10% Happier with Dan Harris16 Nov 2025

Why You're Always Half-Stressed — and How to Chill | Christiane Wolf

If you feel like you spend most of your day on edge — not totally panicked, but not exactly calm either — you're not alone. Most of us live in what meditation teacher Dr. Christiane Wolf calls "yellow mode": a state of low-level vigilance that keeps us productive, but also keeps us anxious, reactive, and exhausted.

In this conversation with DJ Cashmere, Christiane unpacks why our nervous systems get stuck in that yellow zone and what we can actually do to shift back into "green mode" — the state of calm alertness where we feel grounded, flexible, and capable of joy.

They explore:

Why our modern lives constantly trigger fight-or-flight
The difference between "being chill" and being appropriately responsive
Simple, science-backed ways to calm your nervous system in seconds
How trauma and early conditioning make relaxation feel unsafe
The role of community (sangha), right livelihood, and mindfulness in long-term regulation

Christiane is our Teacher of the Month at DanHarris.com, where she's creating guided meditations to go along with many of our podcast episodes. Join us at DanHarris.com to learn more.

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Tickets are now on sale for a special live taping of the 10% Happier Podcast with guest Pete Holmes! Join us on November 18th in NYC for this benefit show, with all proceeds supporting the New York Insight Meditation Center. Grab your tickets here!

Tickets are now available for an intimate live event with Dan on November 23rd as part of the Troutbeck Luminary Series. Join the conversation, participate in a guided meditation, and ask your questions during the Q&A. Click here to buy your ticket!

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