Distance self, crush bad thoughts fast 💪

Hey man,

Remember Doc Brown from Back to the Future?

“Great Scott, Marty! You're not thinking fourth-dimensionally!”

Well, turns out the mad scientist was onto something...

Your Brain's Time-Travel Trick 🧠

When you use third-person self-talk...

You activate different neural networks than first-person thinking [1].

It's like your brain has two control rooms:

⛔ Control Room A: The panic button (first-person)

🏁 Control Room B: The observation deck (third-person)

Most men spend their lives stuck in Control Room A...

...while Control Room B sits empty, gathering dust.

The University of Michigan Brain Hack That Changes Everything

UC Berkeley and University of Michigan neuroscientists just discovered something wild...

Third-person self-talk... activates the same brain regions as watching yourself in a movie [1].

Your brain literally thinks you're observing someone else. 🔭

Which means...

You get instant emotional distance from YOUR own problems. 🤗

It's like having a superpower that lets you step outside your own head.

The Simple Reframing Drill That Works

Here's your stress-crushing formula:

✅ Step 1 Catch It: Notice when stress hits–(racing thoughts... tight chest... sweaty hands... etc.)

✅ Step 2 Name It: Say, "[Your name] is feeling stressed about..."

✅ Step 3 Reframe It: Ask, "What's [your name]'s next best move?"

✅ Step 4 Do It: Do what you'd tell your best friend to do

Real Example From This Morning

Reader Arturo from East Los Angeles... now living in San Antonio wrote:

"I was freaking out about my son's college tuition...

Reframed to... 'Arturo is worried about money'...

Suddenly he realized, "Arturo has solved money problems before"...

He wrote three actionable steps instead of spiraling down.

Boom. Stress to strategy in 30 seconds. 🌟🏆

The CIA Operative In Your Head

Think of self-distancing as your own personal intelligence analyst... 🦊

While you're in the field of (emotional chaos)...

the job...

the kids...

the partner...

Your analyst sits in a quiet room, studying the situation objectively... 🕵️‍♂️

from a bird's-eye-view.

Same intel, different perspective.

Completely different outcome.

Why "I" Keeps You Stuck

When you say "I'm overwhelmed"...

Your brain goes: "DANGER! WE ARE OVERWHELMED!" 🫠

When you say "John feels overwhelmed"...

Your brain goes: "Interesting. Let's help John figure this out." 🤔

One creates panic. ("I" statements).

One creates solutions. ("Third-person" view).

It really is that simple. 😎

The Neuroscience Nobody Talks About

The science is clear.

fMRI scans show third-person self-talk:

• Supports strong possible reduction in amygdala activation [1]
  
  

• Increases prefrontal cortex activity [1]
  
  

• Quiets emotional brain activity (like beta stress waves) for calm control. [3]
  

Translation: You rewire your stress response in real-time.😌 

It’s the next best thing to having a real… Super Power. 🦸‍♂️

Your 30-Second Stress Test 🌡️

RANGE: Cortisol (stress hormone) levels:

Where do you stand?

• Optimal (morning): 10-20: micrograms per deciliter (mcg/dL) [5]
  
  

• Stressed: Above 20 mcg/dL [6]
  
  

• Chronic stress indicator: Consistently above 25 mcg/dL (See a doc if you’re here…) [4][6]
  

TEST: Salivary cortisol test (available at-home or through your doctor) [2][7]

To crushing stress like a bug, 🏋️‍♂️

Mens Health Secrets 
–Live Past 100

P.S. Tomorrow I'll show you how NFL quarterbacks use... self-distancing to perform under pressure... including the exact phrase retired NFL legend... Tom Brady whispered before every big play...

P.P.S. Always check with your physician before you start any new health habit. Mens Health Secrets Newsletter is for educational and entertainment purposes only.

P.P.P.S. >>> Go here to subscribe to our Mens Health Secrets YouTube Channel if you haven't yet... leave a comment... and level up your Mens Health knowledge to live longer.

P.P.P.P.S New Skool.com community coming online soon. Come break "virtual bread" and level-up… with other like-minded men age 40 and up. This is your tribe. Join now. Perks of joining now? It’s Free for LIFE. Price activates Q2 2026.

Medical References:

[1] Moser, J. S., Dougherty, A., Mattson, W. I., Katz, B., Moran, T. P., Guevarra, D., Shablack, H., Ayduk, O., Jonides, J., Berman, M. G., & Kross, E. (2017). Third-person self-talk facilitates emotion regulation without engaging cognitive control: Converging evidence from ERP and fMRI. Scientific Reports, 7(1), 4519. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-04047-3

[2] Aardal E, Holm AC. Cortisol in saliva--reference ranges and relation to cortisol in serum. Eur J Clin Chem Clin Biochem. 1995 Dec;33(12):927-32. https://doi.org/10.1515/cclm.1995.33.12.927. PMID: 8845424.

[3] Webster, C. T., Berg, M. K., Kross, E., & Moser, J. S. (2022). An event-related potential investigation of distanced self-talk: Replication and comparison to detached reappraisal. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 177, 122–132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2022.05.003

[4] Lee, D. Y., Kim, E., & Choi, M. H. (2015). Technical and clinical aspects of cortisol as a biochemical marker of chronic stress. BMB Reports, 48(4), 209-216. https://doi.org/10.5483/bmbrep.2015.48.4.275

[5] Barra CB, Silva IN, Rodrigues TM, Santos JL, Colosimo EA. Morning serum Basal cortisol levels are affected by age and pubertal maturation in school-aged children and adolescents. Horm Res Paediatr. 2015;83(1):55-61. https://doi.org/10.1159/000369801. Epub 2015 Jan 9. PMID: 25592297.

[6] Sic, A., Cvetkovic, K., Manchanda, E., & Knezevic, N. N. (2024). Neurobiological Implications of Chronic Stress and Metabolic Dysregulation in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. Diseases, 12(9), 220. https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases12090220 

[7] Trilck M, Flitsch J, Lüdecke DK, Jung R, Petersenn S. Salivary cortisol measurement--a reliable method for the diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome. Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes. 2005 Apr;113(4):225-30. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2005-837667. Erratum in: Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes. 2005 Jul;113(7):409. PMID: 15891959.