:38,956 Speaker 1: That's the only difference between the two, and they introspect 263 00:14:39,076 --> 00:14:41,156 Speaker 1: using these different parts of speech for about three minutes. 264 00:14:41,636 --> 00:14:43,996 Speaker 1: When that phase of the study is done, we take 265 00:14:44,036 --> 00:14:46,796 Speaker 1: them down the hall to another room. There's an X 266 00:14:46,796 --> 00:14:49,236 Speaker 1: on the floor in masking tape. We say stand right there. 267 00:14:49,316 --> 00:14:51,996 Speaker 1: They look up heated. Right in front of them are 268 00:14:52,076 --> 00:14:56,276 Speaker 1: three actors who are they're told are evaluators, and we 269 00:14:56,356 --> 00:15:00,636 Speaker 1: train these actors to maintain stoic, disapproving facial expressions, so 270 00:15:01,236 --> 00:15:03,796 Speaker 1: not positive when you look up at them. And right 271 00:15:03,836 --> 00:15:06,916 Speaker 1: behind them there's a giant video camera with like a 272 00:15:06,956 --> 00:15:09,476 Speaker 1: blinking red light that's recording what happens. And then we 273 00:15:09,516 --> 00:15:12,356 Speaker 1: have the participants give their speech. They do the presentation 274 00:15:13,156 --> 00:15:15,636 Speaker 1: when the study's done. One of the things we do 275 00:15:15,916 --> 00:15:19,556 Speaker 1: is we have judges who don't know what condition the 276 00:15:19,596 --> 00:15:25,276 Speaker 1: participants were assigned, to rate participants performances for how persuasive 277 00:15:25,276 --> 00:15:28,316 Speaker 1: were their speeches. And what we find is that participants 278 00:15:28,316 --> 00:15:31,836 Speaker 1: who use their own name are rated as having delivered 279 00:15:32,436 --> 00:15:35,436 Speaker 1: more persuasive speeches. What that means to me is that 280 00:15:35,516 --> 00:15:37,516 Speaker 1: all of the things being equal about participants in the 281 00:15:37,556 --> 00:15:41,276 Speaker 1: two groups, it's the participants who use their own name 282 00:15:41,316 --> 00:15:43,516 Speaker 1: that are more likely to get this job they're interviewing 283 00:15:43,596 --> 00:15:45,956 Speaker 1: for now. We also did a few other things in 284 00:15:45,956 --> 00:15:48,356 Speaker 1: this study, so we ask people how much shame and 285 00:15:48,396 --> 00:15:52,276 Speaker 1: embarrassment they felt right after they gave their speech. Participants 286 00:15:52,316 --> 00:15:55,076 Speaker 1: who use their name felt less shameful, They felt less 287 00:15:55,156 --> 00:15:58,316 Speaker 1: self conscious and embarrassed. And then what we also did 288 00:15:58,636 --> 00:16:01,996 Speaker 1: is we had people sit down in another room. You 289 00:16:01,996 --> 00:16:04,516 Speaker 1: can think of this as like a stewing period, and 290 00:16:04,556 --> 00:16:06,916 Speaker 1: I'm imagining, like, if I'm a subject in this study, 291 00:16:07,036 --> 00:16:08,756 Speaker 1: I'm going to sit there and think I did a 292 00:16:08,836 --> 00:16:11,356 Speaker 1: real crabby job. I suck Like you're just going to 293 00:16:11,436 --> 00:16:13,556 Speaker 1: be I'm sure your subjects are just ruminating about how 294 00:16:13,636 --> 00:16:15,996 Speaker 1: terrible they did. Well, that's exactly what we wanted to 295 00:16:16,036 --> 00:16:19,716 Speaker 1: look at, and so we had people self report how 296 00:16:19,796 --> 00:16:23,676 Speaker 1: much time they spent ruminating about what they did. Oh 297 00:16:23,716 --> 00:16:26,156 Speaker 1: my god, I can't believe I said that. I kept 298 00:16:26,156 --> 00:16:28,156 Speaker 1: thinking about what I could