1 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:06,960 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff to Blow Your Mind from how Stuff 2 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:13,880 Speaker 1: Works dot com. Hey, welcome to Stuff to Blow your Mind. 3 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:15,920 Speaker 1: My name is Robert Lamb and I'm Julie Duklass, and 4 00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:18,640 Speaker 1: today we were talking about tigers. We're talking about paper tigers, 5 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:22,040 Speaker 1: which instantly brings to mind like a you know, an 6 00:00:22,040 --> 00:00:25,160 Speaker 1: oregony savor tooth tiger up the mint size, like chasing 7 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 1: you down in your dreams, catching up with you and 8 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:30,600 Speaker 1: then just carrying into you with its with a thousand 9 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:34,240 Speaker 1: paper cuts and just ripping you to shreds. That's about right, yea, yeah, 10 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:36,120 Speaker 1: And it's kind of a stand in for for many 11 00:00:36,159 --> 00:00:39,240 Speaker 1: different things. Historically, a paper tiger was a stand in 12 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:43,400 Speaker 1: for a country that really had sort of no political might, 13 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:46,160 Speaker 1: but posed a threat or was trying to pose a threat. 14 00:00:47,040 --> 00:00:50,239 Speaker 1: But then it's been sort of h used in the 15 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:54,440 Speaker 1: vernacular to mean like some sort of threat that that 16 00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 1: doesn't really um have any physical manifestation, and yet it 17 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 1: can't help but chew your brains out. Yeah, I mean, 18 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:03,440 Speaker 1: especially if you if you go ahead and apply the 19 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:07,840 Speaker 1: actual paper aspect of this to paperwork. Um. As this 20 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:10,319 Speaker 1: podcast is coming out, we're smack dab in the middle 21 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:13,679 Speaker 1: of tax season, so you know, everyone's you know, even 22 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:15,640 Speaker 1: though there's less I guess paper involved in it if 23 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:18,200 Speaker 1: you're doing it online, but still all the paperwork of 24 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:21,480 Speaker 1: getting your taxes in like that is a huge paper 25 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:23,440 Speaker 1: tiger because you have you know, we were talking about 26 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:26,600 Speaker 1: this yesterday. It's it's not only the stress of the moment. 27 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:29,959 Speaker 1: It's like an entire year, maybe an entire life's stress 28 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:33,160 Speaker 1: uh about money and about finance and about your your 29 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:37,960 Speaker 1: very spending habits and uh and your life choices, you know, houses, uh, 30 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:40,800 Speaker 1: your marital status. All of these things just wound up 31 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:44,560 Speaker 1: into one confusing task and if you get it wrong, 32 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:47,680 Speaker 1: then if you mess it up, then you end up 33 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 1: having to pay more money or you go to jail. 34 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:53,800 Speaker 1: It's it can be a high stress situation. Well see, 35 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:56,360 Speaker 1: that's the thing about these paper tigers is that they 36 00:01:56,720 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 1: do cause stress. And just even saying taxes, I noticed this, um, 37 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:02,840 Speaker 1: and maybe it's because I've had too much coffee this morning, 38 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:05,840 Speaker 1: but my palms are beginning to sweat because I'm starting 39 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:08,040 Speaker 1: to think about the anxiety that I've had before and 40 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:10,639 Speaker 1: trying to do my taxes. And as you mentioned, if 41 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:13,400 Speaker 1: you mess up WOA, that that can be like a 42 