All language subtitles for Limitless.with.Chris.Hemsworth.S01E01.720p.WEB.h264-KOGi.Hi

CHRIS: Stress, it
definitely affects my sleep.

And this is just going
back a few years, you know.

This is not such a big issue these days.
But, actually that's not true, it is.

(CHUCKLES)

Yeah, like I’ll go to sleep
fine, and then at 2:30.

(IMITATES EXPLOSION)
There’s a shot of adrenaline

and my brain will just start going
through a checklist of things.

Be like, "Does that bother me? Does
that... Oh, that one, yeah good,

"let’s think about that,
let’s tear that apart."

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

MALE VOICE: Are you
getting nervous a bit now?

I have a little wave of nausea.

CHRIS: Sometimes, I
don’t know even why.

And I wish I could deal
with that stress better.

Just got a whole lot
realer, didn't it?

CHRIS: Not just
because it sucks...

MALE VOICE: Gotcha.

But also, it could
be killing me.

But it turns out,
one of the best ways

to protect myself from
the ravages of stress

is to confront it head on.

(MUSIC CONTINUES)

So, here goes.

(MUSIC ENDS)

So, tell me, what are some of
the things that stress you out?

(SIGHS) My God, the usual stuff, I guess.
And different things at different times.

- Like?
- Um...

(CAR HORN HONKS)

- Sorry.
- MODUPE: For goodness sake.

What makes me nervous is
driving this... (BLEEP) ...car.

(CARS HONKING)

CHRIS: Stress can often
be a big part of my life.

So, that's why I’m here
with Dr. Modupe Akinola.

A renowned social psychologist with
a ground-breaking approach to stress.

You had to have something
that was stressful?

- Think of like your most stressful...
- Yeah, I’ve got three kids,

- that’s pretty intense.
- Last week.

- You know.
- Yeah. Yes, it is.

- You're trying to manage three kids...
- Yeah.

- Keep them all happy, healthy.
- MODUPE: Yep.

Then if I’m working

- on top of that and training.
- Yeah.

(GRUNTS)

And then, like on the weekend I got,
you know, incredibly overwhelmed

and the kids are losing
it. We're in a restaurant,

people are watching, they're like,
probably taking photos as well.

You have a short temper

- and you’re trying...
- Okay.

Not to sort of get angry.

And I feel my heart rate go up,
short of breath, that kind of thing.

MODUPE: It’s important for
Chris to make a change,

because stress isn't
just about feeling bad.

Over time, it can be a killer,

contributing to illnesses like
cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

One of the things we're gonna
do is teach you some ways

to change your mindset in overcoming
some of the stress that you feel.

- Yeah.
- I call it, kind of dating your stress.

- Yeah.
- You need to date your stress.

- I’ve got a really solid relationship...
- See what it likes, Yeah?

- With my stress.
- Well, yeah.

Well, we need to make it
a healthier relationship.

It’s a little dysfunctional.

MODUPE: All of us have the
ability to control our stress.

But in order to do that,
we need to face it head-on.

So, I'm going to teach
Chris tools and techniques

to help him address the stress
that’s unavoidable in life.

It might seem crazy,
but to do that,

I’ll be asking Chris to put himself
in an incredibly stressful situation.

Okay. In three days, you’ll
be walking across that crane.

(CHUCKLES) Um...

MODUPE: That tower is 900
feet high, that's 275 meters.

Hang on. (CHUCKLES)

Yeah, that's high.

- You sound a little nervous right now.
- I'm just kinda wonder...

No, the... I am
nervous. Very nervous.

What’s making you
nervous about that?

- Because part of this...
- Death is usually a big role.

- Death is a little part of it?
- Yeah, yeah. I don’t like heights, really.

This isn’t about the feat of it,

this is about preparing you to
be able to manage and be present

with the emotions that
you are feeling right now.

- It's kind of like...
- Yep.

Training your mindset to be
okay and embrace the stress,

- so that it doesn’t kill us later.
- Yeah, right.

And by the time we do
this, you’ll be ready.

I’m both curious, excited
and scared... (BLEEP)

CHIRS: And at this point, I
know what you're thinking.

What the hell am
I doing this for?

Truth is, most days
I feel pretty young.

But, the clock is ticking.

- (INHALES)
- (GRUNTS)

CHRIS: Things that
might shorten my life...

(EXHALES)

are already at work within me.

The good news, there's
something I can do about it.

(YELLS)

CHRIS: So, over the next year

I'm taking on six
extraordinary challenges.

- Let's go!
- CHRIS: Pushing myself to the very limit.

