The page numbers in this index refer to the printed version of this book. To find the corresponding locations in the text of this digital version, please use the “search” function on your e-reader. Note that not all terms may be searchable.
Note: Page numbers in italics refer to illustrations.
abandonment, fear of, 96
academic performance, 204–7, 218
aches, 43
adaptation, 15, 33–34
addictions
anger addiction, 143
and dopamine levels, 64, 117, 181
to external stimulation, 49, 123, 136
and limbic brain, 28–29
as maladaptive habit, 74
neurochemical basis of, 61–62
sexual addiction, 116–19
adrenal glands, 62, 197
adversity, 183–85
advertising, 89–90, 124–25, 126
aggression, 60
agitance, 43–50
and advertising, 124
and alignment/misalignment, 49–50
causes of, 50
checklist for, 44–46
and conditioning, 102
and external stimulation, 122
and hunger, 112
and maladaptive habits, 82, 83, 84
management of, 49–50, 132 (see also strategies for managing agitance)
nature of, 46–47, 48, 132–33
neurochemical basis of, 63
origins of, 57
physical consequences of, 55
and sexual stimuli, 117
stress as related to, 50–51, 132
symptoms of, 53
unawareness of, 55
alcohol consumption, 96, 97, 101–2, 117
alignment/misalignment, 47–50, 63, 165–67
ambiguity, tolerance for, 120
amygdala
and aggression, 60
and anger management, 143
and decision making, 199
and dopamine levels, 199
and fear, 62
and labeling fear responses, 172
and meditation, 66
and PTSD, 67
and social networks, 164, 177
and Survivalist Strategy, 164
anger
and agitance checklist, 45
and limbic system, 28, 30, 60
and strategies for managing agitance, 143–44
antibodies, 103
Anwar, Yasmin, 180–81
Aron, Arthur, 181–82
association, 102
athletic performance, 207–9
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), 42
audition experience, 209–11
autoimmune diseases, 41, 103
autonomic nervous system, 60
avoidance, 74–75, 76–77
balance, 41–42, 47–50, 57
Bale, Robert, 68
basal ganglia, 60
beauty standards, 125
Bechara, Antoine, 198
bedtime routines, 137–39, 144. See also sleep issues
Beilock, Sian, 172
beta blockers, 70
boredom, 121–23
brain, 58–60
brain community, 163, 174, 182, 213
brain fog, 43
brain stem, 58, 177
breathing techniques, 149, 150–52, 167, 170–71
Bryant, Kobe, 212
Camerer, Colin, 199
cellular conditioning, 102–6
cerebellum, 58
cerebral cortex
anatomy of, 64
and duality, 170, 171–72
evolution of, 58–60
and fractionation, 160, 164
and gratitude, 174, 176
and labeling, 172–73, 174, 176
limbic brain vs., 29–30, 59–60, 64–65, 67–68, 78–79, 160–61, 197
and PTSD, 67
retraining of, 162–63, 164, 165, 166, 167
and strategies for managing discomfort, 156–57
challenges, 212–13
change, fear of, 46
children
child abuse, 71
and discomfort tolerance, 228
and lack of unstructured time, 227
and prescription drugs, 20
and risk management, 217
and technology management, 134
chocolate, 61
chronic conditions, 8–9, 38
classes, expressions of compassion in, 180–81
Clemens, Samuel, 40
cognitive approach to behavioral changes, 29, 161
comfort-zone management, 146–47
communication technologies, 119–121
compassion, 179–183
compulsiveness, 74, 183–85
computers, 119–121
concentration, issues with, 43
conditioning, 85–107
and advertising, 89–90, 124–25
association, 102
at cellular level, 102–6
Conditioned Powerlessness, 86
conditioned response/conditional reflex, 88
defined, 86
generalization, 90–92
operant or instrumental conditioning, 88
pairing, 89–90
power of, 106–7
state-dependent learning, 97–102
subliminal conditioning, 92–97, 124, 126–27
confidence, 172, 201
control, fear of losing, 33, 38, 138
corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF), 62, 64
cortisol, 62
Cozy Paradox, 21, 131
cytokines, 105
danger, 164
decision making under pressure, 197–200
depression, 21
DeVoe, Sanford E., 94–95, 112
dieting, 24–28
discomfort
