The Chill Factory

We are living through very stressful times, and nearly half of us feel very anxious, according to an American Psychological Association survey at the end of 2025. So, wouldn't it be incredible to quickly rewire your brain so you're not as anxious and stressed—without surgery, money, or leaving your house? If you said "yes," you're in luck. Meditation, a 2,000-year-old practice, increasingly appear...

There are millions of ways to reduce your stress, but some pack a bigger stress-busting punch than others. This special episode of The Chill Factory features five of these stress relief superstars to focus on during the new year, month, week, or day. They include very wise recommendations by past Factory guests about smarter planning and goal attainment, dealing with failure and missteps, a vital...

Losing sexual interest in a partner over time is very common and often stressful. However, considering sex with others to satisfy needs can be scary, confusing, and overwhelming. It's also true that non-monogamy or polyamory is a stress-reducing option for sexual frustration for a growing number of couples. Relationship and sex therapist Eric FitzMedrud talks with host Jordan Friedman about how to...

Where is your nature sanctuary? Hopefully, you have a few answers to this question because the outdoors, whether it's a local park, the Rocky Mountains, or a photo on a wall, provide a rushing river of stress relief and better health. This episode of The Chill Factory, with guest Brian Luke Seaward, gives you ideas and motivation for how to make nature more a part of your routine and even takes yo...

About one in five Americans takes prescription medication to reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges, but many don't or won't use these drugs because they lack information, are scared of them, or feel that needing them is a sign of weakness. These products help a lot of people feel calmer and happier. That's why guest Tristan Gorrindo clearly talks about what they ar...

Meditation is one of the most powerful stress and anxiety reducers, with decades of research supporting its health and behavioral benefits. Yet, many people never experience the advantages it offers because they perceive meditation as complicated, religious, or "woo-woo." Are you one of them? Guest Katie Grieco went from being a high-profile and stressed New York City restaurateur to becoming a ha...

For more than ten years, there's been an alarming rise in anxiety, depression, and suicide among kids, but there's a contributing factor that few have been discussing... until now. Jordan Friedman talks with Harvard lecturer and researcher Rick Weissbourd about his new study that uncovered important and surprising connections between the mental health of teens and the mental health of their parent...

Here's just part of the answer to this episode's title: get to know artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT to get smarter, eliminate time-consuming and soul-sucking tasks, future-proof your job and career goals, improve the quality of life for your parents, teams, teachers, and people with disabilities, do away with diseases, and reduce your AI anxiety. And how can you friend AI? Start by list...

Felix concluded that things weren't going well, so he made a change that most of us would never consider. Changes small and large are often stressful and scary because the results they produce are usually hard to predict and they sometimes get coupled with feelings of failure. It's also true that staying put in unsatisfying and stressful situations can wear us down and make us really unhappy. This...

It's on the sides of buses, in The New York Times, and on Jeopardy, but if you don't know what this number is, listen to this episode. Then, help share it with everyone, especially the kids in your life. The number is 988, which is the long-awaited rebranding of the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline... which isn't just for people in crisis. That's the easy part; the hard part is getting up the...

It happnes to all of us, but how you handle things not working out, or "failure," can impact your  mental health and forward motion for a long time. Host Jordan Friedman talks with coach Carolyn Sandano about how to get past the stress, saddness and embarrassment of missteps, unrealized goals and things not going well, so you can more easily get what you want. After the conversation, Jordan rolls...

Best of episodes highlight especially informative and helpful parts of longer conversations host Jordan Friedman has had with past guests. For this volume, we'll spotlight: A happiness reality check Taming turbulence fears and anxiety The mood-altering value of anticipating things How to have a conversation with someone about sex to make it more enjoyable, and therefore a better stress reducer The...

Relax hacks are simple, wonderfully clever ways to make life smoother. It's like the difference between riding on a road littered with bumps and potholes, and one that's well-paved and obstacle free. Guest Robin Copple and host Jordan Friedman share a variety of relax hacks, some of which may change your life and productivity. After the interview, we'll take a listen to one of them. About Guest Ro...