To discover how
we can all unlock

the secrets of living a
healthier, longer life.

- CHRIS: There it is!
- MALE VOICE: Yeah. Let's go.

- There she is, mate.
- That big tall skinny thing.

And this big tall skinny thing is
gonna be taking the walk of doom!

It doesn’t look any
smaller from over here!

CHRIS: With just three days till I'm
meant to be doing this crazy challenge,

I'm hoping that I can
lean on my good friends,

Aaron Grist and Luke Zocchi,
for a bit of moral support.

- CHRIS: Looking at it again makes me sick.
- ZOC: I can see the crane up there dude,

- it’s up there already, it’s ready to go!
- Looks like it's kinda wobbling a bit.

Well, looks so sketchy!

- That is huge.
- AARON: Yeah, mate, have fun.

Hopefully, the wind dies down
but generally through the day

it gets windier so...

CHRIS: Come to think of it, I'm not
sure why I've brought them along.

Especially as the
plan for today is

for Modupe to give me my first
lesson in dealing with stress.

Okay, so, here's what I need you to
do. I need you to take your shirt off.

- Woah!
- MODUPE: Yeah.

And what we’re gonna do is,
I'm gonna put that shirt on you

because that allows me to measure
your physiological responses.

Looks like a dress. Mini
skirt, what is this?

- MODUPE: No, it’s like a singlet and...
- Okay.

These are worn by NASA
astronauts, actually.

- Are they?
- So, just gonna take off your shirt!

Guys, give me a hand.

- Okay.
- MODUPE: Okay, here we go.

AARON: He’s definitely done
push-ups before he's done this.

ZOC: He’s definitely flexing.
He’s holding his breath.

I’m not flexing at all!

It needs to be tight enough,
so that we get the signal

but that feels good?

- Just to relax posture as well.
- Look at you showing off.

And what I also need you to do
is to put this over your head...

- All right.
- And this part

should be right around there.

And that's going to measure
your blood pressure.

MODUPE: To prepare Chris
for the crane walk,

I want to start by making him
experience a stressful situation

designed to help him get
a better understanding

of how his mind
affects his body.

MODUPE; So, you see
your blood pressure...

Blood pressure, huh?

We see your breathing
rate, your heart rate here.

- Got it.
- You know, right now,

you're at 65 beats per minute.

So, this is going to be what
I consider your baseline

and then compare
everything to that.

So, I've checked Chris’s
heart rate when he's relaxed,

and I'm gonna see how it changes

when he's doing something
that's stressful for him.

- That's... I can see that hand.
- Yeah?

MODUPE: So, I want
him to experience

a virtual reality version
of the crane walk.

Okay, so, all I want you to
do is walk across that plank.

And off you go.

CHRIS: Woah! See you guys.

(CHUCKLES)

- It’s a long way up, huh?
- MODUPE: Yep.

The VR experience
is fascinating.

Whoa.

Wow.

CHRIS: One part of my brain is
very aware that it’s not real.

The other part of it is screaming,
"This is crazy! What are we doing?

"We’re gonna die!” I
feel it in my stomach.

The same nervous energy that I’d have if
I was actually standing on a building.

MODUPE: So, his heart rate was at
like 65 and it’s definitely going up.

His breathing rate is going
up, it was around 12 before.

There’s definitely some fear.

It feels super unsteady now!

This is... I can’t
do it! (CHUCKLES)

MODUPE: Even though there’s
no real danger to Chris

his brain is perceiving threat,
his stress is kicking in.

It’s the classic
fight-or-flight response.

(CHUCKLES)

CHRIS: When my brain
senses something stressful,

it’s like a switch is flipped.

My nerves send my whole
system into overdrive...

triggering a flood of
hormones into my bloodstream.

My breathing speeds up, my heart
starts racing, I feel wired.

In moments of danger, that energy
surge would help me fight or run away.

Then when it's over, my stress circuit
should switch off. No harm done.

But when our stress
doesn't go away,

one of those hormones,
cortisol, keeps on flowing...

and our fight or flight
circuit can’t fully shut down.

Over time, we get burnt out, which
can lead to high blood pressure,

a misfiring immune system,
and elevated blood sugar.

All increasing the
risk of deadly disease.

(SIGHS) So weird.

How did my heart rate increase?

So, here’s what’s really
interesting is that you... it was...

as you were going up, it
increased to give you the energy

and mobilize you to do
what you need to do.

The problem is, if you end up
having that elevated level like,

throughout the day,
that’s when things become,

um, less healthy,
less functional.

Because that would mean that
your body is not shutting down

and turning off, and
resting the way it needs to.