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:17,720 Speaker 1: year long nightmare to try to repair. Yeah. Yeah, so 43 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:20,000 Speaker 1: that is what we are talking about today, because this 44 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:25,359 Speaker 1: is very interesting. This this lightning fast physiological response that 45 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:28,480 Speaker 1: comes from from the paper tigers you know, real or 46 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:34,880 Speaker 1: imagined and really having their um beginnings and real tigers 47 00:02:34,919 --> 00:02:38,280 Speaker 1: like saber tooth tigers. Right, yeah, because again we this 48 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:40,239 Speaker 1: is one of those examples where we we go back 49 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:44,520 Speaker 1: to a mythical prehistoric plane, you know, where primordial humans 50 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 1: are hanging out and occasionally savory thooth tigers jump out 51 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:50,239 Speaker 1: and eat them. Um, you know, ignore the actual archaeology 52 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 1: of of this example, but it's you know, the idea 53 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:54,440 Speaker 1: that there was a time when humans didn't have it 54 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:58,000 Speaker 1: knocked and that every day was a life and death 55 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:01,680 Speaker 1: battle with the environment and a predator could just decide 56 00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:05,600 Speaker 1: to eat. And this is something called the stress response. Right, 57 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:09,600 Speaker 1: It's really important to have the stress response, particularly in 58 00:03:09,639 --> 00:03:12,320 Speaker 1: this example. So what is happening when you're having this 59 00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:15,880 Speaker 1: kind of response, Well, your heart rate just goes bananas, right, 60 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:20,240 Speaker 1: goes up, your blood flow increases, your digestive system actually 61 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:23,799 Speaker 1: begins to shut down because uh, you know, you don't 62 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 1: want to be digesting something you want to use that 63 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:28,560 Speaker 1: energy to confront the problem in front of you. Same 64 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:32,600 Speaker 1: thing with your immune system that gets repressed because again, 65 00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:35,040 Speaker 1: the bigger threat is in front of you, not some 66 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:37,080 Speaker 1: sort of germ that your immune system is trying to 67 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 1: fight off. So temporarily your body says, hey, immune system, 68 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:42,040 Speaker 1: you can knock it off for a couple of minutes. 69 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:44,280 Speaker 1: Why we're trying to figure this out. And then I 70 00:03:44,280 --> 00:03:47,600 Speaker 1: think this is so cool. Your eyes, the pupils in 71 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 1: your eyes actually dilate, and they do this because they're 72 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:53,400 Speaker 1: trying to take in more light. Because when they do that, 73 00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:57,840 Speaker 1: you have this temporarily increased vision. So it's almost sort 74 00:03:57,840 --> 00:04:00,440 Speaker 1: of like the super human moment that you have. And 75 00:04:00,480 --> 00:04:03,120 Speaker 1: at last, just seconds all the settings changed. We go 76 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:06,080 Speaker 1: into this fear mode, this fight or flight mode. And 77 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 1: we've discussed before we were talking about memory that even 78 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 1: even memory gets kind of twisted about. There's that the idea, 79 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 1: you know that everyone thinks that they remember exactly what 80 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:18,599 Speaker 1: they were wearing and eating on Stay nine eleven, or 81 00:04:18,680 --> 00:04:22,560 Speaker 1: they're you know, older when Kennedy was shot, but in reality, 82 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:25,440 Speaker 1: the brain kind of bypasses those memories and lets you 83 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:28,280 