have said better. And then 299 00:16:28,156 --> 00:16:30,636 Speaker 1: we also had them describe in writing the stream of 300 00:16:30,636 --> 00:16:33,076 Speaker 1: thoughts that were flowing through their head. And sure enough, 301 00:16:33,556 --> 00:16:36,476 Speaker 1: participants who had used their own name showed that they 302 00:16:36,516 --> 00:16:39,516 Speaker 1: were ruminating less about their performance than participants in the 303 00:16:39,516 --> 00:16:41,476 Speaker 1: other group, which is kind of crazy when you think 304 00:16:41,516 --> 00:16:44,476 Speaker 1: about it, because it's really just changing one word in 305 00:16:44,516 --> 00:16:46,556 Speaker 1: the way you're talking to yourself and it has these 306 00:16:46,556 --> 00:16:50,796 Speaker 1: incredible consequences. It's pretty crazy, Yeah, it is, and I 307 00:16:50,876 --> 00:16:54,716 Speaker 1: would encourage listeners to just try doing this linguist a shift. Also, 308 00:16:54,756 --> 00:16:58,236 Speaker 1: by the way, do it silently, not out loud. All 309 00:16:58,236 --> 00:17:00,796 Speaker 1: of the science that we've done on this deals with 310 00:17:00,836 --> 00:17:04,396 Speaker 1: these silent shifts in how people use language to think 311 00:17:04,436 --> 00:17:07,396 Speaker 1: about themselves. We have not done it talking out loud 312 00:17:07,396 --> 00:17:11,036 Speaker 1: to yourself. That actually may well be useful, but it 313 00:17:11,316 --> 00:17:15,156 Speaker 1: importantly also violates lots of social norms that exist about 314 00:17:15,196 --> 00:17:17,236 Speaker 1: not talking to yourself out loud, So I would not 315 00:17:17,316 --> 00:17:20,036 Speaker 1: encourage that. You've also been showing that this isn't just 316 00:17:20,076 --> 00:17:22,836 Speaker 1: a strategy that adults can use. This might be the 317 00:17:22,916 --> 00:17:25,516 Speaker 1: kind of thing that parents can employ when talking to 318 00:17:25,556 --> 00:17:27,596 Speaker 1: their kids in this really stressful time to get them 319 00:17:27,596 --> 00:17:31,196 Speaker 1: to help regulate their own emotions. One of the most 320 00:17:31,196 --> 00:17:34,396 Speaker 1: powerful manifestations of it is something called the Batman effect, 321 00:17:34,516 --> 00:17:37,756 Speaker 1: which a set of development of psychologist Sephanie Carlson and 322 00:17:37,876 --> 00:17:41,676 Speaker 1: Rachel White have really pioneered. What they show is that 323 00:17:41,756 --> 00:17:45,396 Speaker 1: if you have a kid engaging in a really stressful 324 00:17:45,396 --> 00:17:47,356 Speaker 1: task that they don't want to do and they're tempted 325 00:17:47,396 --> 00:17:50,876 Speaker 1: to do other things, if you ask them to just 326 00:17:51,036 --> 00:17:53,956 Speaker 1: pause and reflect on why they're doing let's say, their homework. 327 00:17:54,036 --> 00:17:55,996 Speaker 1: In one condition, you say, well, think about why you're 328 00:17:56,036 --> 00:17:58,356 Speaker 1: doing and why am I doing it? And the other condition, 329 00:17:58,396 --> 00:18:01,076 Speaker 1: you might say, imagine your Batman and think about why 330 00:18:01,116 --> 00:18:03,956 Speaker 1: Batman is working on this hard, difficult task. And when 331 00:18:03,956 --> 00:18:06,236 Speaker 1: you have a kid think about themselves like a superhero. 332 00:18:06,276 --> 00:18:09,916 Speaker 1: It turns out they perform better, they feel better, and 333 00:18:09,916 --> 00:18:13,796 Speaker 1: there's even some evidence that those techniques are most useful 334 00:18:13,836 --> 00:18:17,756 Speaker 1: for the kids who have the most difficulty controlling their emotions. 