How can I protect my brain from stress?

Breathing is a perfect example of such a tool, Huberman said and he's working with colleagues to understand how different breathing patterns affect feelings of stress and tranquility.

One breathing pattern they're studying is called "physiological sighs" -- pattern of breathing in which two inhales through the nose are followed by an extended exhale through the mouth.

Huberman explained how it works: "You have little sacks of air in the lungs, which increase the volume of air that you can bring in. Those sacks collapse over time, and as a result, oxygen levels start to go down and carbon dioxide levels go up in the bloodstream and body, and that a big part of the signaling of the stress response."

The double inhale of the physiological sigh "pops" the air sacks (called alveoli) open, allowing oxygen in and enabling you to offload carbon dioxide in the long exhaled sigh out.

This is a real time tool that people can deploy anytime, anywhere to reduce stress, Huberman said.

Stress serves a purpose, Huberman said, but "I think everybody, starting from a very young age and until really, until our last days of life, could benefit from having tools that allow us to push back on that stress response."