Today we’re taking a deep dive into stress: what causes it, how it affects us, and the various ways we can treat it. As someone who has lived in a huge city for a long time and who travels frequently, stress has wrecked me in various ways — but I know I’m definitely not alone. Gallup reports that 55% of Americans are regularly stressed during the day, and things just seem to be getting worse, as stress-related mental health issues are notably more common in Gen-Z than previous generations. So, clearly, this is a big issue, especially within the United States — but the silver lining is that we do have the tools and knowledge necessary to reduce those statistics. That’s why I was keen to sit down with one of the foremost stress experts, Jim Poole, President and CEO of Solace Lifesciences. Solace Lifesciences is a neuroscience company focused on personalized evidence-based wellness and performance. They created NuCalm, the world's first and only patented technology clinically proven to lower stress and improve sleep quality — without drugs. And by managing the stress response, NuCalm also helps with muscle recovery, healing, focus, productivity, and emotional balance. I’ve tried hundreds of different biohacks and technologies, and I fall off of most of them after a few weeks. But when I find a modality or device that’s this effective, I just become obsessed with it (like happily making myself look like a crazy person on the plane obsessed). I’ve used NuCalm nearly every day since I got one, and it’s really like meditating on steroids.   Interesting in trying out the NuCalm yourself? You can save $500 using the code “luke500” at NuCalm.com.   10:07 — What are some of the most common causes of stress? Everything in modern life causes stress The biggest culprits are technology, the increasing pace of our world, and our food supply Stress is an even more insidious problem than many people think, as most of us aren’t aware of the long-term implications of constant stress on mankind and our planet There’s a cultural issue with work in the USA, with people wearing stress as a badge of honor, but this does seem to be moving in a positive direction The epidemic of overprescribing our children When you’re a teenager, your brain is developing — and adding drugs that suppress the central nervous system is really dangerous What we can learn about stress from Provo, Utah   17:58 — The experience of starting to use NuCalm NuCalm has a cumulative effect How learning the mechanism of action behind a biohacking device helps with compliance I’ve been meditating for a long time and I can do it just about anywhere, but it’s crazy how different I feel when I combine my practice with NuCalm   20:47 — How stress affects your brain and body Self-awareness isn’t always enough to stop a stress response, especially when related to trauma What you should know about your amygdala, cortisol, and adrenaline Reacting Vs. Responding How your brain changes when you have a fight or flight response A perceived threat is just as real as a real threat to your brain and body Why focusing on mindfulness is the best thing we can do to minimize our unnecessary stress responses The intimacy we have with our own stress (and that we never share) Negative thoughts have a greater impact on us than positive ones The difference between fear and anxiety Why does stress wreck our digestion? What the Dalai Lama said about meditation Why is meditation so difficult for some people?   47:00 — The neurotransmitters that calm us down + what’s happening in our brain when we do GABA (gamma-Aminobutyric acid) is responsible for anything anti-anxiety occurring in your brain chemistry We’d die without GABA — but, weirdly, most people have never heard of it How stress creates disease and kills us Most of us will die from stress There are plenty of things we can use to temporarily alleviate stress by stimulating our GABA receptors (alcohol, opiates, marijuana, etc), but these short-t