Have you ever found yourself thinking one negative thought after another? Each new thought is a worst-case scenario that fills you with more anxiety than the last.
Thought spirals can feel uncontrollable. When you’re caught in the midst of one, it’s important to remember that what you’re feeling is temporary. Many people experience occasional thought spirals. If you’re one of these people, know that you’re not alone.
There are strategies you can use to stop a spiral in its tracks. There are also habits you can add to your daily routine to help reduce the anxiety that can accompany these spirals.
Here, we’ll discuss signs of anxiety spirals, why they happen, and how you can mitigate them. Let’s dive in.
What is a thought spiral?
When one negative thought leads to another, resulting in an intense downward cascade of “what if” scenarios, you’ve got a thought spiral.
You might’ve heard the same kind of patterned thinking referred to as perseveration. It refers to fixation on a topic, and an individual often repeats the same actions or thought processes. Perseveration is often associated with autism, but other neurotypes can experience it as well.
According to the American Medical Association, this kind of catastrophic thinking often stems from anxiety. Worrying about one uncertainty leads to speculation about what could happen next. Soon, you’re spiraling through an onslaught of potential scenarios.
Say you have a light tickle in your throat. The feeling leads you to believe you’re getting sick. If you’re feeling unwell, you shouldn’t go to work. But what if you miss an important meeting by staying home? What if you don’t get all the information for an upcoming presentation or project, which results in you not being able to follow through on your responsibilities? What if this jeopardizes your upcoming performance review?
This line of thinking is a typical example of spiraling thoughts.
4 signs that you’re spiraling
1. Difficulty focusing
An early sign of a thought spiral is difficulty focusing. Instead of remaining engaged in the present moment or your current activity, your mind wanders elsewhere. Often, it’s to explore and speculate about the thing causing you worry or anxiety.
2. Increased anxiety
Spiraling comes from constantly imagining worst-case scenarios. An uptick in worrying can stem from (or be the cause of) anxiety, and induce a thought spiral. Before you recognize that you are anxious, you might notice these physical signs:
3. Feeling overwhelmed or irritable
If you’re more easily overwhelmed or irritated, you might be in the midst of an anxiety spiral. When you notice this happening, it’s time to pause. Identify if there is one catalyst for these feelings or if there are multiple variables contributing to how you feel.
4. Inability to stop thinking about a topic
Intense rumination is a pillar of catastrophic thinking. Rumination is the inability to let go of a worry or fear. leading us to think about it nonstop and speculating on its outcomes. If you can’t stop thinking about the topic, you’re likely spiraling.
Why do negative thought spirals happen?
We know that fear and anxiety can produce spirals. For some people, asking themselves “what if” is a way to plan ahead for potential outcomes of a stressful event. It’s a strategy to curb the unpredictability of an unknown by running through the possibilities.
Yet focusing on this “what if” scenario might result in the inability to let go of worry. The result is intense rumination. It’s important to remember that anyone can experience catastrophic thinking or find themselves assuming a worst case scenario.
If you’ve noticed yourself spiraling more frequently, it can help to take a step back and look at the bigger picture of what’s happening in your life. Are there stressors in your daily routine that you can’t control? Are there looming uncertainties that feel unpredictable? These are all factors that could contribute to a thought spiral.
7 tips for preventing thought spirals
1. Identify what triggers you most often
The first step in preventing thought spirals is to identify your triggers, keeping in mind that you may have more than one. These are some of the more common catalysts for anxious thinking:
Once you’ve identified your triggers, you have the opportunity to challenge the underlying negative beliefs, or uncover the true sources of your anxiety.
For example, if you often worry that a delayed text reply from a loved one means they’ve been in a car accident, your trigger is likely fearing illnesses or accidents.
Instead of ruminating on the thought, take a step back. Ask yourself what else they might be doing with their day. Could they be having a busy day at work? Maybe they lost their phone, or its battery ran out.
2. Get enough sleep
Sleep gives your brain time to rest and recuperate. It’s also highly connected to our mental well-being. If you’re stressed and worried during the day, you might find it difficult to turn off your brain when it’s time to sleep. Overthinking can lead to insomnia, which in turn makes it difficult to operate during the day and contributes to further stress.
Remedy this by building a nighttime routine that promotes good sleep:
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Put away your electronics one hour before bed
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Avoid alcohol in the evening
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Avoid caffeine after 2:00 p.m.
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Maintain a consistent sleep schedule
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Sleep in a cool, dark room
Because sleep serves as a reset for the body and mind, consider your first and last activities of the day. Do you scroll on your phone before falling asleep? Checking social media before you fall asleep can increase anxiety, which makes it harder for you to fall asleep.
While working on getting back into good sleep habits, taking a small dose of melatonin can help make you tired enough to quiet the mind. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, if you opt to supplement your sleep with melatonin, aim to take between 1 and 3 milligrams about two hours before bedtime.
