Big life transitions — like losing a loved one, changing identity, or stepping into a new phase of life — don’t just bring grief. They often bring anxiety on top of everything else.
In this episode, we explore how to reduce that extra layer of anxiety by understanding what’s happening in your brain, and how to work with the process instead of against it.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why major life transitions feel so overwhelming (it’s not just emotional, it’s neurological)
• What’s happening in your brain during loss and identity shifts
• Why this process is so exhausting, and why that’s normal
• How the emotion of awe can help your brain adapt to a new reality
• How to reduce anxiety by identifying your enduring self

You can’t always avoid grief or discomfort, but you can reduce the anxiety layered on top of it.

⏱️ Timestamps

00:37 – Intro: anxiety during life transitions
02:16 – Strategy #1: understand the process
07:38 – Strategy #2: how awe makes it easier
10:38 – Strategy #3: identify with your consciousness
13:23 – Final takeaway: easing anxiety in painful loss

For full show notes, including resources mentioned, go to: https://www.calmyourcaveman.com/episodes/why-big-life-changes-feel-so-overwhelming-and-what-helps

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Can you medicate anxiety away?
In this episode, we take a balanced, research-informed look at the role of chemical manipulation in anxiety — including prescription medications, alcohol, cannabis, beta blockers, and emerging treatments. This isn’t about telling you what to use or not use. It’s about helping you understand how these tools interact with your brain so you can make informed decisions.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why medications can sometimes help, but don’t replace deeper work
• The risks of short-term relief vs. long-term consequences
• What to understand about:
  • Prescription anti-anxiety medications
  • Cannabis (including tolerance, withdrawal, and dopamine effects)
  • Alcohol and “hangxiety”
  • Emerging treatments like the so-called “anxiety vaccine”

⏱️ Timestamps

00:57 – Intro: drugs & anxiety
02:39 – How chemicals can change your emotions
04:11 – Short-term relief vs. long-term cost
07:12 – Prescription medications
09:03 – Cannabis: risks & addiction
13:14 – Alcohol & “hangxiety”
16:05 – “Anxiety vaccine” explained
17:48 – Why anxiety isn’t a disease
18:58 – Final takeaway: Don’t skip the deeper work; Be aware of long-term effects

For full show notes, including resources mentioned, go to: https://www.calmyourcaveman.com/episodes/drugs-and-anxiety

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Avoiding social situations can feel like relief…but over time, it can actually make anxiety worse.
Your brain is constantly asking one question in social situations: “Do I have what it takes to handle this?” If the answer feels like “no,” you go into a threat response—anxiety, self-doubt, overthinking, exhaustion. But if you can shift how your brain sees the situation…everything changes.

In this episode, I share 3 ways to do that:
• Look for connections
• Reduce the unknown
• Accept yourself kindly

These small shifts can move you from avoid → approach.

⏱️ Timestamps

01:13 – Why humans need social connection (even introverts)
03:15 – The “glasses” metaphor: how perception shapes social stress
05:03 – What a threat response looks like in social situations
07:02 – What a challenge response looks like in social situations
10:17 – Strategy #1: Look for connections
14:33 – Strategy #2: Reduce the unknown
18:33 – Strategy #3: Accept yourself kindly
21:49 – Final thoughts: experimenting with your “glasses”

For full show notes, including resources mentioned, go to: https://www.calmyourcaveman.com/episodes/3-ways-to-feel-less-anxious-around-people

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🌐 https://www.calmyourcaveman.com