# Increase Performance By Working At Your Edge – Plus A Quick Hack For When Panic or Anxiety Swells Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK_TXQQygks Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/mK_TXQQygks Generated: 2026-02-22T10:03:27.569+00:00 --- ## 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. ## Detailed Analysis The discussion extensively covers the practical application of psychological skills for high performance and anxiety management. Harris detailed his path from a televised panic attack and subsequent drug use to finding meditation through figures like Eckhart Tolle and Joseph Goldstein, emphasizing that the value of meditation lies in repeatedly noticing distraction and restarting focus, building self-awareness. For acute panic, Harris prefers self-talk, specifically using self-compassion and referring to oneself in the third person (e.g., "Dan, you are not going to die") as a powerful physiological tool, which complements the foundational awareness gained from mindfulness. Jery introduced the model of working at one's edge, which requires inducing acute stress (often emotional or relational for him) and then intelligently recovering to avoid chronic stress, unlike most people who ruminate and remain stressed. Harris shared his ongoing exposure therapy for panic disorder on planes, balancing the goal of extinguishing fear with the risk of re-traumatization by pushing too hard, using small doses of medication for manageable discomfort. They also touched upon media dynamics, where Harris expressed concern over state intimidation of private companies regarding speech, advocating instead for relentless curiosity and civil conversation between differing viewpoints, modeling a willingness to reconsider one's own positions. ### Origin of Practice - Harris's panic attack on GMA led to self-medication and ultimately finding meditation, starting with Eckhart Tolle and then moving to actionable practices like breath focus. ### Meditation Mechanics - The practice is described as a "bicep curl for your brain" where the core action is noticing distraction and starting over, building the muscle of self-awareness (mindfulness). ### Handling Panic - For immediate anxiety, self-talk or self-compassion is most useful, enhanced by placing a hand on the chest and referring to oneself in the third person for powerful psychological benefits. ### Working at the Edge - High performance requires a cycle of acute stress followed by intelligent recovery, similar to how elite athletes train near their capacity daily, unlike those who remain in a state of chronic stress. ### Exposure Therapy & Recovery - Harris actively engages in exposure therapy for panic disorder on planes, balancing the drive to extinguish fear with the need for measured recovery to avoid further trauma. ### Foundational Skills - Dr. Jery outlines psychological skills training based on self-efficacy, purpose, and psychological agility, noting that emotional agility is key to navigating stress effectively. ### Media and Civility - Harris critiques the current media landscape, expressing worry about state intimidation, but emphasizes that the antidote is modeling relentless curiosity and engaging in civil conversation across political divides.