3. Eat a healthy diet
A poor diet and anxiety are closely intertwined. When busy or stressed, we often reach for things that give us a quick energy boost or are readily available, like caffeine or sugary foods. While drinking coffee in moderation or occasionally eating processed foods can be okay, too much can be detrimental to our health. Seek foods with omega-3 fatty acids, dark leafy greens, nuts, legumes, and lentils.
There is also a close tie between our mood, nutrition, and digestive tract. An increasing number of studies are drawing connections between gut bacteria and mental health, informing us that the food we eat has a huge impact on our mental wellbeing. Focus on building a diet full of nutritious foods that support your gut health.
4. Practice mindfulness
A regular mindfulness practice helps you stay present. Focusing on the current moment is one of the best ways to ease anxious spirals. Anxiety arises from worrying about the past or the future, so focusing on the present narrows your attention.
Introduce a combination of meditation, breathing exercises, and journaling into your routine. Consistently practicing mindfulness, even for a short amount of time each day, gives your brain a space to rest in the present and slows the momentum of anxious thoughts.
With enough practice, it can become an automatic resource for you to tap into when you feel stressed.
5. Exercise regularly
Exercising prompts your brain to release chemicals like serotonin and dopamine. These “feel good” chemicals improve your mood and reduce stress. Even something as simple as a daily lunchtime walk can boast substantial health benefits.
Regular physical activity can help ease stress and anxiety in the long term. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends 30 minutes of exercise every day. Pursue an activity or sport that you enjoy. If you’re having fun and looking forward to moving your body, you’re more likely to stick to an exercise routine.
6. Decrease caffeine and alcohol
Drinking coffee, tea, or other caffeinated drinks to stay focused during the day could contribute to your anxious thoughts, and therefore your spirals. The exact amount of caffeine that impacts your mental health varies from person to person. And while caffeine doesn’t cause anxiety, it does increase anxiety symptoms.
Caffeine affects your central nervous system, increasing both your heart rate and breathing rate—physical symptoms that resemble anxiety. Your brain can’t tell the difference between caffeine-induced side effects and “fight or flight” symptoms.
Alcohol has a similar impact on your brain. “Hangxiety” is the intense stream of anxious thoughts and feelings you may experience after consuming alcohol. As alcohol leaves your system, your body enters “fight or flight” mode.
Consider reducing the amount of caffeine or alcohol you consume to minimize additional anxiety or strain on your nervous system.
7. Seek professional help
Figuring out how to manage your thought spirals on your own can sometimes prove overwhelming. Know that you’re not alone when learning how to handle anxious thoughts.
Seeking help from a professional can equip you with coping strategies for thought spirals. They can also guide you to find the root causes of your anxious thoughts.
Expect to work with a mental health professional or coach while using the strategies you’ve read here. You might find some techniques work better for you than others. Together with a skilled coach, you will discover what is most helpful for you.
4 tips to counter an active spiral
Even if you put preventative measures in place, thought spirals may still happen occasionally. Use these tips to counteract an active spiral. We’ve included some highlights below:
1. Notice the thought spiral happening
Pay attention to how you’re feeling and recognize if it’s a sign of a spiral. It’s important to identify your personal signs, as not everyone experiences spirals the exact same way. Understand which environments or situations trigger you, so you can plan ahead and support yourself.
2. Focus on the present moment
Once you’ve identified the thought spiral, use mindfulness practices to ground yourself and focus on the present moment. Remind yourself that your worrying thoughts are temporary. Focus on what is good, what works, and what you are grateful for—no matter how small.
Place your hands on your chest and take deep breaths. Use the 3-3-3 strategy to identify three sounds, three objects in your environment, and three of your own body parts to help you stay grounded.
3. Look at the big picture
After grounding yourself in the present moment, zoom out to look at the bigger picture. It can be helpful to look at your situation with additional context to see it more objectively.
For example, if you’re spiraling over how you handled a conversation with a new person, consider if there’s any chance that person is thinking as deeply about your interaction as you. Chances are they are probably more focused on how they were perceived.
By widening your mental lens, you can calm your mind and stop fueling your negative thoughts.
4. Be kind to yourself
Supporting yourself through an active thought spiral takes practice. Try not to judge yourself for feeling anxious. Instead, focus on figuring out what strategies work for you and then implementing them.
After pausing the spiral, do something relaxing. Go for a walk, nap, stretch, or watch an episode of your favorite show. Have patience as you navigate learning how to manage thought spirals in a way that’s most effective for you.
Build the skill set to stop yourself from spiraling
Thought spirals sometimes feel out of control. Implementing new healthy habits that support your well-being can create a strong foundation for you to access when anxious thoughts arise.
As you try new techniques and learn more about yourself, you can fine-tune your approach to anxiety. Each anxious thought is an opportunity to challenge a negative belief and reframe your mindset.
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