Calm Your Caveman

Dr. Adriana Jarvis Twitchell
  • 5.0 (6)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to "Calm Your Caveman" – the podcast that gives you the tools for anxiety mastery. I'm Dr. Adriana Jarvis Twitchell, and my doctoral degree in anxiety management strategies qualifies me to guide you on this journey.  I've walked the path from chronic anxiety to security, and I'm here to help you do the same. In this podcast, you'll find control through understanding how emotions are generated and learn effective anxiety mastery strategies for every circumstance. By tuning in, you’ll achieve increased productive energy, access to peak performance, and greater self-understanding. No need to be bullied any longer by your anxiety. Join me on "Calm Your Caveman" and start your journey towards a life where you're in control, balanced, and thriving.

  1. 4D AGO

    How to Lower Anxiety When Life Feels Out of Control

    When life feels out of control, anxiety spikes. But here’s something you can control — a 3-minute daily practice that research shows can reduce rumination and depression, boost stress resilience, and help your brain shift out of threat mode. It’s called savoring, and it starts with noticing one small pleasant moment. It’s not about “forcing happiness” it’s about training your brain to notice resources — not just threats — so you can move from a stress response into a challenge response. Tiny practice, powerful nervous system shift. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:30 – The “arena of control” and reducing anxiety 02:04 – A 3-minute practice with major psychological benefits 05:46 – Three steps for savoring  09:19 – Using savoring during crisis For full shownotes, including resources mentioned, go to: https://www.calmyourcaveman.com/episodes/how-to-lower-anxiety-when-life-feels-out-of-control 🌐 https://www.calmyourcaveman.com

    15 min

  2. FEB 2

    Letting Go of Perfectionism

    Perfectionism doesn’t just push you — it pressures you. And that pressure fuels anxiety. When your brain believes your worth depends on your performance, mistakes feel like threats — not feedback.  This week on the podcast: ✨ Why perfectionism drives anxiety ✨ How to shift into a growth mindset ✨ A simple practice to teach your brain that mistakes don’t define you Life isn’t a performance. It’s a classroom. 🎧 ⏱️ Timestamps 00:30 – Perfectionism and the fixed mindset 02:05 – How perfectionism showed up in my life 03:38 – Internal conflict about perfectionism 05:24 – The practice that rewired my perfectionist beliefs 11:12 – How self-acceptance helps you accept others 14:37 – How to write your own affirmations For full shownotes, including resources mentioned, go to: https://www.calmyourcaveman.com/episodes/letting-go-of-perfectionism 🌐 https://www.calmyourcaveman.com

    20 min

  3. JAN 26

    You’re Still Here—and How That Can Calm Anxiety

    If anxiety feels like a loop you can’t escape, it’s not because you’re broken—it’s because habits take practice. In this episode, we examine a simple exercise: by reflecting on the “close calls” you’ve survived, you can exit the threat mindset and reconnect with a deeper sense of safety, perspective, and appreciation for being alive. Hear how this small daily practice can help loosen anxiety’s grip and remind your brain that you’ve already made it through far more than you realize. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:30 - When anxiety becomes maladaptive 01:16 - Why overcoming anxiety takes practice 02:41 - A surfer’s close call—and the opposite of anxiety 05:08 - The “10 close calls” exercise 10:53 - How this practice shifts anxiety into gratitude 12:19 - Mental habits, piano practice, and consistency 15:37 - Why effort and investment matter  For full shownotes, including resources mentioned, go to: https://www.calmyourcaveman.com/episodes/youre-still-here-and-how-that-can-calm-anxiety 🌐 https://www.calmyourcaveman.com

    18 min

  4. JAN 19

    Change Your Stress Response With Nature

    Many people with anxiety unknowingly miss one of the most powerful, research-backed tools for lowering baseline anxiety. In this episode, we explore modern neuroscience showing how natural environments restore the brain’s attention system, reduce rumination, and improve executive function. You’ll learn why urban life quietly exhausts your brain, how nature helps shift you from threat to challenge mode, and why this simple habit can lower baseline anxiety all day long. Especially important during winter—when we’re most likely to stay inside.  ⏱️ Timestamps 00:30 Why many anxious people rarely spend time in nature01:51 Urban life and the overworked “directed attention” system05:09 “Soft fascination” and why nature restores the brain07:28 Nature walks vs. urban walks: executive function results09:26 Nature, rumination, and anxiety reduction12:03 Personal story: anxiety, illness, and daily time outside14:35 Nature and challenge vs. threat mindset16:43 Nature Quant app For full shownotes, including resources mentioned, go to: https://www.calmyourcaveman.com/episodes/change-your-stress-response-with-nature 🌐 https://www.calmyourcaveman.com

