Join Dr. Twitchell to learn about the importance of increasing distress tolerance for managing anxiety and negative emotions. This episode examines how resisting anxiety amplifies it and explores methods to accept negative emotions like anger, sadness, and fear by viewing them as temporary and necessary aspects of life. Dr. Twitchell shares personal anecdotes, discusses adaptive functions of emotions, and explains the value of understanding near-death experiences in reducing anxiety related to mortality. Concluding with practical tips and philosophical insights, Dr. Twitchell guides listeners on embracing distress and mortality to achieve a more peaceful and meaningful life.


[00:00:00] - Introduction to Distress Tolerance
[00:01:56] - Clarifying Distress Tolerance
[00:04:11] - Understanding Negative Emotions
[00:05:46] - The Function of Emotions
[00:13:55] - Personal Story: Anger and Self-Care
[00:16:50] - Accepting Mortality
[00:18:52] - Near-Death Experiences and Their Impact
[00:25:02] - Conclusion and Summary
[00:28:23] - Kindness Narrative: A Nurse's Compassion


For full show notes, including resources mentioned, go to:
https://www.calmyourcaveman.com/episodes/the-art-of-distress-tolerance%3A-navigating-life%E2%80%99s-unchangeables

Learn about the numerous advantages exercise offers for anxiety management, backed by decades of research. Dr. Twitchell elucidates six key reasons, including distraction, reduced muscle tension, and altered brain chemistry, that make exercise an effective anxiety management tool. Join Dr. Twitchell as she shares the challenges she faced in establishing a regular exercise routine due to anxiety and a busy schedule. She also emphasizes the importance of integrating exercise into daily life by sharing her personal morning beach walk routine for a more productive and less anxious day.


[00:00:00] - Introduction to Anxiety and Exercise
[00:01:06] - Personal Struggles with Exercise
[00:03:35] - The Benefits of Exercise for Anxiety
[00:04:33] - Scientific Research on Exercise and Anxiety
[00:05:09] - Six Reasons Exercise Reduces Anxiety
[00:18:45] - Implementing Exercise into Daily Routine
[00:20:20] - Conclusion and Final Thoughts
[00:21:30] - Kindness Narrative


For full show notes, including resources mentioned, go to:
https://www.calmyourcaveman.com/episodes/sweating-out-the-stress%3A-how-exercise-can-tame-anxiety

Don't miss this effective strategy for anxiety management: adopting a perspective that challenges are opportunities for personal growth. Adriana shares her personal journey of learning to see meaning in extended illness.  She explains the scientific research supporting this approach, detailing how finding a sense of macro meaning can shift our responses to stress from threat to challenge.


[00:00:00] - Introduction and Recap
[00:01:27] - Personal Story: Learning to Cope With Illness
[00:03:58] - Discovering a New Strategy: Believing Life Works FOR you
[00:10:05] - The Power of Meaning in Life
[00:15:30] - How Believing Stress Can Benefit You Helps with Anxiety (4 Ways)
[00:22:36] - Summary and Conclusion
[00:27:11] - Kindness Narrative: Building a House


For full show notes, including resources mentioned, go to:
https://www.calmyourcaveman.com/episodes/from-fear-to-flourish%3A-how-to-make-life-work-for-you-

In this episode, Dr. Twitchell discusses a powerful tool for managing anxiety in both the short and long term—gratitude. Sharing personal experiences of long COVID, Dr. Twitchell explains how a daily gratitude practice helped alleviate anxiety and improve overall well-being. Drawing from scientific research and personal anecdotes, the episode highlights the broad-ranging benefits of gratitude, including reduced inflammation, better sleep, and enhanced emotional resilience. Dr. Twitchell offers practical tips for starting a gratitude practice. The episode concludes with a listener-contributed story, a “Kindness Narrative,” that will aid all listeners in starting a painless weekly gratitude practice.   

[00:00:00] - Introduction and Overview
[00:00:34] - Personal Journey with Long COVID
[00:04:19] - Discovering the Power of Gratitude
[00:07:19] - Gratitude Journal Entries
[00:10:58] - Scientific Benefits of Gratitude
[00:19:29] - Impact on Performance Anxiety
[00:23:35] - How to Start Your Own Gratitude Practice
[00:25:37] - Kindness Narrative and Conclusion


For full show notes, including resources mentioned, go to:
https://www.calmyourcaveman.com/episodes/gratitude-science%3A-an-antidote-to-anxiety's-grip

Learn practical methods for  applying the  technique of self-talk in various situations, from quick interventions during the day to nighttime anxiety management. Dr. Twitchell shares personal examples and guides on thinking, speaking, and writing to oneself in the third person to regulate emotions, providing a comprehensive framework to approach anxiety mindfully. Gain insights on self-transcendence and leveraging the emotion of awe for a broader perspective, and understand how incorporating these practices daily can aid in emotional regulation and mental well-being.


[00:00:00] - Introduction to Calming Techniques
[00:00:25] - Applying Third-Party Self-Talk
[00:00:56] - Emergency Interventions
[00:01:37] - Nighttime Anxiety Management
[00:05:08] - Writing as a Tool for Clarity
[00:07:03] - Shifting Perspectives with Awe
[00:11:19] - Daily Practice and Final Thoughts

For full show notes, including resources mentioned, go to:
https://www.calmyourcaveman.com/episodes/talk-yourself-down%3A-real-world-tips-for-calming-self-talk

This episode explains how to observe rather than be overwhelmed by your feelings. It also highlights the power of speaking to yourself in the third person to turn down emotional intensity, manage anxiety and improve performance under stress. Practical exercises for implementing these techniques are provided to help listeners climb out of the emotional mud puddle and achieve better emotional regulation and clarity.

