When life feels overwhelming, it's tempting to assume things couldn’t get worse. But what if imagining how they could get worse is exactly what helps us feel better? In this episode, we explore a powerful psychological tool known as negative visualization—a mindset shift backed by science and rich with emotional payoff.

You’ll learn:

• How comparing your reality to a worse version can reduce anxiety
• The two kinds of negative visualization—and how both can heal emotional overwhelm
• Why hedonic adaptation dulls your joy, and how to reverse it
• A simple way to unadapt to love, work, and life’s daily blessings

Whether you’re anxious, discouraged, or just feeling blah about good things you once loved, this episode will show you how to transform worry into calm and appreciate the positive things you've become numb to over time.

Timestamps:

00:30 A Family Road Trip Story: It Could Have Been Worse

02:38 Negative Visualization as a Tested Anxiety Strategy

05:51 The George Bailey Effect

04:55 Personal Stories: How Negative Visualization Helps With Stress

13:03 How Negative Visualization Makes Your Highs Higher

16:29 Kindness Narrative: A Free Lunch

For full shownotes, including resources mentioned, go to: https://www.calmyourcaveman.com/episodes/negative-visualization-for-better-well-being