Dr. Jud on the Today Show

Overview

Dr. Jud joined the Today Show to share practical, science-backed techniques for calming anxiety and improving sleep. The appearance came during a period of widespread pandemic-related stress, with viewers looking for simple tools they could use immediately.

Rather than offering generic relaxation advice, Dr. Jud explained the mechanics behind why anxiety feels so hard to control. Anxiety follows the same habit loop pattern as any other habit: a trigger sparks worry, worry provides a temporary feeling of control, and the brain learns to repeat the cycle. Over time, this becomes an automatic anxiety habit that fires even when there is no real threat.

Dr. Jud introduced a two-step process from his research at Brown University. The first step is mapping your anxiety habit loops — identifying the triggers and behaviors that feed the cycle. The second step is replacing worry with curiosity: instead of getting caught up in anxious thoughts, ask yourself what anxiety actually feels like in your body. Is it tightness? Heat? A contracted feeling? This simple shift moves the brain out of the worry loop and into a present-moment awareness that is both calming and, according to research, more rewarding than worrying.

Key Takeaways

• Map your anxiety habit loops first: Before you can change an anxiety pattern, you need to see it clearly. Identify what triggers your worry and what behavior follows — whether that is over-planning, doomscrolling, or catastrophizing.
• Curiosity interrupts the worry cycle: Asking “what does this feel like in my body?” activates a different neural pathway than rumination. Dr. Jud’s research shows this shift is more effective than willpower or distraction.
• Sleep problems are often anxiety loops: Racing thoughts at bedtime follow the same pattern. Bringing curious awareness to physical sensations — instead of fighting the thoughts — reduces the mental resistance that keeps you awake.
• Simple techniques work fast: Dr. Jud shared that even brief moments of curious attention can shift the brain’s response to stress, and the technique improves with practice over time.

Watch the interview on the Today Show.

Related Resources

• A simple way to break bad habits
• Mindfulness exercises
• How anxiety becomes a habit
• Curiosity as a superpower
• Unwinding Anxiety — the book