If you're like most people, you use music to relax, but have you ever considered going deeper with music therapy? And what is music therapy anyway? Is it turning the lights out and listening to Pink Floyd's  Dark Side of the Moon ? Is it drumming or singing to relieve stress? Is it playing a harmonica in your therapists office and exploring how you feel when you do? Music psychotherapist Maya Bena...

There something powerful all of us can do to lessen our stress and worry, something that can boost our mental health, salvage relationships and save lives. Despite this strategy's potential, it's vastly under used because it can be tough to execute. That's why this special episode of The Chill Factory puts together segments from past shows where guests give great ways to effectively communicate to...

Get bored to get motivated. Take advantage of your psychological sense of time. Hear about a big driver for getting things done. Like part one of Jordan's conversation with coaching psychologist and productivity expert Natalie Lancer, this episode focuses on how to match your goals with who you are and what you want. Lancer helps people get moving on projects, business ventures, dissertations, boo...

Breaks every 20 minutes? Only check email at 9 and 3? Two naps a day? This could be chill productivity for you says guest and coaching psychologist Dr. Natalie Lancer because greater productivity comes when you match your goals with who you are and what you want. Lancer helps people get moving on projects, business ventures, books and more, and she'll also help you reach your objectives... and enj...

Public speaking is feared more than death by most people, yet it's a vital tool for leadership, professional advancement, advocacy and personal relationships. TCF host Jordan Friedman talks with public speaker and public speaking coach Rosemary Ravinal about her inspiring route to her career, the top speaking stressors, how to make them less stressful and much more. After the interview, we sample...

Work, school and life can be really stressful, but making positive changes to them can feel overwhelming. Professional coaching is one of the fastest-growing ways to reduce this stress, but is coaching right for you?    According to a 2019 survey, more than 90% of those who worked with a coach were either satisfied or very satisfied with their experience. Should you get a coach to help  you  ident...

The Break Room is the brief segment during most episodes of The Chill Factory where host Jordan Friedman teaches a relaxation exercise or strategies to bust your stress and boost your health. This episode showcases five of these chillers, and in under 20 minutes, you'll learn Breathe Easier, powerful ways to make friends, how to meditate, a soothing light-touch technique and more. You'll also get...

Are you happy? Happy enough? Would you like to be happier? Your happiness is really important to your health and it's a strong foe of stress, but it can also be heavily influenced by how you define it and what others say it should be. This episode is a happiness reality check because Jordan Friedman talks with socialogist and happiness expert Tracy Brower to debunk happiness myths and make this st...

Is sexual activity a stress reliever and mood lifter for you? Are you comfortable talking about sex with partners? This episode of The Chill Factory is a continuation of our conversation with sexual health educator Lee Ann Hamilton with a focus on self-awareness, tech, porn and other big influencers on sexual satisfaction. After the interview Jordan leads an exercise to make sex and just about eve...

Sex is a fantastic stress reducer… if it's satisfying. When it's not fulfilling, talking with a partner or partners about your desires, fantasies and what you want is a great route to sexual satisfaction. But, that's really difficult for most of us to do. Jordan Friedman talks with longtime sexual health educator Lee Ann Hamilton about how to talk about sex so that it can be more of the incredible...

Constantly worried about politics and the state of the nation? Anxious about inflation and crime? Thinking about   moving? If you're like most people in the US and many other places, the answer is YES according to a recent survey by the American Psychological Association. Jordan Friedman talks with psychologist Amanda Baden about how to deal—and how not to deal— with these huge stressors that seem...

Commercial airline pilot Dave Erazo addresses the four biggest sources of flying anxiety and why they don't need to be so stressful. About 40% of us are nervous fliers and this episode is full of facts and tips to make your next flight smoother, including some surprising strategies. About Guest Dave Erazo Dave Erazo is a commercial airline pilot with over 30 years of experience flying for a major...