335 00:18:18,036 --> 00:18:19,996 Speaker 1: You've also showed that this technique works in the face 336 00:18:19,996 --> 00:18:22,676 Speaker 1: of the kinds of pandemic threats we're facing. Now you've 337 00:18:22,716 --> 00:18:25,036 Speaker 1: done some work in the context of the Ebola crisis 338 00:18:25,036 --> 00:18:28,196 Speaker 1: from a few years ago showing that this works as well. Right, so, 339 00:18:28,276 --> 00:18:31,636 Speaker 1: you know, Ebola was a really interesting phenomenon. Ebola is 340 00:18:31,636 --> 00:18:34,116 Speaker 1: actually quite different from coronavirus and ways we'll talk about 341 00:18:34,116 --> 00:18:36,756 Speaker 1: a little bit, but it provided us with a really 342 00:18:36,796 --> 00:18:40,316 Speaker 1: interesting opportunity to see how these linguistic shifts work outside 343 00:18:40,356 --> 00:18:43,636 Speaker 1: the lab in daily life when people are dealing with 344 00:18:43,916 --> 00:18:47,956 Speaker 1: a threat. What was interesting about Ebola was there were 345 00:18:47,996 --> 00:18:52,396 Speaker 1: actually lots of reasons why people shouldn't be worried about 346 00:18:52,476 --> 00:18:55,116 Speaker 1: the threat of an ebola outbreak in the United States. 347 00:18:55,276 --> 00:18:58,316 Speaker 1: It's not an airborne disease. The medical infrastructure in the 348 00:18:58,356 --> 00:19:01,116 Speaker 1: United States is much better than in Africa where there 349 00:19:01,116 --> 00:19:05,076 Speaker 1: were outbreaks. And yet you still had lots of people 350 00:19:05,516 --> 00:19:10,836 Speaker 1: seemingly incapable of accessing those fact base reasons why things 351 00:19:11,316 --> 00:19:14,116 Speaker 1: aren't going to go south really fast, And so everyone 352 00:19:14,156 --> 00:19:16,636 Speaker 1: was zoomed in on the threat. Could we zoom them 353 00:19:16,636 --> 00:19:19,316 Speaker 1: out help them get a sense of the bigger perspective 354 00:19:19,316 --> 00:19:22,396 Speaker 1: in ways that would alleviate their anxiety, and so, right 355 00:19:22,396 --> 00:19:25,756 Speaker 1: when the threat was peaking, we did a study online 356 00:19:25,916 --> 00:19:29,076 Speaker 1: with over a thousand people spread across all fifty states, 357 00:19:29,556 --> 00:19:33,716 Speaker 1: and we had half of participants think about their concerns 358 00:19:33,756 --> 00:19:35,756 Speaker 1: about ebol and the first person and the other half 359 00:19:35,756 --> 00:19:37,916 Speaker 1: of participants were asked to do so using their own name. 360 00:19:38,556 --> 00:19:41,636 Speaker 1: And what we found was that the more people use 361 00:19:41,756 --> 00:19:44,596 Speaker 1: their own name to think about this problem to work 362 00:19:44,636 --> 00:19:47,796 Speaker 1: through their feelings, the more they were able to think 363 00:19:47,836 --> 00:19:51,276 Speaker 1: about the reasons why they shouldn't be worried, The more 364 00:19:51,276 --> 00:19:55,036 Speaker 1: they generated fact based it's not airborne, the infrastructure is better, 365 00:19:55,236 --> 00:19:58,676 Speaker 1: and so forth and so on, and not surprisingly, the 366 00:19:58,756 --> 00:20:01,836 Speaker 1: more people thought about these reasons not to worry, the 367 00:20:01,956 --> 00:20:05,236 Speaker 1: less they actually worried, and the lower they thought there 368 00:20:05,316 --> 00:20:08,116 Speaker 1: was a risk of a widespread outbreak. And so I 369 00:20:08,156 --> 00:20:10,596 Speaker 1: think that was a nice way of looking at how 370 00:20:10,596 --> 00:20:14,796 Speaker 