avoidance of, 37–38
benefits of, 226, 230
changing your relationship with, 37–38
chronic discomfort, 40–41, 42–43, 52
and conditioning, 102
and Cozy Paradox, 21, 131
discomfort threshold, 12–13, 20, 38, 51, 123
early stages of, 41, 43
effects of, 7
and emotional health, 38
and externalization, 125
and fear, 64, 77
and genetic expression, 71
individual variation in management of, 51–52
and instant gratification, 114–15
labeling, 172–73
and limbic system, 63–64
management of (see Survivalist Strategies)
and misalignment, 48
neurochemical basis of, 63
past experiences with, 55
as precursor to comfort, 146
self-manufacturing of, 40, 159
set point for, 131
as source of power, 34, 161
symptoms of, 41, 43
triggers of, 40
types of, 40
varying levels of, 55–56
distractions, 74, 170
DNA, 70–72
dopamine, 60–64
and addictions, 64, 117, 181
and decision making, 198–99
and external stimulation, 123
and maladaptive habits, 61–62, 160, 199
and sexual stimuli, 117
drinking, 96, 97, 101–2
drug abuse, 117
duality, 163, 168–172, 173, 175–76
Dutton, Donald, 181–82
dysregulation, 160
eating habits. See food and eating behaviors
eczema, 91–92
e-mail, 44–45, 121, 133
empathy, 179–183
encoding of trauma and fear, 69–70
endocrine system, 60
The End of Illness (Agus), 145
endorphins, 60–61, 181
epigenetics, 70–72
epinephrine, 62
Esch, Tobias, 179
exercise, 156
expectations management
in personal productivity, 141–42, 193
in relationships, 134, 136
externalization, 109–27
defined, 109–10
demand for external stimulation, 121–23, 125
and discomfort, 125
insidious sources of, 123–27
instant gratification, 112–13, 114–15
and scholastic performance, 205
and sexual stimuli and addiction, 116–19
and technology, 119–121
failure, fear of, 204–5, 214, 216
familiarity, 144–45
fast food, 111
fatigue, 43
of abandonment, 96
of change, 46
and Cozy Paradox, 21
and decision making, 197–200
and discomfort, 63–64, 77
encoding of, 69–70
external mitigators of, 78–79
of failure, 204–5, 214, 216
of flying, 75–76
and genetic expression, 71
labeling fear responses, 172
and limbic system, 28, 30, 60, 63–64
of losing control, 33, 38, 138
and loss aversion, 198
and maladaptive habits, 74–84, 83, 88
medications that mitigate, 70
neurochemical basis of, 62
and performance under pressure, 192–94, 195–97
of rejection, 32, 96
and risk aversion, 199, 214–17
and Special Forces soldiers, 195–96
and survival instinct, 39, 164
triggers of, 48, 53–54
fight-or-flight response, 62, 71, 82, 164
films, 122, 124
Fitzsimons, Gavan J., 94
Fitzsimons, Grainne M., 94
flying, fear of, 75–76
food and eating behaviors, 24–28
and agitance checklist, 45
and comfort-zone management, 146
and conditioning, 94–97
and delaying gratification, 153
and dopamine levels, 61–62, 63, 64
fast food, 111
and impatience, 111–12
and limbic vs. cerebral brains, 26, 30, 66
overeating, 61–62, 79
and risk aversion, 216
and strategies for managing agitance, 145, 153
fractionation, 160, 164
frustration, managing, 113
generalization, 90–92
genetic expression, 70–72
Gladiator exercise, 185–86, 213
glucocorticoids (stress hormones), 62
Google, 114
gratification management, 152–53
gratitude, 135–36, 173–77
growth, personal, 37–38
gut reactions, 65. See also limbic brain
habits, maladaptive, 73–84
and conditioning, 88
development of, 74–75, 83
and dopamine levels, 61–62, 160, 199
effectiveness of, 85
examples of, 75–78, 79–84
function of, 78, 159–160
and limbic system, 28–29
role of, 73
types of, 74–75
happiness
and discomfort, 38
and fast-food symbols, 96, 112–13
happiness scale, 23
and instant gratification, 96, 112–13
set point for, 131
hardiness, 183–84
hardship, 39, 183–85. See also discomfort
The Healing Power of Emotion (Siegel), 225
health and health problems
and anger, 143
chronic conditions, 8–9, 38
health-related habits, 74
irritable bowels, 82–84