What it made me think was, like, "This
is gonna suck when I really do it."

And that is what we’re
gonna be working on!

Yeah. Zoc. You've
got to have a go!

My buddy, Zoc really
doesn’t like heights...

- Now, here we go.
- Oh, my God.

So I figure this is a chance to
push his fight or flight to the max.

ZOC: Oh, what the... (BLEEP)

(SHUDDERS) Oh, boy.

- No. No.
- (MODUPE CHUCKLES)

- Go. Let's go. Go.
- Oh, man. I'm full shaking, dude.

- AARON: Look at his legs.
- CHRIS: Go.

- I can't do it.
- Do it.

- Do it.
- AARON: Come on, Zoc.

- CHRIS: Go, go, go.
- Come on, come on, come on.

I can't do it.

Go, go, go. Just take
three, four steps, go.

- MODUPE: Nice.
- Go, go, go.

- Come on, Zoochie.
- AARON: Come on, Zoc.

MODUPE: Keep talking to
yourself, it's helping.

I've got this,
Luke. I've got this.

(BLEEP) I'm full sh... (BLEEP)

- (YELPS)
- (ALL CHUCKLE)

It's so real! That is so real.
I felt like I was falling.

- You don't understand how real that is.
- What do you mean?

(ALL LAUGHING)

- Dude, that is so...
- CHRIS: Okay, I may not be as bad as Zoc,

but to be honest, I'm really
not that keen on heights,

and the VR has made me feel

a little more intimidated about
the crane walk than I was before.

But if Modupe's training can help
me control my stress response

and lower my risk of disease,
then, hey, I'm up for it.

MODUPE: I want to show Chris that
he can reduce the risk to his health

if he dials down his reaction to stress
by taking control of his mind and body.

So, that even when he's walking
across the crane, he can do it calmly.

To prepare him for this
challenge, over the next two days,

my plan is for Chris to work with
people who deal with extreme stress

on a regular basis.

Right.

I’m going to actually introduce
you to two Special Forces officers.

- Harry and Justin.
- G'day, Chris, how are ya?

- Good, thanks.
- G'day, Chris.

Hey, Chris, welcome to Special
Forces Resilience Training, mate.

- Thank you.
- MODPUE: So, your gonna engage

in a drown-proofing exercise

which is some of what
the Special Forces do.

It's designed to
overload you with stress,

but I'm going to
show you some tips

- and tools to help you get through it.
- Yeah.

This activity is designed
to build mental toughness

in our men and women
in Special Forces.

Throughout the activity, your feet
and hands will be bound at all times.

I think I find myself being
stressed in situations

that I haven’t been
able to prepare for.

There’s all sorts of stupid stuff
going through my head at this point.

Now, I start to think,
what if I actually drown?

If while you are underwater you
have any sensations of blackout,

then just return to the surface
and we’ll rescue you from there.

If you contravene any of the
instructions we give you,

if you pass out or
drown, it’s a fail.

- Okay, you ready?
- CHRIS: Yeah.

HARRY: On with the
first task, bobbing. Go!

CHRIS: The aim is to kick
off the bottom 20 times,

giving me just a split
second to take in enough air.

Into a rhythm!
Breathing! Rhythm!

Of course, I know I’ve
got enough oxygen,

and I know these guys
aren’t gonna let me drown.

But I can feel my
heartbeat racing.

The stress rising.

Underwater summersaults,
when you're ready.

I can feel my lungs
starting to burn.

Okay, that's a
fail. Swim two laps.

It's brutal,

and it's getting
harder and harder.

That's two fails.

How’s he doing?

- He's a sinker.
- Yeah.

Okay, go into floating!

I can’t even get my head up
enough to catch a breath.

That’s when the panic begins.

(MUFFLED GRUNTING)

So, Chris wasn't exactly a
successful outing, apart from the...

Well, nothing, you
failed everything.

How you doing?

It was hard work and there
was just so much technique

I think and... and also just...

(PANTING)

just not getting
into a situation

- where you panic, you know?
- Right.

MODUPE: Not many of us will be
subjected to drown proofing,

but we all find ourselves
out of our depth.

We experience situations
where we are not prepared

and we tell ourselves, "I’m
a loser, I can't do this."

One thing is to use
positive self-talk.

This is about reframing how you
think when you think negatively.

Right.

Can I actually do this to a more
positive way of thinking of something?

How can I do this differently? So, what
will I gain out of this experience?

Positive self-talk will help Chris
realize that our fight or flight system

doesn't just respond
to the outside world.

Our own thoughts and emotions
can also influence that circuit.