    19 min

  5. JAN 12

    How to Break Down Overwhelming Tasks

    Big projects can trigger anxiety when they feel too large to handle. In this episode, you’ll learn a simple, practical method to turn overwhelming stress into productive stress. Using a real coaching example, I walk you through how to break down big tasks, estimate time realistically, and fit demands into your actual resources — helping your brain shift from threat mode to challenge mode so you can approach what’s ahead feeling calm, clear and capable. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:30 - When big tasks trigger anxiety 01:01 - Laura’s overwhelming move 02:18 - Turning bad stress into good stress 03:32 - Breaking the task into steps 05:07 - Estimating time realistically 07:39 - Why putting it on your calendar works 10:48 - Summary: applying this in your own life For full shownotes, including resources mentioned, go to: https://www.calmyourcaveman.com/episodes/how-to-break-down-overwhelming-tasks 🌐 https://www.calmyourcaveman.com

    14 min

  6. JAN 5

    Reduce Your Anxiety About the Future

    Feeling overwhelmed when you think about the future? This episode offers a practical two-question exercise you can use anytime the future feels overwhelming. Using two real coaching examples, you’ll learn a simple but powerful way to change how your brain evaluates demands vs. resources.   You’ve handled hard things before. Your brain just needs help remembering that.  ⏱️ Timestamps 00:30 – Threat vs. challenge: how anxiety frames the future  02:25 – Coaching story: feeling overwhelmed by school, finances, and uncertainty  09:05 – Coaching story: parenting anxiety and fear for a child’s future  14:33 – The two-question exercise you can use anytime the future feels too much For full shownotes, including resources mentioned, go to: https://www.calmyourcaveman.com/episodes/reduce-your-anxiety-about-the-future 🌐 https://www.calmyourcaveman.com

    18 min

  7. 12/29/2025

    Your Brain Is Built to Handle Change

    You already have what it takes to meet what’s coming. In this episode, we explore why the desire for stability is natural, but also why humans are biologically and psychologically built to adapt. You’ll learn how your brain is designed to handle uncertainty, loss, and transformation — even when it doesn’t feel like it. You’ll also hear why emotions exist (and why they’re different from rigid reflexes), how the brain rewires itself after injury, and why resisting change often causes more suffering than the change itself.  If the future feels intimidating or change makes you anxious, this episode offers a powerful reminder: you already have the equipment you need to adapt and grow.  ⏱️ Timestamps 00:30 – Wanting life to stay the same 02:21 – Why humans evolved for change, not stability 05:24 – Brain plasticity: rewiring after injury 07:29 – Canoe ride and innate adaptation skills 09:33 – Adapting after unimaginable loss 12:36 – Why resisting change creates suffering 13:16 – Trusting your brain’s ability to adapt For full shownotes, including resources mentioned, go to: https://www.calmyourcaveman.com/episodes/your-brain-is-built-to-handle-change 🌐 https://www.calmyourcaveman.com

    16 min

  8. 12/22/2025

    When You Feel Powerless and Stuck in Victim-Anxiety

    Many people with anxiety get stuck in a victim mindset — a way of seeing life where outside forces determine how things are. In this episode, we explore why that mindset fuels anxiety and how a shift toward feeling powerful can help you move out of threat mode. Learn how small, intentional acts done from an approach mindset can raise your baseline happiness and help you exit anxiety-driven patterns. This episode invites you to rethink power — and to recognize that you are already shaping other people’s stories, whether you realize it or not. You’ll learn: How the victim mindset is linked to the brain’s threat responseWhy anxiety flourishes when we feel passive and immobilizedThe difference between giving from avoidance vs approachHow kindness, attention, and generosity restore a sense of agencyWhy ordinary people often have extraordinary power over othersHow small acts of intentional influence can change your emotional baselineTimestamps: 00:30 – The victim mindset and anxiety 01:57 – Victim mindset and the threat response 03:44 – Discovering your power through influencing others 08:01 – Giving from avoidance vs giving from approach motivation 10:53 – The power of a homeless man  12:21 – Feeling powerful even when physically limited 13:29 – How kindness increases your baseline happiness 15:39 – Summary of key points: how to exit victim mode For full shownotes, including resources mentioned, go to: https://www.calmyourcaveman.com/episodes/when-you-feel-powerless-and-stuck-in-victim-anxiety 🌐 https://www.calmyourcaveman.com

    17 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Welcome to "Calm Your Caveman" – the podcast that gives you the tools for anxiety mastery. I'm Dr. Adriana Jarvis Twitchell, and my doctoral degree in anxiety management strategies qualifies me to guide you on this journey.  I've walked the path from chronic anxiety to security, and I'm here to help you do the same. In this podcast, you'll find control through understanding how emotions are generated and learn effective anxiety mastery strategies for every circumstance. By tuning in, you’ll achieve increased productive energy, access to peak performance, and greater self-understanding. No need to be bullied any longer by your anxiety. Join me on "Calm Your Caveman" and start your journey towards a life where you're in control, balanced, and thriving.

Information

  • Creator
    Dr. Adriana Jarvis Twitchell
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    80
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Calm Your Caveman
  • Show Website
    Calm Your Caveman