Let Down Effect, 99–101
Resistance to Health, 215
of U.S. population, 23
Hebb, Donald, 69
hiccups, 3–7
hippocampus, 60, 164–65
homeostasis, 47
hunger, 28–29, 45
hypnosis, 3–6, 11, 148–49, 221–22
hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis), 62, 71, 197
hypothalamus, 60, 62, 164–65, 197
impatience, 45, 110, 111–12
imperfection, approach to, 134–36
impulsive behavior, 95
inflammatory responses, 103–5, 138, 148–49
Inner Core State of Balance, 169–170
insomnia. See sleep issues
instant gratification
and happiness, 96, 112–13
and sexual stimuli and addiction, 116–19
and strategies for managing agitance, 149
and technology, 114–15
insular cortex, 66
interleukin-6, 138
Internet, 114, 133
irritability, 43
irritable bowels, 82–84
Job, Veronika, 226
journaling, 172
Kahneman, Daniel, 197–98
Kanigan, Rachele, 184
Khoshaba, Deborah, 184
Kornfield, Jack, 161
labeling, 172–73, 174, 176
Let Down Effect, 8, 74, 99–100, 156
Lieberman, Matthew, 172
life expectancy in the U.S., 23
limbic brain
anatomy of, 60–61
cerebral brain vs., 29–30, 59–60, 64–65, 67–68, 78–79, 160–61, 197
and chronic conditions, 9
and decision making, 199
and dopamine levels, 199
and duality, 170
and eating habits, 26
and emotions, 28, 30, 58, 59, 60, 63–64, 143
encoding process of, 69–70
evolution of, 58
and fractionation, 160, 164
and gratitude, 174, 176
and habits, 28–29
and labeling reactions, 172–73
love and compassion’s effect on, 179–181
management of, 66
and neurochemical reactions, 61–62
pleasure/pain drives of, 63–64, 97
and PTSD, 67
retraining of, 28–29, 162–63, 164, 165, 166, 167, 174
role of, 28–29, 60
and sexual stimuli, 117
and strategies for managing discomfort, 156–57
and survival instinct, 63
loss aversion, 198, 199
love, 179–183
Maddi, Salvatore, 183–84
Master, Sara, 180
Mazar, Nina, 94
Meaney, Michael, 71
medicine, 20, 42
meditation, 66, 161–62
microwaves, 111
migraines, 101
mind-body medicine, 5–6, 11–12
mindfulness, 161–62
mismanagement/misalignment, 41
Morgan, Charles A., III, 195
movies, 122, 124
multitasking, 136–37, 139, 155
music, 134
National Sleep Foundation, 138
Native Americans, 229
negativity bias, 198, 199
neuromarketing, 126
neuropeptide Y (NPY), 195–96
norepinephrine, 62
nucleus accumbens, 60, 66
overeating behaviors. See food and eating behaviors
oxytocin, 177–78
pain
avoidance of, 37–38
changing your relationship with, 37–38
emotional pain, 229–230
and limbic system, 28, 30
medical management of, 161
as rite of passage, 229
pairing, 89–90
panic attacks, 30–32, 63, 69–70
parasympathetic system, 82–83
past experiences with discomfort, 55
Pavlov, Ivan, 88
pedophilia, 118
perfectionism, 46, 134–36, 141–42
performance, 191–219
academic and test performance, 204–7
audition experience, 209–11
and decision making, 197–200
and fear, 192–94, 195–97
sports performance, 207–9
strategies for success, 211–18
workplace performance, 200–203
pharmaceuticals, 20, 42
Phelps, Elizabeth, 199
phobias, 74–75
phone calls, 139
pituitary glands, 62, 197
pleasure
and eating and drinking, 97
external sources of, 48
and limbic system, 28, 30, 60, 61, 63, 66, 97
and prefrontal cortex, 64
pornography, 116, 117, 118–19
postholiday illnesses, 100
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 66–68, 160, 196
power, 34, 161
predictability, 144–45
prefrontal cortex
function of, 64
and hunger response, 66
and PTSD, 67, 160
procrastination management, 139–141
productivity management, 141–42, 193
protective habits, 74
psoriasis, 92
public speaking, 67
Ramirez, Gerardo, 172
R-complex, 58
rejection, fear of, 32, 96
relationships, 188–190
and amygdala, 164
and dopamine surges, 61
expectation management in, 134, 136
and fear of rejection, 32, 96
and oxytocin, 177–78
and secret sharing, 178–79
and social support recruitment, 177–79, 213
relaxation techniques, 149
resilience, 183–85