CHRIS: If I'm under pressure
and I believe I can't cope...

my brain hits the
panic button...

telling my fight or flight
circuit to shift gear

and prepare for the very worst.

Anticipating injury,
arteries and veins tighten,

sending blood in toward my core.

So, there's less chance
I'll bleed to death.

The problem is, with less blood
now reaching my muscles and brain,

my mental and physical
strength starts to flag.

But, just by thinking
more positively,

I can flip this
physical response.

Opening my blood vessels back up, so I
can find the energy to power through.

I'm still wired, but my stress
is no longer working against me.

Chris, we’re gonna go back into the
pool, reassess you on floating again.

Off you go.

(GASPS)

He's going to hate this!

CHRIS: Back in the water, I can
feel the same pressure taking hold.

And then I do what
Modupe told me.

I shut out all the negative thoughts,
and I just keep telling myself,

"I can do this, I have enough oxygen. I’m
not gonna drown, I'm not gonna drown."

Come on, come on, come on.

And now, I feel a sense of calm.

I focus on my rhythm and I
know, I can get the job done.

- This is better.
- Yeah.

You can get into a
really nice rhythm

- with the bob.
- MODUPE: Yeah, a good rhythm.

HARRY: And I think the key
here is, he’s relaxing,

- he's thinking through it...
- Yeah.

He's applying some of the
tools you’ve given him.

Yeah. Yep.

So, the last activity we’ll go
on with is the mask retrieval.

Come on, big dog. Find it.

I'm feeling more positive,
confident, stronger in the water.

It's like my stress is no
longer holding me back.

Yep. Come on.

- MODUPE: Yes!
- HARRY: Now, bring it over here.

Okay, turn with your
back to the wall.

- Yeah, okay.
- Yep, like that. Ready? One, two, three.

MODUPE: All right.

Okay, so how did that feel?

That was... that was
a bit more intense.

Yeah. You did much better
the second time in the float.

- That’s the positive self-talk.
- Yeah. Yeah.

So, going forward,
learning how to incorporate

some of these psychological
tools to your everyday life.

Even if it’s a script or,
you know, filming something.

What are some of the negative
things that come in your head?

Like if I feel like I
haven’t prepped enough

or I feel like, I don’t quite
know the script as well.

Do you ever
catastrophize though?

- It used to be crazy.
- Right, right.

It used to, like, be debilitating.
And, yeah, I couldn't speak

and I would think, "If I screw this
up, I won't sell the movie properly,

- "the movie will tank."
- Right. Right.

- All of that, you know?
- You know you want it to go perfectly

but it's not going to.

Nothing’s going to go perfectly, so
you convert that to positive self-talk

by saying, "I do this all
the time, I can start again."

Yeah, right.

CHRIS: Today, I worked with
the soldiers in the pool.

A lot of pool work and it was
incredibly exhausting and taxing,

particularly on the lungs.

Yeah, it’s really interesting, kind of
exposing myself to stressful situations

and becoming comfortable in
uncomfortable environments,

and that’s what
this is all about,

and hopefully adapting
that into my regular life.

So, I think it’s
about perspective,

this is what I’m absorbing
through this experience.

Too often, our fight or flight
is in constant fluctuation

due to things that just
aren't important, you know.

My eyes are really sore
from all the chlorine.

But, that’s the least of
my problems, isn’t it?

I’m about to walk off the
edge of a building. (EXCLAIMS)

MODUPE: The crane challenge is
extremely intimidating for Chris.

But I want him to realize,
these techniques aren't just

going to help reduce the risk
of stress damaging his health.

They can also help us perform at our
best when we're under intense pressure.

CHRIS: After an
accident, in 2013,

Faith Dickey completely changed
the way she thinks about stress.

FAITH: I was driving home to
visit family for the holidays

and my car hit a
patch of black ice

and I guess in that
moment I realized,

I was completely at peace
with my potential death.

After that accident, I just
realized, making stress your friend,

you learn ways to channel it.

(PANTING)

FAITH: I believe if
you avoid all risk...

you never learn what
you're capable of.

Loosen up.

- How does the tension look to you?
- MALE VOICE: I think it looks good.

CHRIS: Since her crash,
Faith has gone on to break

multiple world
records in highlining.

A discipline that requires absolute
control over the mind and body.

It's easy for my mind to start
filling with fears or stresses.

Because it’s a natural
response to get scared

when you're super high off the ground
on a wobbly line stretched over a void.

I have an arsenal of tools to
get myself across high lines.

Breathe.

FAITH: And sometimes all I need is
that small bit of positive thinking

that I can take one step.

