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How to Make Yourself Unbreakable | DJ Shipley

Episode 249 Oct 6, 2025 3h 42m 21 insights
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.
Actionable Insights

1. Seek Trauma/Addiction Therapy

For severe trauma or addiction, consider extreme therapeutic interventions like Ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT under professional supervision. These treatments are described as ‘something stronger than your ego’ that can provide a ‘breath of fresh air’ when other methods fail, leading to profound personal transformation.

2. Implement Consistent Morning Routine

Establish a structured morning routine, starting with evening preparation, to accumulate ‘micro-wins’ and set a positive, stress-free framework for the entire day. This consistency, even when tired, protects mental health and optimizes readiness by controlling the controllable.

3. Deliberate Work-to-Home Transition

Create a clear, intentional routine to shift from work to home life, such as a 12-minute drive with calming music and pre-rehearsing positive interactions, to ensure full presence with family. This compartmentalization prevents work stress from negatively impacting personal relationships.

4. Daily Partner Reconnect Walk

Engage in a daily 20-minute walk with your partner after dinner, dedicating 10 minutes for each person to share their day without distractions like phones. This routine is crucial for reconnecting, improving communication, and strengthening the relationship.

5. Commit to Daily Physical Activity

Prioritize daily physical movement, even if it’s just a 20-minute walk or 30 minutes with kettlebells, as a non-negotiable act of self-care. This consistent effort is an investment in mental health, physical longevity, and the ability to show up for your family.

6. Eliminate Toxic Inputs

Actively remove negative influences from your life, including early morning social media, hateful rhetoric, and toxic relationships, to protect your mental bandwidth and foster a positive internal state. This practice prevents external negativity from eroding your well-being.

7. Focus on Controllable Actions

In any situation, concentrate solely on the things within your control and actively block out what you cannot influence. This mental discipline helps manage stress, build confidence, and maintain a clear headspace, especially in high-pressure environments.

8. Cultivate Empathy & Confess

Through deep introspection, develop profound empathy for others by understanding the impact of your actions from their perspective, and be willing to confess past wrongdoings. This process is essential for healing relationships and personal growth.

9. Set Challenging Fitness Goals

Establish specific, demanding physical goals, such as a 400-pound bench press or achieving elite standards on a functional fitness test, to provide a constant drive for self-improvement. This target-oriented approach prevents complacency and maintains a high level of performance.

10. Develop Body Awareness via Fitness

Engage in consistent physical training to become highly attuned to your body, allowing you to quickly identify the difference between minor discomfort and actual injury. This awareness enables proactive health management and prevents minor issues from escalating.

11. Prioritize Self-Optimization for Selflessness

Dedicate specific time each day to self-care and personal development, even if it feels ‘selfish’ in the moment. By optimizing your physical and mental state, you ensure you have the capacity to be fully present and selfless for your family, team, or community later.

12. Implement Functional Fitness Test

Regularly assess your all-around physical capabilities using a multi-faceted test (e.g., broad jump, bodyweight bench, pull-ups, farmer’s carry, trap bar deadlift, plank, 800m run) to ensure continuous, well-rounded functional fitness. This helps maintain constant readiness and identify areas for improvement.

13. Embrace Misery and Endure

Adopt a mindset that accepts and even embraces difficult or miserable situations as part of the process, rather than resisting them. This mental resilience is crucial for pushing through perceived limits and achieving demanding goals, knowing that ‘it’s going to suck’ but is ‘worth the price of admission’.

14. Engage in Art/Creative Therapy

Utilize creative outlets like art therapy (e.g., painting skateboards, fracture burning wood) as a means of processing trauma and fostering mental well-being. This provides a structured, repetitive, and fulfilling activity for healing and self-expression.

15. Use Power Breathing for Clarity

In moments of extreme stress or panic, consciously engage in deep, powerful breathing to regain visual clarity and mental control. This technique can help overcome overwhelming sensations and re-establish presence.

16. Maintain Constant Core Engagement

Practice walking around with your core muscles at 40-50% flexed throughout the day to protect your lower back and improve overall posture. This active engagement helps prevent injuries and maintains a rigid, stable frame.

17. Practice Daily Gratitude

Dedicate time each morning, perhaps in a dark room, to reflect on and articulate 10 things you are truly grateful for. This simple mental exercise helps cultivate a positive mindset and appreciation for your life.

18. Perform Cardio After Strength

If prioritizing strength and performance, schedule cardiovascular exercise after your resistance training sessions. This approach ensures maximal strength output during lifting and avoids pre-fatiguing muscles needed for form and power.

19. Adapt Training to Limitations

Recognize that training programs should be flexible and adaptable, offering alternative exercises for specific injuries or limitations. This ensures continuous training and progress without compromising long-term health.

20. Utilize Travel for Activity

Actively seek opportunities for physical movement during travel or waiting periods, such as walking through airports instead of using conveyor belts. This habit helps accumulate daily steps and maintain fitness even when away from a regular gym routine.

21. Frame Psychedelics as Medical Treatment

Advocate for and view psychedelic-assisted therapies (like Ibogaine and DMT) as serious medical treatments for trauma and addiction, requiring professional supervision and a structured clinical setting. This helps destigmatize and promote responsible implementation of these powerful tools.