Ep. 20 Reflecting on: Managing Expectations Part 2

The home of wellbeing and joy.



Welcome to Episode 20 Reflecting on: Managing Expectations Part 2, where Dr Marcus and Charlie explore the emotional highs, lows, and flatlines that follow the big moments we build up in our heads.



Ever looked forward to something for weeks, a birthday, a trip, a major milestone, only to feel a bit… underwhelmed once it actually happens?



In this episode, we dig into the psychology behind that “is this it?” feeling. We explore what happens when anticipation doesn’t match reality, why we often overestimate how good (or bad) we’ll feel, and how to move through emotional letdowns with more self-compassion.



🎢 We unpack:



– The power of anticipation and why it can be more enjoyable than the event itself



– Affective forecasting; the science of why we’re bad at predicting our future feelings



– The truth about hedonic adaptation, and why joy doesn’t stick



– The role of social media in making us feel our lives should look and feel more exciting



– Tools for reframing unmet expectations and finding meaning in the moment





💡 Remember: It didn’t have to be perfect to be meaningful.



Thanks for listening, and if something resonates, share it with someone who needs it 🧡



📍 Pillars explored: Introspection & Inspiration, Presence & Gratitude, and Wellbeing & Joy



📚 References cited in this episode:





• Wilson, T.D., & Gilbert, D.T. (2003). Affective forecasting: Knowing what to want. Psychological Science, 14(3), 131–134.


• Gilbert, D.T., & Wilson, T.D. (2005). Why the brain is not built to make us happy and what we can do about it. In E. C. Chang (Ed.), Self-criticism and self-enhancement: Theory, research, and clinical implications.


• Van Boven, L., & Ashworth, L. (2007). Looking forward, looking back: Anticipation is more evocative than retrospection. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 136(2), 289–300.


• Kumar, A., Killingsworth, M.A., & Gilovich, T. (2014). Waiting for Merlot: Anticipatory consumption of experiential and material purchases. Psychological Science, 25(10), 1924–1931.


• Chou, H.-T. G., & Edge, N. (2012). “They are happier and having better lives than I am”: The impact of using Facebook on perceptions of others’ lives. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 15(2), 117–121.





🔔 Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes!



📲 Follow us for more:



Instagram: @themoodboosterpodcast (  / themoodboosterpodcast  )

TikTok: @themoodboosterpodcast (  / themoodboosterpodcast  )

Website: www.themoodbooster.co.uk (http://www.themoodbooster.co.uk)



🎥 Prefer video? Watch this episode on YouTube! @TheMoodBoosterPodcast (   / @themoodboosterpodcast  )



⭐ If you enjoyed the episode, please rate & review, it really helps!