You've got this.

That might look like
yelling at myself. "Come on.

"Come on. Come on."

"Relax, you've got this."

And it’s so funny how
self-talk can be so rewarding.

If I’m on the middle of a highline
and a huge gust of wind comes...

Whoa! Come on.

FAITH: I just pull from my toolbelt
another technique I know to deal with it.

Some people call
it segmentation.

I try not to think about
the whole challenge.

Instead, I break it
down into little chunks.

I’m able to just focus
on one step at a time.

Breathe.

One foot in front of the other.

And that one step can propel
me all the way across.

I walk through fear.

I don’t try to make it go away.

And that has been really powerful
in other realms of my life

where I go in for a job interview,
an everyday stressful situation,

I can really transfer what
I’ve learned on the highline...

And so, things that used
to stress me out a lot

no longer affect
me in the same way.

CHRIS: When I think about it,

I know I don't have too much
that should stress me out.

My family are healthy and happy,
I've got a career I'm proud of.

But I can still feel that
stress eating away at me.

So, for the sake of my long-term health,
I really want to try to get on top of it.

What is something that gives me huge
anxiety and... and evokes stress

is when I'm trying to take
care of too many things.

- Yes.
- You know, when I've got...

- Yes.
- I've got too many projects I'm working on

and too many emails and
phone calls to respond to.

It's, like... just becomes
a little overwhelming.

I think the key step
in that is diagnosing

why do I feel like I need to
say yes to all these things?

Yeah. I mean, when I
first started acting,

you know, my parents had
very little money growing up

- and...
- Yeah. Yeah.

And talking about
to my dad one day

about when he's going to be
able to pay the bank off.

- And him just saying, you know...
- Yeah.

- "Never, we'll...
- Yeah.

"we'll die having
to pay it off."

And that kind of really bothering
me from a very young age.

You know.

Taking it upon
myself just to say,

I don't want that that for them, I
don’t want it for me and my family.

- Yeah.
- And,

if I'm totally honest. I did acting
to get my parents out of debt,

but I still have that thing of,
like, it's all gonna go away.

- So, it's all going to run away...
- Yeah.

If I don't say yes
to these things,

but then there is just this
momentum that occurs and things...

- Yeah.
- Just kind of pile

- on top of each other, and...
- Yeah.

It just kicks you in
the gut, you know?

MODUPE: Chris gets overwhelmed

when the pressures in
his life become too much.

But I have a technique I can show him
to help with those intense feelings.

So, I’m going to put him to
the test in a training exercise

where stress is at its peak.

(DISTANT SIRENS)

MODUPE: Today, what I wanted
to do is expose you to...

a different type
of extreme stress.

- And...
- I'm tipping it has something

- to do with fire.
- Yes, it does.

(SIRENS WAILING)

So, yesterday, I nearly
got drowned and today,

I’m going to be
burnt to a crisp.

This isn’t stress exposure,
this is medieval torture.

- There's a fire, boys. Let's go.
- (ALL CHUCKLE)

CHRIS: Since Zoc did so
well during the VR test,

I thought he could also
use some of Modupe’s tips.

So, yesterday, we did the
self-talk but there are times

when you’re just in the
middle of the action

and we feel that rush of adrenaline,
when you feel that heart rate increasing.

One of the key things
is to just breathe.

This is what first responders do
and it’s called box breathing.

- Breathe, hold, exhale, hold.
- Okay.

So, imagine four sides of a box.

What you’re going to do is

inhale for four seconds,
hold it for four seconds,

exhale for four seconds,
hold it for four seconds.

So, that is the process. Four seconds
for each. Breathe, hold, exhale, hold.

Breathe, one, two, three, four.
Pause, one, two, three, four.

This is an extreme situation
here, but you can imagine how,

in any circumstance in your life when
you feel that heart rate increasing,

- you can use this technique.
- Breathe.

- MODUPE: Breathe. Breathe through it.
- ZOC: Got it.

This simple breathing technique
demonstrates that the stress signals

connecting our brain and
body aren't just one way,

the body can send signals back.

CHRIS: The more stressed I
am, the faster I breathe,

and the faster I breathe,
the more stressed I become.

It’s a vicious circle.

But if I can breathe
slowly and deeply,

the nerve fibers in my chest

will detect the
change in movement

and flood my brain with
signals to chill out,

short-circuiting my
fight or flight system.

Throughout my body,
everything is dialed down.

From heart rate, to stress
hormones, to anxiety.

(SIREN WAILING)

This is a simulation
of a residential fire.

Tara, Chris, you’ll be crew one.

