Calm Your Caveman

What if a single question could cut through anxiety, indecision, and overwhelm? In this episode, we dive into how imagining just one year left to live helped clients move from overwhelm to clarity, rewire anxiety, reconnect with purpose, and reshape relationships. Real coaching stories show how this mindset shift unlocks peace and purpose—right now.

Timestamps:

00:30 – Intro: The counterintuitive question that calms anxiety
00:59 – A client overwhelmed by work, school, and divorce finds clarity
02:35 – How the question creates courage and unblocks passions
03:14 – Meet Sadie: Constant future-stress and why she couldn’t rest
06:12 – Jim’s struggle: Family tension and values clashes
08:45 – Carrie’s story: Parents, boundaries, and a surprising twist
12:02 – You don’t actually have forever: 4,000 weeks
12:52 – Linear time vs. cyclical time—and why this matters for anxiety
16:00 – Kindness Narrative: Support After a Four Wheeler Accident

For full show notes, including resources mentioned, go to https://www.calmyourcaveman.com/episodes/start-becoming-who-you-want-to-be—now

Ever feel constantly on edge, like something bad is always about to happen?
It’s not your fault—and it’s not just you. Your brain is doing exactly what it was designed to do... just in the wrong environment.

In this episode, we dive into how the news, social media, and even your own memories hijack your emotional wiring. You’ll take a quiz that reveals how distorted your perception of danger may be—and learn how to recalibrate your sense of safety without going off the grid.

We’ll explore:

• Why your brain is obsessed with worst-case scenarios
• How fear-based headlines make anxiety your default setting
• What it means to be stuck in "rabbit mode" (and how to get out)
• Practical ways to rebalance your threat radar
• Emotional “vegetables” that train your brain to feel calmer, safer, and clearer

Time Stamps

00:30 – Welcome + Risk Quiz
03:15 – Media’s Attention-Trap: Negativity + Novelty + Emotion
09:30 – How Your Unconscious Brain Predicts the Future
15:00 – How Feeding Your Memory Affects Your Perception of Risk
18:10 – Mental Junk-Food vs. Mental Vegetables
22:19 – Kindness Narrative: A Kind Airline Pilot

For full show notes, including resources mentioned, go to https://www.calmyourcaveman.com/episodes/why-your-brain-thinks-the-world-is-scarier-than-it-is

In this episode, we move from theory to practice. Where recent episodes focused on the theory of finding your "why," this episode explores application: an interview with Ana Regina Cardoso is presented as a form of modeling, offering listeners a concrete example of how “finding your why” can be applied in real life. She shares her experiences of caring for her sick mother at a young age and how these early responsibilities shaped her concept of a life purpose. From coordinating community aid during the pandemic to supporting the elderly through art projects, Ana’s story is a powerful testament to how hardship can be transformed into a life of purpose and service.
[00:00:00] - Introduction: How Looking to Models Can Help You Find Your Why.
[00:05:56] - Interview with Ana Regina Cardoso Begins: Early Life and Caring for Her Mother.
[00:09:47] - Transition to a Life of Service: From Personal Struggles to Community Support.
[00:11:04] - The Garage of Goodness: Organizing Pandemic Relief Efforts.
[00:14:46] - Expanding Her Mission: Continuing to Help Families Post-Pandemic.
[00:20:33] - The Power of Modeling: Inspiring Others Through Positive Actions.
[00:22:00] - Reflections: How Ana Turned Sadness into a Strength and Found Her "Why."
[00:23:38] - Conclusion: The Ongoing Impact of Ana’s Work and Her Commitment to Helping Others.

For full show notes, including resources mentioned, go to:
www.calmyourcaveman.com.

This episode starts with a conversation with my mom, who has spent a lifetime quietly serving others and finding real joy in it. But for me, giving didn’t always bring peace — it often brought guilt, pressure, and anxiety. If service is supposed to make us happier, why can it sometimes feel so heavy? I open up about my own dysfunctional relationship with giving, how it was harming rather than helping, and what finally shifted. Learn the two major blocks that might be keeping you from experiencing the mental health benefits of kindness — and how to turn giving into a powerful, joyful tool for emotional healing.
00:30 – Welcome & Introduction
00:52 – My Mom’s Service and What She Gains From It
9:19 – When Service Becomes a Burden
10:58 – The Global Science of Kindness
12:29 – Learning to Put My Oxygen Mask on First
16:09 – Choice vs Obligation in Service
21:56 – Kindness Narrative: Making a Support Fund

For full episode, including resources mentioned, go to: https://www.calmyourcaveman.com/episodes/when-giving-backfires:-healing-the-anxiety-of-overgiving
Music:
J.S. Bach, Goldberg Variations, Transcribed for String Trio (excerpts). Performed by Avery Ensemble live 12/2/2017. Used by permission.
To see original performance go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TELZsL_5W2c
Harmonia Artificioso-Ariosa, Partita No. 4 in E flat Major (excerpts). Performed by the Avery Ensemble, recorded 2017. Used by permission. To stream recording go to: https://music.apple.com/br/album/mozart-biber-creston-schoenfield/1373331850?l=en-GB
More information at https://www.averyensemble.com/

In this episode, the focus is on understanding and managing body image anxiety. The discussion delves into common misconceptions and ineffective methods for addressing body anxiety, such as cosmetic surgery and weight loss. The episode emphasizes the importance of changing our mental relationship with body image rather than altering physical appearance. Dr. Twitchell shares personal experiences and effective strategies, including mindfulness, reappraisal techniques, and finding a sense of purpose beyond physical appearance.
[00:00:00] - Introduction: Overview of the topic and personal experience with body image anxiety.
[00:01:30] - Ineffectiveness of Cosmetic Surgery: Research findings on why cosmetic surgery does not alleviate body image anxiety and may worsen mental health symptoms.
[00:04:30] - The Psychological Impact of Weight Loss: Discussion of a study showing that weight loss does not provide psychological benefits and can lead to increased depression and anxiety.
[00:06:00] - The Importance of Mental Appraisal: Explanation of how our mental interpretation of situations, rather than the situations themselves, determines emotional experiences.
[00:07:30] - The Role of Evolutionary Psychology: Insights into how evolutionary instincts around social hierarchy and survival influence body image concerns.
[00:09:00] - Mindfulness and Body Image: Using mindfulness to detach from body anxiety and observe emotions non-judgmentally.
[00:12:00] - Understanding Survival Instincts: Exploration of how body anxiety relates to ancient survival instincts and the need for social acceptance.
[00:15:00] - Finding a Greater Purpose: Techniques to shift focus from physical appearance to more enduring and meaningful life goals.
[00:18:00] - Visualizing Your Future Self: Questions and exercises to help prioritize long-term values over immediate body image concerns.
[00:21:00] - Connecting with Ancestry: Dr. Twitchell shares a personal practice of appreciating ancestral traits and the inherited aspects of her body.
[00:24:00] - Reappraisal and Cognitive Strategies: Emphasis on the need for consistent practice of cognitive strategies to reshape the perception of body image.
For full show notes including resources mentioned go to: www.calmyourcaveman.com