1: these linguistic shifts play outside the laboratory. Now, the situation 371 00:20:14,796 --> 00:20:17,916 Speaker 1: with the coronavirus is actually a little different. We are 372 00:20:17,996 --> 00:20:21,156 Speaker 1: not getting clear messaging about why we shouldn't be worrying 373 00:20:21,236 --> 00:20:25,196 Speaker 1: about this pandemic. You tune into some channels or publications 374 00:20:25,196 --> 00:20:28,036 Speaker 1: and they say there's no need to worry. Other people 375 00:20:28,036 --> 00:20:31,076 Speaker 1: will say no, actually the risk is quite severe. We're 376 00:20:31,116 --> 00:20:34,956 Speaker 1: talking about millions of people, and so we don't actually 377 00:20:35,156 --> 00:20:38,316 Speaker 1: know what's fact and what's not. And I think that's 378 00:20:38,356 --> 00:20:42,316 Speaker 1: in part what is driving so much anxiety about this situation. 379 00:20:42,836 --> 00:20:45,836 Speaker 1: So in this context, I think there is still benefit 380 00:20:45,876 --> 00:20:48,396 Speaker 1: that can be had from distancing. But the technique that 381 00:20:48,436 --> 00:20:51,956 Speaker 1: I've been recommending to people, it's something else that we 382 00:20:52,036 --> 00:20:54,836 Speaker 1: call temporal distancing, or you might think about it as 383 00:20:55,316 --> 00:20:58,676 Speaker 1: mental time travel. So one of the things we know, 384 00:20:58,996 --> 00:21:02,076 Speaker 1: and this is a fact, is that what we are 385 00:21:02,076 --> 00:21:05,756 Speaker 1: now going through we have experienced as a species before. 386 00:21:06,316 --> 00:21:09,876 Speaker 1: There have been other pandemics that have occurred the varied 387 00:21:09,876 --> 00:21:13,636 Speaker 1: in their intensity, but they've happened, and importantly, we're still 388 00:21:13,676 --> 00:21:16,716 Speaker 1: here capable of talking about them. So they've happened and 389 00:21:16,716 --> 00:21:19,996 Speaker 1: we've gotten through it. And so what temporal distancing? If 390 00:21:20,036 --> 00:21:22,996 Speaker 1: I asked you to think about how you feel not 391 00:21:23,156 --> 00:21:24,716 Speaker 1: right now, but how are you going to feel two 392 00:21:24,836 --> 00:21:30,236 Speaker 1: years from now, right when most forecasts suggest this will 393 00:21:30,316 --> 00:21:34,636 Speaker 1: have subsided, will have vaccines, herd immunity will likely develop, 394 00:21:34,676 --> 00:21:37,436 Speaker 1: and so forth. There's lots and lots of research which 395 00:21:37,476 --> 00:21:41,516 Speaker 1: show that engaging in this form of mental time travel, 396 00:21:41,636 --> 00:21:43,916 Speaker 1: thinking about how we're going to feel not right now, 397 00:21:43,956 --> 00:21:46,556 Speaker 1: in this moment, but in six months from now, or 398 00:21:46,596 --> 00:21:49,316 Speaker 1: a year from now or two years from now. What 399 00:21:49,396 --> 00:21:52,916 Speaker 1: that does is it highlights the impermanence of what we 400 00:21:52,956 --> 00:21:56,596 Speaker 1: are currently experiencing. And this is another strategy that we 401 00:21:56,756 --> 00:21:59,436 Speaker 1: use when we're giving advice to each other. Like whenever 402 00:21:59,476 --> 00:22:02,036 Speaker 1: I talk to my college students about some threat that 403 00:22:02,076 --> 00:22:03,996 Speaker 1: they see right at the moment, you know this grade 404 00:22:04,036 --> 00:22:06,596 Speaker 1: that's looming. They got a really horrible grade. It's like, hey, 405 00:22:06,636 --> 00:22:08,876 Speaker 1: in three years time, this isn't going to really matter 406 00:22:08,916 --> 