CHRIS: To help me through
the training exercise,

Modupe has teamed me
up with Tara Lowe.

She's a firefighter with
sixteen years’ experience.

TARA: Chris and I need to
locate where the fire is.

And then just pop your
neck strap right over here

so you can pull
your flashlight off.

Obviously, we need to get that
fire out as quickly as possible,

but also then to rescue any casualties
that may be in that building.

(SIREN WAILING)

TARA: And it will be
overwhelming for him

because it’s that really
acute sudden stress.

You've got to bring three
pretty heavy dummies out.

I want CAN reports telling me
exactly how much air you’ve got left,

and I want you to get
everybody out of that structure

before you run out of that air.

Okay, so control your breathing.

I don't want you using
all your air supply.

Get to work!

CHRIS: With limited air
and three bodies to find

I’m going to have to breathe slowly
but still work as fast as I can.

Okay. We have crew
one entering now.

TARA: Okay, forwards.

(BOTH BREATHING RAPIDLY)

TARA: Okay, see the door at the
end, make your way towards that.

- Locate the fire.
- CHRIS: I can't see the door.

TARA: Keep going forward.

CHRIS: It's completely
dark, it's very unsettling.

It’s hard, hard work and I’m
struggling to even get my breath.

(BREATHING RAPIDLY)

TARA: Stop. We're gonna take a
look inside, see what's there.

Ready? Go.

(FIRE RUMBLES)

TARA: We have a working fire.

I'm trying to remember
everything I've been taught.

CHRIS: What do I do, hit it?

TARA: Okay, direct it
straight onto the fire.

I’m tryna sort of listen. It's
loud, it's hot, it’s uncomfortable.

I'm exhausted. My
lungs are burning,

trying to, you know,
pull in enough oxygen.

(BREATHING RAPIDLY)

TARA: I want you to do a search,
Chris, of the whole area.

You're looking for
a casualty, okay?

Okay.

He's breathing super
hard. It's fast.

Oh, my gosh, it's so much
faster than when he started.

He's puffing. (CHUCKLES)

(BREATHING RAPIDLY)

CHRIS: I've got a casualty.

Pulling the extra weight is
making it even harder to breathe.

- I see one coming out. Okay, okay.
- Yeah, we're winning.

There's one coming out.

What’s your air? One hundred.
You don't have much air,

but we haven't got an all clear
on the upstairs level yet,

but we do need to make
sure that it's all clear.

- Can you do that for me?
- CHRIS: Okay.

Yeah.

I can't see.

CHRIS: I know I’m
breathing too fast,

and I'll need to slow it down if
I’m gonna search the upper floors.

MALE VOICE: (OVER RADIO) Crew
one, get a quick all clear.

CHRIS: Can't see from
here. It's just a door.

(FIRE RUMBLES)

MALE VOICE: Crew
one, how's your air?

TARA: Chris, how
much air do you have?

We are at 70 bar, over.

Received, crew
one, you've got 70.

I need you to withdraw
from the structure.

TARA: Chris, we need to get out. We
need to get out now, withdrawing.

CHRIS: With my air running low,
the chief aborts the mission.

MALE VOICE: Let's go.
Come on, Chris, come on...

I found, in the fire, the box
breathing sort of went out the window

because the breathing technique
I was using was just getting

as much oxygen as
I could, you know.

When you’re in
the thick of it...

you’re kind of just

in survival mode, I guess.

I feel very flat and sort of
empty and disappointed in myself

that I've let that stress
control me in that situation.

I can't imagine if
it was for real.

What that would be like.

I’ve seen many firefighters who've
perhaps divorced or separated

from their partners, and
actually when you look at it,

it’s that underlying build-up of
stress that they weren’t aware of.

- Okay...
- It plays out in that gradual breakdown

of people's lives, really,
and their physical health

and their emotional
and mental health.

Okay, so I'm just going to invite
everyone to close their eyes.

MODUPE: An hour after the training,
Chris’s stress response is still high.

So, I’m going to monitor
his breathing rate

in a mindful meditation session.

Firefighters regularly
use this practice

to reduce long term stress by
focusing on what they are sensing

and feeling in the moment.

FEMALE VOICE: Be aware
of all of the cells,

moving through the physical
body from head to toe.

CHRIS: Even though I'm familiar
with mindful meditation,

I still don't find it that easy
just to relax on command...

especially since my mind is racing and
turning over the events of the day.

And then, I pull myself back
into this state of focus.

And I start to feel
lot more peaceful.

MODUPE: Mindful meditation is
an extremely powerful technique.

Not only does it make us feel
less stressed in the moment,

if we do it regularly, it can
alter our stress response.