Resistance to Health, 215
resonance, 47–50
restraint, exercising, 27–28
Richards, Robin, 200–202, 214
risk aversion and management, 199, 214–17
Roosevelt, Franklin D., 195
routines, maintaining, 144–45
sadomasochism, 118
safety, feelings of
and discomfort, 38
and duality, 171–72
limbic brain’s emphasis on, 199
and limbic system, 28–29
schedule management, 144–45
Schoen Breath Technique, 149, 150–52, 167, 170–71
scholastic performance, 204–7, 218
seasonal affective disorder (SAD), 99
secret sharing, 178–79
self-esteem, 135
self-manufactured discomfort, 40
sensory-input management, 136–37
set point for discomfort, 131
sexual stimuli and addiction, 116–19
Shapiro, Evan, 135
Shin, Lisa, 67
Siebert, Al, 184
Siegel, Daniel, 225
Skinner, B. F., 88
sleep issues, 33–34
and agitance checklist, 46
and bedtime routines, 137–39, 144
and conditioning, 96
and fear of losing control, 33, 138
insomnia, 33–34, 74, 80, 82
and journaling, 172
as maladaptive habit, 74, 80–82
medications for, 80–82
and strategies for managing agitance, 137–39, 144
and technology management, 133
Slovic, Paul, 225–26
slowing down, 139
smartphones, 154
smiling, 143–44
smoking, 98–99
social support recruitment, 177–79, 213. See also relationships
Sokol-Hessner, Peter, 199
Special Forces soldiers, 195–96
sports performance, 207–9
state-dependent learning, 97–102
Stefano, George, 179
Stellar, Jennifer, 180–81
stimulation, 121–23
addiction to, 49, 123, 136
and strategies for managing agitance, 136–37
See also externalization
strategies for managing agitance, 131–157
anger management, 143–44
comfort-zone management, 146–47
exercise, 156
gratification management, 152–53
imperfection, approach to, 134–36
internal-balance management, 147–152
procrastination management, 139–141
productivity and expectations management, 141–42
schedule management, 144–45
sensory input management, 136–37
slowing down, 139
technology management, 133–34
uncertainty management, 142
unstructured-time management, 153–55
stress, 50–55
agitance as related to, 50–51, 132
effects of, 195–96
illness following, 99–101
and the Let Down Effect, 99–100
neurochemical basis of, 62
stress hormones (glucocorticoids), 62
subliminal conditioning, 92–97, 124, 126–27
success, measures of, 135
suffering, 39. See also discomfort
suicide, 71
survival instinct
neurochemical basis of, 63, 65
patterns dictated by, 10
role of, 10–11
triggers of, 11, 28, 51, 164
Survivalist Strategies, 162–65
creating alignment, 165–67
duality emphasis, 163, 168–172, 173
embracing challenges, 183–85
empathy and love emphasis, 179–183
Gladiator/Warrior exercise, 185–86
gratitude emphasis, 173–77
and Inner Core State of Balance, 169–170
labeling discomfort, 172–73
social support recruitment, 177–79
sympathetic nervous system
activation of, 62, 164, 197
medications that mitigate, 70
and parasympathetic system, 82–83
and physical reactions, 65
symptoms of discomfort, 22, 41
Szyf, Moshe, 71
teams, heterogenous, 203, 214
technology, 119–121
and expectations of perfection, 134–35
and strategies for managing agitance, 133–34, 154
and unstructured-time management, 154
television, 124
telomeres, 143
temper, issues with, 43
test performance, 204–7, 218
texts, 44–45, 121, 133, 139
Thinking, Fast and Slow (Kahneman), 198
thirst, 28–29
time management, 144–45
trauma, encoding of, 69–70
Twain, Mark, 40
United States, public health in, 23
unstructured-time management, 153–55
Vaccaro, Christian, 196, 208
ventral striatum, 60
vulnerability, 32, 224, 230
Warrior exercise, 185–86
website, 15, 137, 139, 149, 167
weight issues, 24–28, 125, 216. See also food and eating behaviors
When Relaxation Is Hazardous to Your Health (Schoen), 99–100, 149
white-coat syndrome, 97
willpower, 27–28, 226
Wood, Alex, 173–74
workloads, 193
workplace performance, 200–203, 218
Zhong, Chen-Bo, 94–95, 112