The Happiness Lab: Getting Unstuck How to Bounce Back from Life’s Curveballs (with Dr. Maya Shankar)
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Jan 12, 2026 
Dr. Maya Shankar, a cognitive scientist and author known for her insights on navigating life changes, shares powerful wisdom on managing life's curveballs. She discusses the terrifying nature of unexpected shifts like breakups and job losses, emphasizing how they challenge our sense of control. Maya introduces concepts like self-affirmation and moral elevation to help expand our possible identities after change. She also highlights techniques for managing emotions, tolerating uncertainty, and breaking free from rumination, encouraging a transformative approach to adversity.
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Why Change Feels So Threatening
- Change is terrifying partly because uncertainty stresses us and partly because change involves loss and identity threat.
- Facing change often forces us to confront limits of control and recalibrate who we are.
Career-Ending Injury At 15
- At 15 Maya overstretched a finger and damaged tendons, ending her violin career.
- She grieved losing both the instrument and the identity tied to being a violinist.
You’ll Change More Than You Think
- The end-of-history illusion makes us underestimate how much we'll change in the future.
- Major disruptions can accelerate personal transformation and reveal hidden capacities.