CHRIS: The network in our brain that
fires off our fight or flight circuit

needs to be hypersensitive
to keep you safe.

Trouble is, all kinds of everyday
pressures can set it off.

(CAR HORNS HONKING)

CHRIS: But scientists believe
that as little as eight weeks of

regular mindful meditation
can rewire connections

in key parts of the brain...

making us less likely to overreact
to things that could stress us out.

How did my stats look? Did
they change, fluctuate?

When you came in, they were higher
and then there was a really, really

a marked decrease and change in
what I saw when your breathing rate

went to something like four.

So, even just this 15 minutes,
the difference that that makes,

what if you add to that over time
or just, it becomes a practice

that's a regular thing
that not only helps you

in being a firefighter for longer,
but living longer and healthier.

CHRIS: I can see how these
techniques will help me if I use them

when I'm stressed
out in daily life.

But hacking my stress response

when I’m 900 feet up, trying
to get across a narrow crane.

I really don’t know
if I’m ready for that.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

Go, mate.

Feel like a UFC
fighter. We've arrived.

The nerves are definitely
up there this morning.

It's making me
feel sick for you.

If I look calm, this is some of
the best acting I’ve ever done.

- Yeah.
- You don't.

My legs are feeling
like jelly...

but I'm just trying to
keep my focus forward.

Oh, yuck, dude.

Just look out there. That’s
disgusting! There's no way!

CHRIS: Hopefully, when I get
up there to do the crane walk,

I can tell myself that
this is gonna be a thrill.

This is exciting.

Instead of telling myself how
scared and terrified I am.

(CHUCKLES, GROANS) Okay.

MODUPE: How are you feeling?

Yeah, I keep having moments
where my brain goes,

"Oh, no, what the
hell am I doing?"

And I gotta kinda reel it back
and go, "No, no, I can see myself

"doing it successfully."

But I do... There's that other voice
that goes, "No, no, no, no, no,

"this is not gonna
work, you're gonna fail,

"you're gonna..." And
I think it's just about

who you give more attention to.

It’s your mindset about that stress
that can dictate whether or not

the outcome is positive or not.

I didn't sleep great last night.

I feel this weird sort
of, like, vertigo feeling.

I had this image of the crane
falling, smashing through a window

and me hanging in
the room below.

And the crane about to tumble
and having to get my harness off.

That scenario is kinda, would
be interesting, wouldn’t it?

MODUPE: I'm worried Chris'
head isn't in the right place.

He's got to acknowledge
those negative thoughts

and move past them.

Because the real challenge today
isn't just walking across the crane...

it's doing the walk calmly,

using the techniques he’s
learned to keep his heart rate

and breathing under control.

How are you feeling?
Are you nervous?

You keep asking me that so I’m
starting to feel it a bit, yeah.

CHRIS: The moment's arrived and
I'm heading up to the rooftop.

(BREATHES DEEPLY)

And I can feel my
heart rate increasing.

And I just keep reminding
myself why I'm doing this.

I don’t want stress
to rule my life.

Or take a toll on my health.

(VOCALIZES)

- See you guys. It was fun. It was fun.
- Good luck out there, mate.

- It was a fun thirty years.
- You're gonna be fine.

- Giving love to you, mate.
- I love you.

MODUPE: And I’ll talk to
you from up there too,

- every now and then.
- Yeah.

So... But you’ve got this.

See you on the other side.

(EXHALES DEEPLY)

It's windy up here.

My legs are shaking.

- Yeah, you're nervous, huh?
- I'm nervous.

Step in there and just look out across.
Now, you can reach these, can't you?

(GRUNTS)

Yeah. So, my feet
feel incredibly heavy.

- You’re looking good up there.
- He's got the arms out.

- He's ready to do it.
- Don’t forget to breathe!

- (CHUCKLES)
- What are you thinking?

Nothing. Just trying to enjoy
the view and be comfortable

in a very uncomfortable
situation.

Chris’s metrics are already
well above his baseline.

I’m hoping he can keep his heart rate
under a hundred beats per minute.

But right now it’s at 118 and
that number is rising quickly.

I’m well aware that my brain’s
saying, "What are we doing?"

It’s...

it's about... I think about
thinking less, you know?

At the moment, I try to sort of think
of all the things that could go wrong.

At the moment I, you know...

I just haven’t let that come
into my head for a few days now.

But it's... Even now, my brain is going,
"Woah, what are we doing up here?"

You know?

So, I'm standing up
there, I’m looking down.

It's a long, long way.
The wind’s blowing.

