Dr. Wendy Suzuki

Sometimes it's just about, you said you like the inhale and exhale for a longer time. That is a very basic but powerful one. Explore that on YouTube. There are thousands of free meditations you can do that. I always send people there. Practice it. See which ones you like. Sometimes it's too long of a hold for people and you have to find the one that you like. Practice it.

Sometimes it's just about, you said you like the inhale and exhale for a longer time. That is a very basic but powerful one. Explore that on YouTube. There are thousands of free meditations you can do that. I always send people there. Practice it. See which ones you like. Sometimes it's too long of a hold for people and you have to find the one that you like. Practice it.

Get it comfortable with yourself. And then it'll be easier to call it up when you do notice that moment coming up.

Get it comfortable with yourself. And then it'll be easier to call it up when you do notice that moment coming up.

Exactly.

Exactly.

And if you do do it, really think about how that made you feel. Do you feel that difference? And it's important to keep exploring how different things make you feel. Because maybe you chose just a bum breath technique. It doesn't work for you. And there are those that, you know, just won't hack it for you. So try other things, but stay aware.

And if you do do it, really think about how that made you feel. Do you feel that difference? And it's important to keep exploring how different things make you feel. Because maybe you chose just a bum breath technique. It doesn't work for you. And there are those that, you know, just won't hack it for you. So try other things, but stay aware.

And that practice of self-awareness, I think, is so important for the rest of our lives, I think.

And that practice of self-awareness, I think, is so important for the rest of our lives, I think.

Stress very physiologically releases stress hormone, cortisol. Cortisol goes through the blood-brain barrier, goes into the brain. And the danger is that there are key brain areas that you want to keep healthy and thriving and growing throughout your life that high levels of consistent cortisol will damage and then eventually kill cells.

Stress very physiologically releases stress hormone, cortisol. Cortisol goes through the blood-brain barrier, goes into the brain. And the danger is that there are key brain areas that you want to keep healthy and thriving and growing throughout your life that high levels of consistent cortisol will damage and then eventually kill cells.

And the first brain area I'll focus on is called the hippocampus, critical for memory function. And here we know that long-term stress, for example, people with PTSD, monkeys that have low rank in the pecking order, male monkeys, have tiny little hippocampi because those cells have gotten damaged, and then died. And that is not good.

And the first brain area I'll focus on is called the hippocampus, critical for memory function. And here we know that long-term stress, for example, people with PTSD, monkeys that have low rank in the pecking order, male monkeys, have tiny little hippocampi because those cells have gotten damaged, and then died. And that is not good.

We need what I like to call a big, fat, fluffy hippocampus for the rest of our lives. This is the area that first gets attacked in Alzheimer's disease, and you want to keep that beautiful and healthy. The other brain area that is attacked in stress is your prefrontal cortex, critical for decision-making, being able to shift and focus your attention. And so you are starting to damage two key areas.

We need what I like to call a big, fat, fluffy hippocampus for the rest of our lives. This is the area that first gets attacked in Alzheimer's disease, and you want to keep that beautiful and healthy. The other brain area that is attacked in stress is your prefrontal cortex, critical for decision-making, being able to shift and focus your attention. And so you are starting to damage two key areas.

You know, I lead 9,000 students. The two brain areas I want to work best in these students are the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex. And it kills me that during finals, all that stress that comes up is damaging their ability to show us all the beautiful knowledge that they learn. Of course, not just my students, but all students around the world. How can we...

You know, I lead 9,000 students. The two brain areas I want to work best in these students are the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex. And it kills me that during finals, all that stress that comes up is damaging their ability to show us all the beautiful knowledge that they learn. Of course, not just my students, but all students around the world. How can we...

How can we de-stress that process and thereby help learning, help recall, help their professors know what they do understand about the topic?

How can we de-stress that process and thereby help learning, help recall, help their professors know what they do understand about the topic?