Dreading tomorrow? Play it through once, calmly.

It is evening. Tomorrow has one moment you do not want to face. A meeting, a hard talk, a visit to the doctor. Your mind keeps running it, and each time it goes worse.

This small experiment runs it once, on purpose, and a little better than you fear. It takes 3 minutes.

Not the whole day, just one moment. Sit somewhere quiet. Close your eyes.

What to expect: it can feel uncomfortable to name it. Take one slow breath.

See yourself walking in. See where you stand, what you say, how it ends. Let it go a little better than you fear, not perfect. Play it once only.

What to expect: do not worry if the picture is fuzzy. A rough film is enough.

Look around the room. Then do one small thing tonight that helps tomorrow.

What to expect: the small prep gives the film one solid step to stand on. Keep it small: one thing, 1 minute.

Pick the one moment you dread tomorrow. Do the three steps once, 3 minutes in all. Do not repeat the film. Write one line afterwards: the moment, and the small prep.

A review of 123 results (5,685 people) found that mentally rehearsing a future behaviour had a positive effect on what people did later. Picturing a better version of the behaviour worked more reliably than picturing a worse one. In a study of college students, picturing the steps of studying improved studying and grades. In human words: you have already walked through it once, and you have a step ready. It may help you feel more prepared.

The honest part: this exact version, once through, a little better than you fear, then one small prep, has not been tested. Step 3 adds a small action to the picture, which may help.