Increase Performance By Working At Your Edge – Plus A Quick Hack For When Panic or Anxiety Swells

Quick Overview

Dan Harris and high-performance psychologist Dr. Michael Jery discuss managing panic disorder, working at one's edge, and the utility of self-talk and psychological skills training, concluding that consistent practice builds self-awareness and allows individuals to choose growth over avoidance.

Key Points: Dan Harris's career defining moment was having a panic attack on Good Morning America, which led him to self-medicate with cocaine and ultimately discover meditation. Meditation builds a muscle of self-awareness, enabling practitioners to see the contents of their consciousness without being owned by them, which happens when one notices distraction and starts again, like a "bicep curl for your brain." When anxiety swells, self-talk, described as self-compassion, is highly useful, especially when referring to oneself in the third person, such as saying "Dan, you are not going to die." Working at your edge involves acute stress followed by intelligent recovery, modeled after elite athletes who train near their capacity daily, contrasting with most people who hold onto acute stress, leading to chronic stress. Harris models facing fears by engaging in exposure therapy for panic disorder, flying unmedicated on small commuter planes, and plans to attempt a larger flight with his son unmedicated after partial success. Psychological skills training, encompassing self-efficacy, purpose, and psychological agility, forms the foundation for executing in high-stress conditions, which is analogous to physical skills training. Harris worries about the state leveraging power against private companies regarding speech, noting that while he defends Kimmel's right to say something stupid, the media monoculture leans left, and he focuses on maintaining the rule of law in democracy.

Context: This content is an excerpt from the 10% Happier Podcast, featuring host Dan Harris interviewing his friend Dr. Michael Jery, a high-performance psychologist who works with elite athletes and executives. The conversation centers on Harris's personal history with panic disorder, stemming from his time as an ABC News correspondent, and explores performance enhancement strategies like working at one's edge, mindfulness, and specific coping mechanisms for anxiety.