Huberman Lab
How to Make Yourself Unbreakable | DJ Shipley
· Summarized
Key takeaways
- DJ Shipley emphasizes the importance of structured routines and physical fitness to build mental resilience.
- Psychedelics such as ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT have shown promise in treating PTSD and trauma, though they require careful management and supervision.
- Community support and conversations about mental health are crucial for veterans and others dealing with trauma.
- Setting high standards for physical fitness helps maintain mental clarity and improves overall quality of life.
- Confronting personal trauma and building empathy through experiences such as psychedelic therapy can lead to profound personal growth.
Summary
The Journey of DJ Shipley: From Navy SEAL to Mental Health Advocate
DJ Shipley is a retired Navy SEAL who served for 17 years as a Tier 1 operator. His journey illustrates the struggles and triumphs associated with military life, including physical injuries, mental health challenges, and the transition to civilian life. Shipley discusses how he once idolized his fellow soldiers and how witnessing the traumatic events of his second deployment, including the injury of his friend Maddie Roberts, impacted him deeply. This experience of helplessness became a significant turning point in his mental health journey.
Building Resilience: The Role of Routine and Micro-wins
In his current work as a public educator, DJ emphasizes the significance of structured routines and achieving 'micro-wins' to cultivate resilience. He discusses the need for intentional morning routines that set a positive tone for the day. Shipley advocates for physical fitness as a cornerstone of mental and emotional well-being. He highlights the five-day workout program he developed focusing on functional fitness, encompassing strength training, cardiovascular work, and recovery.
The Power of Psychedelics in Healing Trauma
DJ Shipley shares his experiences with ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT, two emerging treatments for PTSD, addiction, and depression. After confronting his own mental health struggles, he participated in therapeutic sessions that led to significant transformations in his perspective and emotional state. DJ argues that these substances can facilitate healing by allowing individuals to confront and process their trauma. He emphasizes the importance of supervised, safe environments for such experiences.
The Influence of Community and Culture on Mental Health
Throughout the conversation, DJ underscores the importance of community support in overcoming trauma and addiction. He shares how organizations like Veteran Solutions, co-founded by Marcus and Amber Capone, are making strides to address veterans' mental health through the integration of psychedelics into treatment. The discussion touches on how the culture within the military can both support and hinder emotional vulnerability, highlighting the need for open conversations about mental health among service members.
Maintaining High Standards in Fitness and Life
DJ stresses the importance of setting and maintaining high standards in both fitness and personal life as a means to foster resilience. He describes the physical fitness standards outlined in his GBRS program, encouraging individuals of all backgrounds to achieve these benchmarks. DJ connects physical health to mental clarity and decision-making, asserting that physical fitness directly influences performance in both personal and professional realms.
Sponsors
- AGZ by AG1 · AGZ is a nightly drink designed to help you get better sleep and wake up feeling refreshed. It contains sleep-supporting compounds that help you fall and stay asleep.
- Rorra · Rorra makes countertop water filters that remove harmful substances while preserving beneficial minerals and offer easy filtration without installation.
- BetterHelp · BetterHelp offers professional therapy with licensed therapists conducted entirely online for convenience and accessibility.
- Eight Sleep · Eight Sleep makes smart mattress covers that regulate temperature for optimal sleep, automatically adjusting to your unique needs throughout the night.
- Function · Function offers comprehensive blood testing with actionable insights for improving health, nutrition, and wellness.
- ROKA · ROKA produces high-quality eyewear with a focus on performance and quality, providing American-made products with impeccable attention to detail.
Show notes
My guest is DJ Shipley, a retired Tier 1 operator Navy SEAL and now a top public educator on how to build mental and physical health and reach top-level performance in any endeavor. DJ’s life is one marked by extraordinary strivings, wins, setbacks and comebacks that together have shaped his approach to overcoming challenges of all kinds and to daily life. DJ explains a regimen of clear, practical steps and a mental stance that can allow anyone—male, female, young or old—to build extreme resilience of mind and body and to be successful in family and work. We also discuss his experience with new, emerging treatments for addiction, PTSD and depression that many people, not just veterans, are benefiting from. The tools DJ describes to “stack small wins” and to be ultra-intentional about your mindset will be of immense benefit to anyone wishing to achieve the best version of themselves.
Read the episode show notes at hubermanlab.com.
Thank you to our sponsors
AGZ by AG1: https://drinkagz.com/huberman
Rorra: https://rorra.com/huberman
BetterHelp: https://betterhelp.com/huberman
Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/huberman
Function: https://functionhealth.com/huberman
ROKA: https://roka.com/huberman
Timestamps
(0:00) DJ Shipley
(4:03) Mental & Physical Health, Tools: Morning Routine & Micro-wins
(8:35) Balancing Work & Family, Tools: Compartmentalization, "Control the Controllable"
(13:46) Sponsors: Rorra & BetterHelp
(16:25) Phones, Social Media vs Focus, Negativity, Tool: Consistency & Sleep
(23:05) Routine & Stressors, Exercise & Benefits, Tool: Morning Workout
(29:24) Body Awareness, Hurt vs Injury
(33:53) Physical Injury & Rehab; Exercise; Mobility, Tool: 5-Day Workout Program
(44:26) Sponsors: AGZ by AG1 & Eight Sleep
(47:29) Skateboarding, Career, Navy SEAL, BUD/S & Embracing Discomfort
(56:13) BUD/S, Motivation & Mental Resilience
(1:02:18) Navy SEALs, Iraq War & Casualties, Compartmentalization
(1:08:41) Public Press; Extortion 17, Operation Red Wings; Death of Friends
(1:16:25) High Performers, Social Media Negativity & Legacy
(1:19:37) Sponsor: Function
(1:21:24) Family Legacy, Military & Purpose, Navy SEAL Culture, Wife & Relationship
(1:30:10) Second Deployment, Helplessness & Trauma, Inspiration & Reverence
(1:38:30) Skydiving, Injury & Mental Resilience; Medical Retirement & Addiction
(1:49:17) Art Therapy, Skateboarding, Electrocution & Recovery
(2:00:57) Physical Recovery, Trainer Vernon Griffith
(2:04:38) Miracles, Higher Power; Work & Life Tension
(2:12:52) Sponsor: ROKA
(2:14:39) Physical & Mental Posture, Suicide, Depression, Tool: Control the Controllable
(2:21:22) Suicide, Mental Health & Darkest Hour, Ibogaine, 5-MeO-DMT
(2:31:18) Ibogaine & Empathy, 5-MeO-DMT & Ego Death; Returning Home, Tool: Dials Not Switches
(2:42:42) Psychedelics, Mental Health Plasticity; Veterans' Solutions, Addiction
(2:50:39) Medical Ibogaine, Anger, Numbing Out & Hate; Dogs
(3:03:42) GBRS Program, High Standards, Functional Fitness, Tool: Fitness Test
(3:17:50) Self-Care, Longevity & Fitness, GBRS Program
(3:24:45) Self-Respect, Tools: 20-Minute Walk & Relationships; Micro-wins
(3:32:57) Acknowledgements, American Flag Hat, Patriotism
(3:40:00) Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow, Reviews & Feedback, Sponsors, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter
Disclaimer & Disclosures
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