How to Make Yourself Unbreakable | DJ Shipley

Andrew Huberman

Oct 6, 2025

Episode description

My guest is DJ Shipley, a retired Tier 1 operator Navy SEAL and now a top public educator on how to build mental and physical health and reach top-level performance in any endeavor. DJ’s life is one marked by extraordinary strivings, wins, setbacks and comebacks that together have shaped his approach to overcoming challenges of all kinds and to daily life. DJ explains a regimen of clear, practical steps and a mental stance that can allow anyone—male, female, young or old—to build extreme resilience of mind and body and to be successful in family and work. We also discuss his experience with new, emerging treatments for addiction, PTSD and depression that many people, not just veterans, are benefiting from. The tools DJ describes to “stack small wins” and to be ultra-intentional about your mindset will be of immense benefit to anyone wishing to achieve the best version of themselves.

Episode show notes: https://go.hubermanlab.com/EeYgeW1

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Timestamps
00:00:00 DJ Shipley
00:04:03 Mental & Physical Health, Tools: Morning Routine & Micro-wins
00:08:35 Balancing Work & Family, Tools: Compartmentalization, "Control the Controllable"
00:13:46 Sponsors: Rorra & BetterHelp
00:16:25 Phones, Social Media vs Focus, Negativity, Tool: Consistency & Sleep
00:23:05 Routine & Stressors, Exercise & Benefits, Tool: Morning Workout
00:29:24 Body Awareness, Hurt vs Injury
00:33:53 Physical Injury & Rehab; Exercise; Mobility, Tool: 5-Day Workout Program
00:44:26 Sponsors: AGZ by AG1 & Eight Sleep
00:47:29 Skateboarding, Career, Navy SEAL, BUD/S & Embracing Discomfort
00:56:13 BUD/S, Motivation & Mental Resilience
01:02:18 Navy SEALs, Iraq War & Casualties, Compartmentalization
01:08:41 Public Press; Extortion 17, Operation Red Wings; Death of Friends
01:16:25 High Performers, Social Media Negativity & Legacy
01:19:37 Sponsor: Function
01:21:24 Family Legacy, Military & Purpose, Navy SEAL Culture, Wife & Relationship
01:30:10 Second Deployment, Helplessness & Trauma, Inspiration & Reverence
01:38:30 Skydiving, Injury & Mental Resilience; Medical Retirement & Addiction
01:49:17 Art Therapy, Skateboarding, Electrocution & Recovery
02:00:57 Physical Recovery, Trainer Vernon Griffith
02:04:38 Miracles, Higher Power; Work & Life Tension
02:12:52 Sponsor: ROKA
02:14:39 Physical & Mental Posture, Suicide, Depression, Tool: Control the Controllable
02:21:22 Suicide, Mental Health & Darkest Hour, Ibogaine, 5-MeO-DMT
02:31:18 Ibogaine & Empathy, 5-MeO-DMT & Ego Death; Returning Home, Tool: Dials Not Switches
02:42:42 Psychedelics, Mental Health Plasticity; Veterans' Solutions, Addiction
02:50:39 Medical Ibogaine, Anger, Numbing Out & Hate; Dogs
03:03:42 GBRS Program, High Standards, Functional Fitness, Tool: Fitness Test
03:17:50 Self-Care, Longevity & Fitness, GBRS Program
03:24:45 Self-Respect, Tools: 20-Minute Walk & Relationships; Micro-wins
03:32:57 Acknowledgements, American Flag Hat, Patriotism
03:40:00 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow, Reviews & Feedback, Sponsors, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter

Disclaimer & Disclosures: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Stack micro-wins in the morning to create a stress-free day

By the time you make your morning coffee, you can complete 25 small tasks entirely within your control to set a stress-free tone for the day.

#routine

#stress

Achieve elite fitness by meeting rigorous strength standards

An elite, well-rounded fitness standard includes benching your bodyweight for 20+ reps, doing 20+ pull-ups, and deadlifting 2.5x your bodyweight for five reps.

#fitness

#strength

Experience addiction elimination with a single Ibogaine session

A single therapeutic session with Ibogaine can eliminate addictions, such as a 17-year Copenhagen habit, overnight.

#addiction

#psychedelics

Build strong routines to support mental resilience

Just as a strong physical stance can bear a heavy load, a strong mental posture built by a solid routine allows you to handle the immense pressures of life.

#resilience

#routine

Train to differentiate between hurt and injury for better body awareness

Consistent, long-term fitness develops a deep body awareness that allows you to know the crucial difference between something that hurts and a true injury.

#awareness

#exercise

Structure your day to shield against distractions

Elite performers are not immune to distraction; they structure their day so rigidly precisely because they are susceptible to negative energy and context.