
Huberman Lab
Essentials: Manage Stress & Build Resilience | Dr. Elissa Epel
Oct 8, 2026
About this episode
In this Huberman Lab Essentials episode, my guest is Dr. Elissa Epel, PhD, a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). We discuss how acute and chronic stress affect the body and brain, including their links to cellular aging and mitochondrial health. We also explain tools to reduce rumination, reframe stress as a challenge and build resilience, as well as how radical acceptance and a sense of purpose can help us navigate stressors we cannot change. Read the full episode show notes at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/huberman ROKA: https://roka.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Elissa Epel (00:00:22) Good & Bad Stress, Stress Responses (00:01:55) Rumination, Body Awareness (00:03:23) Tools: Mindset, Body & Environment (00:04:51) Acute & Chronic Stress, Energy & Recovery (00:07:44) Sponsor: Eight Sleep (00:09:27) Healthy Aging, Purpose & Brain Health (00:10:54) Stress Resilience, Threat vs. Challenge (00:14:40) Tool: Reframe Stress, “Stress Shields” (00:16:54) Sponsor: AG1 (00:18:30) Mitochondrial Health, Caregiving & Daily Mood (00:21:24) Chronic Stress, Tool: Radical Acceptance (00:25:19) Tool: “Drop the Rope”, Uncontrollable Stressors (00:26:48) Uncertainty, Tool: Posture & Slow Breathing (00:29:10) Sponsor: ROKA (00:30:34) Taking Action vs. Letting Go (00:32:55) Journaling, Narrative & Purpose (00:34:15) Acknowledgements Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices