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We tend to think of anxiety as something that shows up only in big moments such as panic attacks, sleepless nights, or chronic worry. But anxiety is also woven into our everyday habits: stress eating, procrastination, doom-scrolling, and other patterns we know aren’t helping but can’t seem to stop.
In this Wellness Wednesday conversation, I’ll be joined by Dr. Jud Brewer, psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and author of Unwinding Anxiety. Dr. Brewer explains why anxiety operates in parts of the brain that don’t respond well to logic or willpower and how that keeps us stuck in self-reinforcing “habit loops.”
The good news? There are evidence-based tools that work. Drawing on neuroscience and mindfulness research, Dr. Brewer shares practical, accessible strategies to interrupt these loops and respond to anxiety with more clarity and compassion. You’ll leave with concrete steps you can start using right away, whether your anxiety feels occasional, chronic, or somewhere in between.
Judson Brewer, MD, PhD (“Dr. Jud”), is a New York Times best-selling author and a leading authority on habit change and the science of self-mastery. He serves as the Director of Research and Innovation at the Mindfulness Center and as a professor at Brown University. An internationally recognized psychiatrist specializing in mindfulness for addiction, Dr. Jud has developed innovative mindfulness programs—both in-person and app-based—for smoking cessation, emotional eating, and anxiety. He has investigated the neural mechanisms of mindfulness using standard fMRI and real-time EEG neurofeedback. He has trained U.S. Olympic athletes, coaches, and foreign government ministers. His work has been featured on “60 Minutes,” TED, The New York Times, Time magazine, Forbes, BBC, NPR, Al Jazeera, Businessweek, and more.
Dr. Jud founded MindSciences—now part of Sharecare Inc.—to bring his discoveries directly to consumers. He also co-founded Mindshift Recovery, a nonprofit aiding those suffering from addiction, and more recently, co-created Going Beyond Anxiety, a next-generation program to help anyone with anxiety. He is the author of The Craving Mind, Unwinding Anxiety, and The Hunger Habit. For more information, visit www.drjud.com or subscribe to his Substack newsletter called Inside the Curious Mind.