Speaker 1: not unless you makes you think that you remember those things, 84 00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:30,679 Speaker 1: because ultimately the brain is saying, don't worry about your cereal, 85 00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:33,320 Speaker 1: don't worry about what you're wearing. You're you're in a 86 00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:35,839 Speaker 1: stressed out mode. You need to worry about survival. Yeah, 87 00:04:35,839 --> 00:04:37,920 Speaker 1: it's macro and up micro. We don't need to know 88 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:40,080 Speaker 1: details right now. We just need to know if this 89 00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:42,560 Speaker 1: is a real threat in front of us, and that 90 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 1: flight or fight is really defined by the adrenaline coursing 91 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:48,800 Speaker 1: through our bodies, the cortisol, which is the stress hormone 92 00:04:48,839 --> 00:04:52,800 Speaker 1: that gets released. Um, you probably have heard these examples 93 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:55,640 Speaker 1: of a mother or father picking up a thousand or 94 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:58,760 Speaker 1: two thousand pound car to try to release their child 95 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:01,560 Speaker 1: stuck underneath it. And that's that's a good example of 96 00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:06,200 Speaker 1: this sort of superhuman strength or these abilities beyond ourselves 97 00:05:06,240 --> 00:05:10,839 Speaker 1: that we can evoke when we are experiencing the stress response. So, yeah, 98 00:05:10,880 --> 00:05:13,919 Speaker 1: your body charges up to to to fight something or 99 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:16,039 Speaker 1: to run away, to to take all of this this 100 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:19,200 Speaker 1: energy in these new settings and apply them to either 101 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:22,240 Speaker 1: beating the tar out of a saber tooth tiger or 102 00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:24,200 Speaker 1: running as fast as you can so that does not 103 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 1: eat you. Yeah, and it's one of the reasons why 104 00:05:26,120 --> 00:05:29,800 Speaker 1: humans have been so successful as a species because, um, 105 00:05:29,839 --> 00:05:32,159 Speaker 1: you know, this allows us to have or to make 106 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:35,279 Speaker 1: rapid fire decisions and act on them, and a lot 107 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:37,800 Speaker 1: of times, particularly when we use that example from the past, 108 00:05:37,839 --> 00:05:41,440 Speaker 1: saber tooth tiger, they can have life saving outcomes. All right. 109 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:44,520 Speaker 1: The problem with modern humans, I suppose you could say, 110 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:48,720 Speaker 1: is that stress can be bad when you have insidious 111 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:52,560 Speaker 1: levels of it. And when I say insidious levels, I 112 00:05:52,640 --> 00:05:56,479 Speaker 1: mean that our body doesn't distinguish between a real saber 113 00:05:56,520 --> 00:06:00,240 Speaker 1: tooth tiger and well, to some degree, uh in a 114 00:06:00,279 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 1: paper tiger, right, because the stress response is the same 115 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:07,039 Speaker 1: no matter what. So if I have a deadline approaching, 116 00:06:07,320 --> 00:06:10,279 Speaker 1: or this is a classic one, you think that you 117 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:12,279 Speaker 1: have sent an email to just one person and you 118 00:06:12,320 --> 00:06:14,159 Speaker 1: have this paranoid feeling like, oh my god, I just 119 00:06:14,200 --> 00:06:16,040 Speaker 1: sent it out to the entire company, and your your 120 00:06:16,080 --> 00:06:19,240 Speaker 1: palms begin to sweat and your heart begins to beat fast. 121 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:24,000 Speaker 1: That's that is a reaction that that is over exaggerated, 122 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:27,679 Speaker 1: right for for the actual instance, but it still feels 123 00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:31,120 Speaker 1: like a threat. And this can be really dangerous to 124 00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:34,760 Speaker 1: uh you know, long term to have this constant sort 125 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:37,920 Speaker 1: of low level stress about you. Um, as we had 126 00:06:37,920 --> 00:06:42,400 Speaker 1: discussed in our episode about