Completing the Stress Cycle

Unlocking Us by Brené Brown
October 14, 2020 Podcast

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In her October podcast of Unlocking Us, Brené Brown chats with Drs. Emily and Amelia Nagoski, twin sisters and authors of Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle. This conversation not only provides simple guidance for those suffering an overload of stress—um, everyone?—but also shares insightful anecdotes from the lived experience of all three participants. While mindfulness garners much popular attention these days, the Nagoskis argue that certain physical activities are key to completing the stress cycle and avoiding stuck emotional states. Physical exertion, deep breathing, affection, positive social interaction, creative expression, or "a big old cry" signal to our brain's primitive safety systems that the threat has receded and we can relax the stress response. In a moment of intense and seemingly continuous global stress, the Nagoskis urge us not to avoid stress—impossible—but, rather, to navigate this inevitable terrain armed with the knowledge that our bodies are equipped to recover and move forward. While the topic is urgent and necessary, the conversation flows smoothly as Brown prompts the Nagoskis to dig beneath their book and share what drove them towards this topic. If you find yourself both consumed by stress and without the opportunity to crack a book, this might be the most beneficial fifty minutes you could invest in yourself, all while addressing those pesky house chores.