<p dir="ltr">If you feel like you spend most of your day on edge — not totally panicked, but not exactly calm either — you're not alone. Most of us live in what meditation teacher <a href="https://www.christianewolf.com/">Dr. Christiane Wolf</a> calls "yellow mode": a state of low-level vigilance that keeps us productive, but also keeps us anxious, reactive, and exhausted.</p> <p dir="ltr">In this conversation with DJ Cashmere, Christiane unpacks why our nervous systems get stuck in that yellow zone and what we can actually do to shift back into "green mode" — the state of calm alertness where we feel grounded, flexible, and capable of joy.</p> <p dir="ltr">They explore:</p> <ul> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Why our modern lives constantly trigger fight-or-flight</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">The difference between "being chill" and being appropriately responsive</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">Simple, science-backed ways to calm your nervous system in seconds</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">How trauma and early conditioning make relaxation feel unsafe</p> </li> <li dir="ltr"> <p dir="ltr">The role of community (sangha), right livelihood, and mindfulness in long-term regulation<br /> <br /></p> </li> </ul> <p dir="ltr">Christiane is our Teacher of the Month at <a href="http://danharris.com/">DanHarris.com</a>, where she's creating guided meditations to go along with many of our podcast episodes. Join us at <a href="http://danharris.com/">DanHarris.com</a> to learn more. </p> <p dir="ltr">Join Dan's online community <a href="http://www.danharris.com/">here</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Follow Dan on social: <a href="https://bit.ly/3tGigG5">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://bit.ly/3FOA84J">TikTok</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Subscribe to our <a href="https://bit.ly/3FybRzD">YouTube Channel<br /> <br /></a></p> <p dir="ltr">Tickets are now on sale for a special live taping of the 10% Happier Podcast with guest Pete Holmes! Join us on November 18th in NYC for this benefit show, with all proceeds supporting the New York Insight Meditation Center. Grab your tickets <a href="https://www.nyimc.org/event/great-cosmic-joke/">here</a>! </p> <p dir="ltr">Tickets are now available for an intimate live event with Dan on November 23rd as part of the Troutbeck Luminary Series. Join the conversation, participate in a guided meditation, and ask your questions during the Q&A. Click <a href="https://troutbeck.com/culture/luminaries-series-conversation-meditation-with-dan-harris-2025/"> here</a> to buy your ticket!</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit <a href="https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris">https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris</a></p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Thanks to our
Actionable Insights
1. Understand Nervous System States
Grasp the concept of ‘red’ (fight/flight), ‘yellow’ (on edge, vigilant), and ‘green’ (grounded, present) modes to identify where you spend most of your time and understand the goal of greater flexibility.
2. Reclaim Rest and Breaks
Actively schedule and take breaks throughout your day, recognizing that modern life often neglects this essential aspect of nervous system regulation that was more common in past societies and other cultures.
Don’t try to regulate your nervous system or navigate life’s challenges alone; find like-minded individuals or an intentional community (sangha) to practice and support each other.
4. Know Your Unique Nervous System
Cultivate open-minded curiosity to learn which specific tools and practices effectively help your unique nervous system down-regulate and become more flexible, as everyone’s nervous system is shaped by their unique history.
5. Apply Noble Eightfold Path Holistically
To spend more time in a ‘green’ state, examine and adjust all aspects of your life—including how you work, earn money, act, speak, and make time for meditation—as part of a comprehensive approach to well-being.
6. Meditate with Intention
Engage in meditation with full presence and intention, rather than treating it as another item to check off a to-do list or meditating on autopilot, to truly break free from autopilot patterns.
Integrate short, body-based practices (5-30 seconds) like those from somatic healing modalities into your day to quickly lower your overall stress load and shift towards a more regulated state.
8. Use the Butterfly Hug
To quickly soothe your nervous system, cross your hands, hook your thumbs, place them on your collarbones, and gently tap left-right (bilateral stimulation), adding swaying and longer exhalations if desired.
9. Practice ‘Air Hunger’
To increase oxygen to your brain and feel brighter, exhale completely, inhale deeply, hold your breath while performing a movement (e.g., squats, marching), stop when you feel ‘air hunger,’ then take a deep breath in and out.
10. Hum to Ground and Regulate
Utilize humming, singing, or dancing as a simple way to activate your parasympathetic nervous system, helping you to feel grounded and present in your body.
Keep a written list of the specific nervous system regulation techniques that you find personally effective, so you have a quick reference when you feel stressed or need a reset.
12. Drop Blame, Embrace Responsibility
Avoid self-blame for living in the ‘yellow zone,’ acknowledging societal influences, but take personal responsibility for actively implementing tools and strategies to shift towards a ‘green’ state.
13. Address Resistance with Curiosity
If you experience strong resistance to relaxing or engaging in self-care, approach it with curiosity rather than judgment, recognizing it might be your nervous system’s outdated attempt to keep you safe based on past experiences.
When you feel an urge to self-medicate (e.g., overeat, drink alcohol) due to high stress, perform a brief nervous system regulation tool for 30 seconds first to see if it lessens the urge.
15. Prioritize Flexibility Over Chill
Understand that the goal is not to be constantly relaxed or ‘flatlining,’ but to cultivate flexibility in your nervous system, allowing for appropriate responses to life’s demands, whether that means more energy or less.