epigenome. These are the kind 127 00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:46,440 Speaker 1: of thing stress that can flip the switches that um 128 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:51,440 Speaker 1: the switches that that control diseases or disorders, right, And 129 00:06:51,520 --> 00:06:54,240 Speaker 1: I mean it has a big effect on your cardiac health, 130 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:56,480 Speaker 1: right because you've got inflammation in the arteries, You've got 131 00:06:56,480 --> 00:06:59,479 Speaker 1: all sorts of things going on that stress can do 132 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:02,359 Speaker 1: to your body. And I think this is kind of 133 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:06,400 Speaker 1: fascinating too, that increased cortisol levels which come from the 134 00:07:06,440 --> 00:07:10,440 Speaker 1: stress response, can actually begin to affect insulin production, and 135 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:12,920 Speaker 1: that insulin can then make that decision about whether or 136 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:15,400 Speaker 1: not to burn off fat or to store it. So 137 00:07:15,520 --> 00:07:17,800 Speaker 1: if you are at a constant low level of stress, 138 00:07:17,840 --> 00:07:20,920 Speaker 1: it's a lot harder to lose weight because it's keeping 139 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:23,720 Speaker 1: you know, all those fat stores in your body. Yeah, 140 00:07:23,760 --> 00:07:25,640 Speaker 1: I mean it ultimately again comes down to this idea 141 00:07:25,680 --> 00:07:28,520 Speaker 1: that all this stress builds up and then we're supposed 142 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:32,480 Speaker 1: to release that stress in the form of a fight 143 00:07:32,640 --> 00:07:35,320 Speaker 1: or a flight, but we don't. But we don't. It's 144 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:37,880 Speaker 1: kind of like like if you imagine a situation where 145 00:07:37,880 --> 00:07:41,640 Speaker 1: the tiger, the saber tooth tiger almost attacks a bunch 146 00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:43,400 Speaker 1: of times, like you know, it's just kind of stalking 147 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:47,800 Speaker 1: toying with the prey down like when is it gonna attack? 148 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:50,440 Speaker 1: When is it gonna actually when is the uh, when 149 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:52,119 Speaker 1: is this actually going to go down? And the stress 150 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:54,320 Speaker 1: keeps building and building. But then you know what if 151 00:07:54,320 --> 00:07:58,040 Speaker 1: the tiger never attacks? Because yeah, I can't help but 152 00:07:58,120 --> 00:08:01,520 Speaker 1: think back to our previous use of savor tooth tiger example, 153 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:03,960 Speaker 1: when we were talking about humor, the idea that that 154 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:07,720 Speaker 1: that laughter emerges when something that was perceived as a 155 00:08:07,720 --> 00:08:10,320 Speaker 1: threat is suddenly realized to not be a threat. And 156 00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:12,920 Speaker 1: then what happens We laugh and it's and this is 157 00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:15,200 Speaker 1: also this is interesting too because that when what is laughter? 158 00:08:15,320 --> 00:08:19,000 Speaker 1: But this, this this full body experience. You could you 159 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:21,480 Speaker 1: could almost look at that as in a means of 160 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:24,920 Speaker 1: burning off some of the stress energy through the laughter, Like, oh, 161 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:27,720 Speaker 1: I can laugh about it now, But but where do 162 00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:30,160 Speaker 1: you reach that point with some of these paper tigers. 163 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:32,320 Speaker 1: I mean, even after you send in your taxes, do 164 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:37,280 Speaker 1: you ever really laughing and my taxes are off? That's great, 165 00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:40,439 Speaker 1: They're done. I can laugh about it now. No, not necessarily, 166 00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:43,480 Speaker 1: you're just trying to insert your laughter. Yoga agenda, I said, 167 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:46,960 Speaker 1: where we're going with us? No, after yoga agenda all right, 168 00:08:47,040 --> 00:08:48,560 Speaker 1: let's take a quick break and we get back. We 169 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:53,360 Speaker 1: will talk about bosses