What are the best protocols for reducing anxiety?

To reduce anxiety, Andrew Huberman suggests several effective protocols that involve both mental and physical practices:

1. Structured Journaling: Engaging in a specific journaling protocol, where you write about deeply stressful or traumatic experiences for a period of time, can lead to significant relief from anxiety and other mental health challenges. This approach has shown to improve both mental and physical health metrics across numerous studies 1 2.

2. Physiological Breathing Techniques: The cyclic physiological sigh, practiced for just five minutes a day, is an effective tool to improve mood and mental health. This involves taking two inhales through the nose followed by a full exhale through the mouth, repeated throughout the session. It's a zero-cost method that can enhance various metrics of physical and mental health 3.

   • 

     1

     Writing for Healing

     00:46:45
     
   • 

     2

     Writing for Healing

     00:41:02
     
   • 

     3

     Breathing for Well-Being

     01:19:25
     
   • 

     4

     Stress and Recovery

     01:46:15
     

3. Controlled Exposure to Stress: Short, daily exposures to brief intense stress may recalibrate the body's stress response, which can help alleviate chronic stress symptoms. This counterintuitive approach has been shown in studies to reverse the negative effects of prolonged stress 4.

These protocols offer different approaches from expressive writing to specific breathing exercises, each supported by scientific research to help manage anxiety effectively.