00:22:11,876 Speaker 1: that much. Like the coaches from the outside can give 407 00:22:11,956 --> 00:22:15,276 Speaker 1: you some psychological distance by harnessing how you're going to 408 00:22:15,316 --> 00:22:17,356 Speaker 1: think about things in the future. It's just we're just 409 00:22:17,396 --> 00:22:20,676 Speaker 1: doing the same thing inside our own heads exactly. And 410 00:22:20,876 --> 00:22:25,756 Speaker 1: you know, there are countless distancing techniques that exist. We've 411 00:22:25,796 --> 00:22:28,956 Speaker 1: talked about right this linguistic shift. Now we're talking about 412 00:22:28,996 --> 00:22:32,516 Speaker 1: temporal distancing. The key here is to think about which 413 00:22:32,596 --> 00:22:37,716 Speaker 1: distancing tactic works best in this particular situation. There's a 414 00:22:37,756 --> 00:22:40,596 Speaker 1: reason why we have these different strategies. They're all related, 415 00:22:40,876 --> 00:22:43,196 Speaker 1: but they work a little differently. So this is super 416 00:22:43,236 --> 00:22:45,196 Speaker 1: advice because it seems like we can use each of 417 00:22:45,196 --> 00:22:48,516 Speaker 1: these strategies in the coronavirus situation, but at different times. 418 00:22:48,796 --> 00:22:50,756 Speaker 1: So when I'm going to the grocery store and I'm 419 00:22:50,756 --> 00:22:52,796 Speaker 1: just super anxious and I need to calm down, I 420 00:22:52,836 --> 00:22:55,236 Speaker 1: can talk to myself in the third person like Laurie, 421 00:22:55,436 --> 00:22:57,076 Speaker 1: like you know, you're going to get through this, You're 422 00:22:57,076 --> 00:23:00,196 Speaker 1: going to make a good decision, etc. Etc. But kind 423 00:23:00,196 --> 00:23:02,196 Speaker 1: of collectively, as a culture, we might be able to 424 00:23:02,316 --> 00:23:05,596 Speaker 1: use this temporal distancing strategy to really think, hang on, 425 00:23:05,676 --> 00:23:07,476 Speaker 1: let's pause for a second. We're going to get through this. 426 00:23:07,516 --> 00:23:09,716 Speaker 1: We've gotten through this before. Three years from now, this 427 00:23:09,796 --> 00:23:12,196 Speaker 1: is going to be fine, etc. When you use these 428 00:23:12,196 --> 00:23:15,396 Speaker 1: strategies yourself, are you switching between them or these kind 429 00:23:15,396 --> 00:23:19,156 Speaker 1: of go to strategies that you tend to use totally Ethan, 430 00:23:19,596 --> 00:23:21,596 Speaker 1: get your act together, this is going to be fine. 431 00:23:21,756 --> 00:23:25,756 Speaker 1: And the temporal distancing. I use those two interchangeably. You 432 00:23:25,996 --> 00:23:27,996 Speaker 1: actually did something that was really interesting when you just 433 00:23:28,316 --> 00:23:32,396 Speaker 1: described how you shift from using lorry to the temporal distancing. 434 00:23:32,916 --> 00:23:35,996 Speaker 1: When you were describing the mental time travel stuff, you 435 00:23:36,236 --> 00:23:38,916 Speaker 1: actually use the word we We're going to get through this, 436 00:23:39,036 --> 00:23:41,196 Speaker 1: not I'm going to get through this. We we A 437 00:23:41,236 --> 00:23:44,556 Speaker 1: is also another form of distancing, right, It's not just 438 00:23:44,596 --> 00:23:47,756 Speaker 1: about me, it's about all of us together. And so 439 00:23:47,796 --> 00:23:51,676 Speaker 1: I think that's another illustration right there, of how language 440 00:23:51,716 --> 00:23:55,836 Speaker 1: is serving as this this conduit that's helping you distance 441 00:23:55,996 --> 00:23:58,676 Speaker 1: in that moment. My prediction would be you might feel 442 00:23:58,676 --> 00:24:00,756 Speaker 1: a little bit different if it was I'm going to 443 00:24:00,796 --> 00:24:03,196 Speaker 1: get through this in four year scenari then we're going 444 00:24:03,236 --> 00:24:04,916 Speaker 1: to get through it. I wanted to end with the 445 00:24:04,996 --> 00:24:07,276 Speaker 1: question of, like, what's Ethan doing right now? I mean, 446 00:24:07,316 --> 00:24:11,276 Speaker 1: have you watched yourself use these rategies in the stressful situation? Laurie. 