who attack. All right, we're back, 170 00:08:53,400 --> 00:08:55,760 Speaker 1: and we've been talking about you know, what happens when 171 00:08:55,800 --> 00:08:58,120 Speaker 1: there's a perceived threat. We build up all that stress 172 00:08:58,120 --> 00:09:00,360 Speaker 1: in your body, and then, as an organ isn't we're 173 00:09:00,400 --> 00:09:03,160 Speaker 1: supposed to then release that stress by either fleeing from 174 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:06,280 Speaker 1: the thing that is endangering us or fighting the thing 175 00:09:06,440 --> 00:09:09,760 Speaker 1: is endangering us. But what happens when that the thing 176 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:14,400 Speaker 1: that is giving us all this stress cannot be fled 177 00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:17,199 Speaker 1: from and cannot be directly opposed. What if it's something 178 00:09:17,559 --> 00:09:20,640 Speaker 1: like your taxes or um or just like a like 179 00:09:20,679 --> 00:09:22,600 Speaker 1: a massive amount of paperwork you have to get done. 180 00:09:22,800 --> 00:09:25,520 Speaker 1: Or what if it takes an actual, like human physical 181 00:09:25,559 --> 00:09:28,679 Speaker 1: embodiment in the form of your boss, Right, yeah, I mean, 182 00:09:29,080 --> 00:09:33,480 Speaker 1: because really, if you could fight your boss, you could 183 00:09:33,559 --> 00:09:35,480 Speaker 1: you could run from your boss. You could quit your 184 00:09:35,559 --> 00:09:37,600 Speaker 1: job and move to a different city never see that 185 00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:39,760 Speaker 1: boss again. Both of these options are on the table. 186 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:43,000 Speaker 1: But generally speaking, within a society, within within a culture, 187 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:45,560 Speaker 1: we have all these weird rules. You know, when you 188 00:09:45,640 --> 00:09:49,679 Speaker 1: lay culture over any kind of biological reality, all these 189 00:09:49,720 --> 00:09:52,080 Speaker 1: complications come up, So you end up in the station 190 00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:54,480 Speaker 1: with situation where you're like, my boss is my enemy. 191 00:09:54,920 --> 00:09:56,920 Speaker 1: I want to fight him or her, I want to 192 00:09:56,960 --> 00:09:58,800 Speaker 1: flee from him or her, But neither of those are 193 00:09:58,840 --> 00:10:01,600 Speaker 1: an option because I need a job and this is 194 00:10:01,679 --> 00:10:03,400 Speaker 1: this is where I am, this is maybe this is 195 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:05,400 Speaker 1: who I who I am? You know it's so it's 196 00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:07,360 Speaker 1: you can't take you to those options. Yeah, And the 197 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:09,480 Speaker 1: funny thing is, it's like your boss has a boss too, 198 00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:12,560 Speaker 1: and it's experiencing the same thing when his boss or 199 00:10:12,640 --> 00:10:16,760 Speaker 1: her boss comes and stands over him or her and 200 00:10:16,840 --> 00:10:19,320 Speaker 1: begins to take off a to do list right or 201 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:21,360 Speaker 1: to say, you know, when something got screwed up, you 202 00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:24,480 Speaker 1: began to feel that stress response, because again, it doesn't 203 00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:26,360 Speaker 1: matter if it's a real saber tooth tiger or your 204 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:29,440 Speaker 1: boss just looming over you. You know that that you 205 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:34,240 Speaker 1: began to get anxious about the situation. UM. So, of 206 00:10:34,280 --> 00:10:36,679 Speaker 1: course there are things you can do here other than 207 00:10:36,720 --> 00:10:39,320 Speaker 1: actually going mono mono with your boss, which, as you 208 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:42,680 Speaker 1: pointed out, is probably not a good idea. UM. You've 209 00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:46,160 Speaker 1: got to have some sort of release, and we've talked 210 00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:48,880 Speaker 1: about a release in the form of meditation before or 211 00:10:49,040 --> 00:10:53,040 Speaker 1: yoga after yoga, but for my money, I have to 212 00:10:53,080 --> 00:10:55,360 Speaker 1: say that I think that exercise, that burst of energy 213 00:10:55,360 --> 00:10:57,720 Speaker 1: that you talked about when you think about our our 214 00:10:57,760 --> 00:11:00,680 Speaker 1: ancestors running from a saber tooth tiger, that I think 215 00:11:00,880 --> 00:11:04,600 Speaker 1: is is the thing that is most helpful here. Yeah, 216 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:07,560 Speaker 1: I mean, because your body wants to run, So get 217 00:11:07,559 --> 00:11:09,560 Speaker 1: on a treadmill, run a little bit, you know, well, 218 00:11:09,559 --> 00:11:12,400 Speaker 1: and you've got a chemical cocktail and your body swirling 219 00:11:12,400 --> 00:11:14,839 Speaker 1: around with no outlet. Right, So that's why we get 220 00:11:14,840 --> 00:11:17,760 Speaker 1: this low. Look. You know, the threat may have disappeared, 221 00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:20,640 Speaker 1: but later on you're still stuck with the effects of stress. 