An End to Fear?

Author Scott Carney has swum with sharks, dunked in icy water, and broiled in sweltering saunas—all in the service of quashing anxiety and stress. Here’s what he’s learned.

- MARJORIE KORN

UNLESS YOU’RE a stuntman or mountain rescuer, your day-to-day likely doesn’t require a test of extreme mental fortitude. So when life catches you by surprise—bad medical news, a plane in turbulence—the ensuing panic is the body’s autonomic response. But there’s a moment, contends author Scott Carney, between the stimulus and the body’s reaction. The Wedge is that moment—and the title of Carney’s new book. “It is about learning you have the ability to manifest some control about how you react to just about any situation,” he says. This is a hard-earned revelation. Carney traveled the world, putting himself through acute stress with expert practitioners to learn how to control his body’s autonomic response. And you can, too.

TRY THIS FREEZE YOUR BUTT OFF