I think, I’ve got my
friends here for support.

I’m doing my box breathing.

(BREATHES DEEPLY)

One step, just one step,
one step, one step.

One step, one foot,
one moment, one breath.

CHRIS: And I take
one more big breath.

And I start walking.

I feel like I can’t
walk properly.

MODUPE: (OVER RADIO) You're
breathing really well.

This is so much
better than yesterday.

My legs have gone all funky.

- (CHUCKLES) Feel super unsteady now.
- ZOC: (OVER RADIO) Mind the step, dude.

(SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY)

- Oh, God.
- Yeah.

I keep trying to tell myself, “It’s okay,
we got this. It’s what we’ve trained for.

"Keep breathing. Stay calm."

It’s very windy up here now. And
it's... it starts to feel very... Woah!

AARON: Oh. Wow!

MODUPE: His heart rate is
going down a little bit.

(OVER RADIO) Nice job.

I’ve done it. This is beautiful.
Look where I am, look at the view.

Soak it in. This is what
I’ve been training for.

Then I realize I’ve gotta
go all the way back!

I want to look down but I
don’t want to look down.

But I just wanna
kinda get it done.

Why did I do that? No.

And I look down and...
(IMITATES SLOW MOTION)

everything starts to kinda...

(CHUCKLES) I feel I have vertigo
and huge rush of adrenaline.

Brief moments of,
"Uh-oh, I can't do this."

And I can feel my
heart rate increasing.

You good?

I’m just trying to lower
my heart rate a bit.

- ZOC: How are the stats looking?
- His heart rate, he's at 145.

- This is double his rate at rest.
- AARON: Yeah.

CHRIS: Yeah, looking
down is gross.

Chris, jump on the chopper
mate. You’re gonna make it!

CHRIS: I really wanna focus
now on the breathing techniques

and all the strategies she’s taught me
to see if I can lower my heart rate,

and so I just stand there
for a moment and look out.

I pull myself back into the focus
state and be present in the moment.

Mindful and present.

CHRIS: And I block out
any thoughts of doubt.

I just keep telling myself there’s
no possibility of me not doing it.

- And I take my first step.
- ZOC: There he goes.

How’s my heart rate?
Has it lowered?

MODUPE: (OVER RADIO)
Yeah, it’s down to 103.

It had gone up to 145, so...

- CHRIS: Yeah.
- ZOC: He's got this.

CHRIS: With every step, l
seem to grow more confident.

I know the techniques are working so I
let myself just enjoy the experience.

I feel like I’m in control.

MODUPE: (OVER RADIO) And your
heart rate is down to 90, 88, 87!

It keeps on going down, so...
Look at you using those tools!

- He's giving us a bit of karate!
- Now we are getting cocky here.

Confident, isn't he?

- MODUPE: (CHUCKLES) Karate kid up in here!
- Yes.

- That's extremely intense. Wow.
- Good job, Chris. Good job.

- Well done, mate, I’m proud of you.
- MODUPE: Love it. That's great.

Was that harder than the VR?

- Insanely harder.
- It is?

- It's gnarly.
- Yeah.

Like, it's right there,
it's right at the door,

- like, the fear.
- ZOC: Yeah.

So, what level of
stress was that for you?

If you had put me in that situation
with no prior conversation or training

or what have you... I think
I would have just gone,

"No. No way." You know.

So, this experience is not just about
these acutely stressful moments like this,

but it's about the long
term, the longevity,

I mean, that’s a piece of
why you wanted to do this.

Every step where you focus,
every moment that you breathe,

that is allowing
you to live longer

because you’re not having
that chronic stress response.

- Yeah.
- And you’re allowing yourself

to go back to baseline
naturally and when you do that,

that means you're at less risk
of cardiovascular disease,

you're at less risk of not
recovering when you’re sick.

So, it’s not just this moment,
it’s about the long term.

Hopefully, next time the kids are
having a tantrum in a restaurant

and people are filming it,

I’m trying to smile through
it, be relaxed, huh?

- Yeah.
- It'll be real. It won't be a performance.

I think what I’ve taken away
from this experience is that...

the story you tell yourself
becomes your reality.

If I told myself prior to
walking out on the crane

that I wasn’t going to be able to
do it or what if I fall or whatever,

then I probably would have failed,
I probably wouldn’t have done it.

It really is mind over matter.

So, you don't have to be ruled
by those fearful emotions.

Do we have a harness for Zoc?

Have to get a small one.

Turn that camera off.

- Yeah.
- MALE VOICE: Cut it.

(UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING)

(INHALES)

Yeah!

(MUSIC ENDS)