222 00:11:20,720 --> 00:11:22,719 Speaker 1: So if you can burn off those chemicals in the 223 00:11:22,760 --> 00:11:25,319 Speaker 1: form of exercise, well then you've just accomplished the same 224 00:11:25,360 --> 00:11:28,360 Speaker 1: thing as is running from sabertooth tiger. Yeah. So high 225 00:11:28,400 --> 00:11:32,120 Speaker 1: intensity exercise it's a good way to handle it. Also, sleep, 226 00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:34,040 Speaker 1: a good night's sleep a good way to do it. 227 00:11:34,080 --> 00:11:36,560 Speaker 1: I mean we've all had that situation. I mean, hopefully 228 00:11:36,720 --> 00:11:38,400 Speaker 1: we're all at a point where we realized that if 229 00:11:38,400 --> 00:11:42,280 Speaker 1: you're stressed out about something that might be a little silly, uh, 230 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:45,160 Speaker 1: like Monday night, go to sleep and see if it's 231 00:11:45,160 --> 00:11:47,960 Speaker 1: still bothering you Tuesday morning. This is I highly recommend 232 00:11:48,440 --> 00:11:50,880 Speaker 1: you have a nasty email you're about to send out 233 00:11:50,880 --> 00:11:54,160 Speaker 1: to somebody. Let it, let it set, let's let it 234 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:56,040 Speaker 1: wait till the next day to actually send it and 235 00:11:56,040 --> 00:11:59,480 Speaker 1: see if it's still as important, uh, twenty four hours later. 236 00:11:59,640 --> 00:12:02,160 Speaker 1: It's true because the idea here is that you just 237 00:12:02,240 --> 00:12:05,040 Speaker 1: want to lower your blood pressure and and return to 238 00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:08,079 Speaker 1: normal and get out of that heightened state in whatever 239 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:10,680 Speaker 1: way that you can. So again, it makes sense to 240 00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:13,960 Speaker 1: me to just do something for for thirty minutes to 241 00:12:14,080 --> 00:12:17,040 Speaker 1: burn off those chemicals. And by the way, studies have 242 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:20,920 Speaker 1: shown that when you do this um this regular exercise, 243 00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:25,320 Speaker 1: that also helps to control stress in future episodes, so 244 00:12:25,400 --> 00:12:29,079 Speaker 1: you don't have an over exaggeration or as much um 245 00:12:29,679 --> 00:12:33,120 Speaker 1: response to whatever stimuli it is in front of you. Yeah. 246 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:37,439 Speaker 1: I've also wondered what if, to what extent violent video 247 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:41,160 Speaker 1: games or even just mildly violent video games provide some 248 00:12:41,200 --> 00:12:42,920 Speaker 1: sort of outlet like that as well, because if we're 249 00:12:42,960 --> 00:12:44,960 Speaker 1: building up this feeling off we need to fight something, 250 00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:48,640 Speaker 1: then maybe maybe it does bode well to then go 251 00:12:48,720 --> 00:12:51,760 Speaker 1: home and shoot a bunch of robots. I don't know. Yeah, 252 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:54,040 Speaker 1: but then you don't have the physical express right, you're 253 00:12:54,080 --> 00:12:58,040 Speaker 1: still if anything you maybe just massaging that that feeling 254 00:12:58,040 --> 00:13:00,280 Speaker 1: a little bit when it really needs to be throw hold. 255 00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:04,520 Speaker 1: Do you think that we could institute HSW dance offs 256 00:13:04,520 --> 00:13:08,000 Speaker 1: in the office to release our stress? I think it would. 