00:35 Recap of Last Episode: Approaching Anxiety
01:17 Introduction to Defusing from Emotions
01:48 Understanding Defusion: Right and Wrong Ways
02:05 Defusing Techniques: Observing Emotions
05:51 Using Third Person Pronouns for Emotional Distance
07:55 Research Insights: Third Person Self-Talk
16:10 Practical Exercises for Defusion
18:04 Conclusion and Final Thoughts


For full show notes, including resources mentioned, go to:
https://www.calmyourcaveman.com/episodes/climb-out-of-the-mud-puddle-of-your-emotions

In this episode, Dr. Twitchell discusses the important strategy of approaching anxiety instead of avoiding it. Highlighting insights from the book 'The Upside of Your Dark Side,' Dr. Twitchell explains how modern comfort has increased our sensitivity to discomfort, and how avoidance can amplify anxiety. She proposes a three-step strategy to approach anxiety: 1) Finding a long-term purpose that prioritizes enduring values over short-term comfort, 2) Articulating emotions in detail to defuse them, and 3) Gradually exposing oneself to anxiety triggers to make them familiar and reduce their impact. Dr. Twitchell emphasizes that managing anxiety effectively requires intentional approaching rather than avoidance.


[00:00:00] - Introduction and Overview
[00:00:53] - The Paradox of Comfort and Anxiety
[00:02:05] - The Importance of Approaching Anxiety
[00:05:10] - Steps to Approach Anxiety: Finding Your Why
[00:12:28] - Steps to Approach Anxiety: Describing Your Emotions
[00:18:36] - Steps to Approach Anxiety: Exposure and Familiarity
[00:23:58] - Conclusion and Summary


For full show notes, including resources mentioned, go to:
https://www.calmyourcaveman.com/episodes/don%E2%80%99t-avoid%2C-but-approach-your-anxiety-instead

In this episode, Dr. Twitchell discusses the intricacies of goal setting and its relationship with anxiety. Drawing upon Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's flow theory, Dr. Twitchell explores how creating the right types of goals can help achieve a state of inner harmony and reduce anxiety. She emphasizes the importance of goals that enhance autonomy and create inner order, distinguishing between genetic and cultural programming versus conscious goal setting. Dr. Twitchell also shares personal anecdotes and strategies to balance goal demands with available resources, ensuring they are neither too hard nor too easy, thus facilitating a flow state. Practical advice on adjusting goals to fit within one's resources and focusing on process-oriented goals is provided to help listeners cultivate a satisfying and harmonious relationship with their goals.


[00:00:00] - Introduction and New Year Greetings
[00:00:36] - Understanding Anxiety and Goals
[00:01:23] - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's Flow Theory
[00:02:51] - The Importance of Autonomy in Goal Setting
[00:05:25] - Genetic Programming and Autonomy
[00:09:31] - Cultural Influence on Goals
[00:14:12] - Creating Goals that Reduce Anxiety
[00:18:43] - Personal Experiences and Practical Tips
[00:25:16] - Conclusion and Final Thoughts


For full show notes, including resources mentioned, go to:
https://www.calmyourcaveman.com/episodes/the-anxiety-free-goal-guide

Join Dr. Twitchell in this New Year's episode as she discusses the importance of optimism and a challenge mindset in predicting and coping with future stressors.  Dr. Twitchell explains how our appraisals and predictions shape our emotional and physiological responses, as well as our ability to solve problems and collaborate with others. Learn about the differences between threat and challenge mindsets, and practical ways to cultivate a more optimistic outlook for the coming year.

00:00 Introduction and New Year's Greetings
00:42 Predicting the Future and Its Impact
01:43 The Role of Emotions in Future Predictions
05:17 Challenge vs. Threat Mindsets
06:38 Three Insights on How the Challenge Mindset Helps Us Find Solutions to Problems
13:14 Cultivating a Challenge Mindset
18:13 Conclusion and New Year's Challenge


For full show notes, including resources mentioned, go to:
https://www.calmyourcaveman.com/episodes/the-future-will-be-shaped-by-optimists

Join Dr. Twitchell in this special Christmas episode of 'Calm Your Caveman' to explore the profound impact of awe on our mental and physical well-being. Learn about Professor Dacher Keltner's insights on the psychological need for awe, its various benefits such as reduced anxiety and depression, and its ability to expand our circle of care. Discover eight pathways to experience awe daily, including moral beauty, collective movement, nature, music, and more. Dr. Twitchell also shares her personal 'daily awe hygiene' practice and explains how cultivating awe can enrich our lives year-round. 

00:00 Welcome to Calm Your Caveman: Christmas Special
00:57 The Power of Awe: Benefits and Impact
02:00 Understanding Awe: Definitions and Differences
03:25 The Positive Effects of Awe on Mind and Body
05:06 How to Seek Awe in Daily Life
06:55 Personal Awe Practices: My Daily Routine
10:05 The Unique Nature of Awe: Beyond Pleasure
11:00 Final Thoughts and Christmas Wishes

For full show notes, including resources mentioned, go to:
https://www.calmyourcaveman.com/episodes/practical-tips-for-mastering-the-dopamine-dance