447 00:24:11,356 --> 00:24:14,316 Speaker 1: Of course, I've watched myself using strategies. This is all 448 00:24:14,356 --> 00:24:19,076 Speaker 1: I do. I'm feeling anxious too, and I think that's appropriate. 449 00:24:19,236 --> 00:24:22,716 Speaker 1: I know I'm in it with everyone else. We human beings, people, 450 00:24:22,836 --> 00:24:25,996 Speaker 1: all of us are incredibly resilient, and the human mind 451 00:24:26,196 --> 00:24:30,876 Speaker 1: has amazing, this amazing facility for thinking flexibly about the 452 00:24:30,956 --> 00:24:35,556 Speaker 1: challenges that we face. And there's some evidence actually that 453 00:24:35,756 --> 00:24:39,396 Speaker 1: these kinds of emotion regulation tools are even more effective 454 00:24:39,676 --> 00:24:42,716 Speaker 1: when you're under threat, because there's so much more negative 455 00:24:42,716 --> 00:24:46,356 Speaker 1: emotion to help rain in under those circumstances. So I 456 00:24:46,396 --> 00:24:48,236 Speaker 1: think they can help take the edge off, and I 457 00:24:48,236 --> 00:24:50,356 Speaker 1: think that's what we want them to do. Taking the 458 00:24:50,436 --> 00:24:53,436 Speaker 1: edge off just a little bit can often be the difference, 459 00:24:53,516 --> 00:24:56,396 Speaker 1: I think between getting your work done and not getting 460 00:24:56,396 --> 00:24:59,556 Speaker 1: it done, being happy and cheery around your family and 461 00:24:59,636 --> 00:25:02,116 Speaker 1: not and so so I encourage people to try them. 462 00:25:02,316 --> 00:25:04,516 Speaker 1: So in some sense, these are strategies that can get 463 00:25:04,596 --> 00:25:07,516 Speaker 1: us back to kind of normal functioning in a really 464 00:25:07,516 --> 00:25:09,876 Speaker 1: abnormal time. Yeah. I think that's a great way of 465 00:25:10,196 --> 00:25:13,116 Speaker 1: putting it. That's the hope. I, for one, plan to 466 00:25:13,156 --> 00:25:16,636 Speaker 1: take Ethan's ideas to heart, or should I say, Laurie's 467 00:25:16,676 --> 00:25:19,236 Speaker 1: going to start taking Ethan's ideas to heart. Laura's going 468 00:25:19,236 --> 00:25:21,236 Speaker 1: to think carefully about what she can do in this crisis, 469 00:25:21,596 --> 00:25:23,796 Speaker 1: and Laurie's going to realize that she's been through things 470 00:25:23,836 --> 00:25:26,636 Speaker 1: like this before and she's come through them okay, And 471 00:25:26,676 --> 00:25:29,476 Speaker 1: so I hope you'll join me, Laurie for the next 472 00:25:29,476 --> 00:25:39,196 Speaker 1: special episode of The Happiness Lab. The Happiness Lab is 473 00:25:39,236 --> 00:25:42,196 Speaker 1: made by me, doctor Laurie Santos. It's produced and co 474 00:25:42,276 --> 00:25:45,476 Speaker 1: written by Ryan Delley. Our original music is by Zachary 475 00:25:45,516 --> 00:25:48,596 Speaker 1: Silver where a Pushkin Podcast. So special thanks go to 476 00:25:48,716 --> 00:25:53,116 Speaker 1: Jacob Weisberg, Neil Aabelle, Heather Faine, Carli mcgliori, Julia Barton 477 00:25:53,236 --> 00:26:04,476 Speaker 1: and the rest of the team.