257 00:13:08,040 --> 00:13:11,560 Speaker 1: It might stress out some people, that's true. I don't know, 258 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:15,000 Speaker 1: you know, everyone has their their different release, but I 259 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:17,440 Speaker 1: mean I for my own part, I definitely see like 260 00:13:17,480 --> 00:13:21,440 Speaker 1: a big difference. Uh. Ever, since I started doing yoga regularly, 261 00:13:22,040 --> 00:13:23,440 Speaker 1: I have found that, like if there's a week that 262 00:13:23,480 --> 00:13:25,199 Speaker 1: goes by where I don't actually make it to yoga, 263 00:13:25,280 --> 00:13:27,240 Speaker 1: like my stress level all week is just a little 264 00:13:27,320 --> 00:13:31,040 Speaker 1: higher for not having that that release. Well, we had 265 00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:33,360 Speaker 1: talked about the default mode network too, and that's really 266 00:13:33,400 --> 00:13:35,760 Speaker 1: at play here because it's that chattering midline of the 267 00:13:35,800 --> 00:13:38,040 Speaker 1: brain that you have to quiet. So if you can 268 00:13:38,080 --> 00:13:40,360 Speaker 1: do that through yoga or meditation, then you can help 269 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:43,840 Speaker 1: to tamp down the respect response to stress as well. Um, 270 00:13:43,880 --> 00:13:46,480 Speaker 1: but again, exercise too quick way just to blow it 271 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:48,760 Speaker 1: out of there. Yeah yeah, I mean you don't you know, 272 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:50,560 Speaker 1: it could be as simple as a quick dance off. 273 00:13:50,559 --> 00:13:53,520 Speaker 1: It could be as as simple as get up, go outside, 274 00:13:53,520 --> 00:13:55,400 Speaker 1: walk around the building, come back in, you know, just 275 00:13:55,920 --> 00:13:58,360 Speaker 1: do something to to burn off some of that that 276 00:13:58,440 --> 00:14:01,280 Speaker 1: fight or flight chemical cock hailed that's brewing inside you. 277 00:14:02,800 --> 00:14:05,719 Speaker 1: Those are just a couple of ways to shred those 278 00:14:05,760 --> 00:14:08,719 Speaker 1: paper tigers. All right, let's call the robot over here 279 00:14:08,720 --> 00:14:12,520 Speaker 1: and get some quick listener mail. Alright, the two that 280 00:14:12,559 --> 00:14:16,520 Speaker 1: come to us today here These are actual, actually Facebook messages. 281 00:14:16,640 --> 00:14:20,440 Speaker 1: The first one comes from anonymous anonymous right sentences, Hello, 282 00:14:20,520 --> 00:14:22,600 Speaker 1: Robert and Julie. I love your podcast. I like to 283 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:25,880 Speaker 1: share with you a response to your regurgitation celebration podcast. 284 00:14:26,440 --> 00:14:29,240 Speaker 1: It really helped me accept that vomiting is a natural 285 00:14:29,280 --> 00:14:32,360 Speaker 1: part of life and can actually be beneficial depending on 286 00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:36,200 Speaker 1: the circumstances. Unfortunately, vomiting for me is maladaptive. I have 287 00:14:36,240 --> 00:14:39,080 Speaker 1: panic disorder and o c D, and I inevitably vomit 288 00:14:39,120 --> 00:14:41,600 Speaker 1: in response to a panic attack. My panic attacks are 289 00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:44,480 Speaker 1: only perpetuated by the fear of vomiting in public. As 290 00:14:44,520 --> 00:14:48,480 Speaker 1: a result, I obsess about vomiting of the day. Cognitive 291 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:50,960 Speaker 1: behavioral therapy has helped me manage the disorders. I just 292 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:53,800 Speaker 1: wanted to drop you all align and let you know 293 00:14:53,960 --> 00:14:56,400 Speaker 1: that your regurgitation episode has given me a new outlook 294 00:14:56,400 --> 00:14:58,920 Speaker 1: on vomiting and makes me feel less alone when I 295 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:02,880 Speaker 1: do vomit from a panic attack. Sincerely, Anonymous. Well, that's 296 00:15:02,960 --> 00:15:06,320 Speaker 1: that's really good to hear, you know, to to whatever extent, 297 00:15:06,440 --> 00:15:09,120 Speaker 1: you know, any of the information that that we share 298 00:15:09,160 --> 00:15:13,280 Speaker 1: through the podcast, can you know, provide individuals with you know, 299 00:15:13,400 --> 00:15:17,440 Speaker 1: slightly different you know, hopefully more positive outlook on the body, 300 00:15:17,560 --> 00:15:20,320 Speaker 1: on their behavior, on the world around them, because regretation 301 00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:22,720 Speaker 1: is really, at the end of the day, a defense system, right, 302 00:15:22,800 --> 00:15:24,640 Speaker 1: So yeah, it's gone a little bit of a rye 303 00:15:24,680 --> 00:15:26,280 Speaker 1: in that case, but to know that it is a 304 00:15:26,320 --> 00:15:29,280 Speaker 1: defense system is is I think comforting. Yeah. I feel 305 00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:31,120 Speaker 1: like when I was younger, I definitely, you know, I 306 00:15:31,160 --> 00:15:32,880 Speaker 1: was just scared of vomiting. I was just like it 307 00:15:32,920 --> 00:15:35,160 Speaker 1: would just freak me out. But then the last the 308 00:15:35,240 --> 00:15:37,520 Speaker 1: last time or two that I got really sick, I 309 00:15:37,520 --> 00:15:41,400 Speaker 1: I realized this is going to happen and probably feel 310 00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:43,760 Speaker 1: better for it. It's going to be disgusting, but I'm 311 00:15:43,800 --> 00:15:45,760 Speaker 1: gonna feel better. And it's you know, my body wants 312 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:49,040 Speaker 1: to vomit, so I should want to vomit. So there 313 00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:52,840 Speaker 1: you go. It's kind of long, but I think it 314 00:15:52,840 --> 00:15:55,240 Speaker 1: would work. We also heard from a listener by the 315 00:15:55,320 --> 00:15:57,960 Speaker 1: name of Andrew. Andrew Wrightson and says love the show. 316 00:15:58,040 --> 00:16:00,000 Speaker 1: Have you guys done a show on the pulsebo Effet, 317 00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:02,640 Speaker 1: I'd like to hear your take on the topic. Keep 318 00:16:02,680 --> 00:16:04,840 Speaker 1: up the great work. And yes, we did do an 319 00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:08,200 Speaker 1: episode in the Placebo Effect titled The Placebo Effect colon 320 00:16:08,640 --> 00:16:12,600 Speaker 1: Brain over Pain, and that was published in two thousand eleven. 321 00:16:12,640 --> 00:16:15,200 Speaker 1: But but if you go to the RSS page for 322 00:16:15,800 --> 00:16:18,760 Speaker 1: our podcast, you can find it there in the list. Uh. 323 00:16:18,760 --> 00:16:21,000 Speaker 1: And if you want to find that RSS link, it's 324 00:16:21,040 --> 00:16:23,120 Speaker 1: always at the bottom of any blood post that we 325 00:16:23,160 --> 00:16:25,240 Speaker 1: put up about the episode, so I just look for 326 00:16:25,280 --> 00:16:28,200 Speaker 1: it there. But yeah, that was a cool episode, you know. Uh, 327 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:31,320 Speaker 1: speaking of paper tigers and stress. Sometimes I think about 328 00:16:31,360 --> 00:16:33,800 Speaker 1: that instance. Um, And I don't know if we covered 329 00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:37,000 Speaker 1: it specifically in that episode the Placebo one, but I 330 00:16:37,080 --> 00:16:39,520 Speaker 1: think about the person who was taking who was in 331 00:16:39,560 --> 00:16:42,560 Speaker 1: a drug trial and they were taking the placebo, but 332 00:16:42,600 --> 00:16:45,080 Speaker 1: they knew about the side effects, and they had taken 333 00:16:45,080 --> 00:16:48,360 Speaker 1: those side effects us to hurt so much so that 334 00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:53,160 Speaker 1: they ended up at the emergency room in horrible health 335 00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:55,840 Speaker 1: because their body began to shut down. Yeah, and I 336 00:16:55,880 --> 00:16:58,120 Speaker 1: think it's just so powerful that the you know that 337 00:16:58,240 --> 00:17:01,560 Speaker 1: the brain the mind over matter. Yeah, I mean with 338 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:05,600 Speaker 1: the paper tigers, you end up almost feeling the possible 339 00:17:05,640 --> 00:17:07,920 Speaker 1: negative outcome to whatever you're doing. If you start thinking 340 00:17:07,920 --> 00:17:10,359 Speaker 1: about how did I send that email out to the 341 00:17:10,520 --> 00:17:13,400 Speaker 1: entire company or just to my friend? Do you really 342 00:17:13,400 --> 00:17:17,640 Speaker 1: start experiencing the reality. But like physically of having sent 343 00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:19,680 Speaker 1: that out to all these people, you start putting yourself 344 00:17:19,720 --> 00:17:22,560 Speaker 1: in a virtual fear environment in your own mind. Yeah, 345 00:17:22,600 --> 00:17:25,360 Speaker 1: and just like this little death that you begin to experience, 346 00:17:25,359 --> 00:17:27,520 Speaker 1: I think you're experiencing yah, and not the good kind. 347 00:17:28,520 --> 00:17:33,000 Speaker 1: So yeah, that was another episode. So hey, if you 348 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:35,240 Speaker 1: guys would like to reach out to us and uh 349 00:17:35,520 --> 00:17:37,879 Speaker 1: share some thoughts on this or other topics, we'd love 350 00:17:37,920 --> 00:17:40,520 Speaker 1: to hear from you. What are your paper tigers, um, 351 00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:42,200 Speaker 1: and then how to what extent have you been able 352 00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:44,879 Speaker 1: to defeat them? Let us know. You can find us 353 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:46,760 Speaker 1: on Facebook, you can find us on tumbled We're stuff 354 00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:48,399 Speaker 1: to blow your mind on both of those. You can 355 00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:51,000 Speaker 1: find us on Twitter where our handles blow the mind, 356 00:17:51,320 --> 00:17:53,280 Speaker 1: and you can also drop us a line at below 357 00:17:53,280 --> 00:18:02,040 Speaker 1: of the mind at Discovery dot com. For more on 358 00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:10,120 Speaker 1: this and thousands of other topics, visit Howstuff Works dot com.