Upward Spirals

By Jenn Baron.

I think it’s accurate to say we’re all familiar with downward spirals.

Our brain has a thought, and we’re off to the races, adding fuel to things like anxiety before we even realize what the heck just happened.

Before long, we realize we’ve been doom scrolling, binging a show we don’t even really like, standing in front of the fridge or pantry mindlessly eating snacks, or word vomiting to our BFF about everything we’re convinced will happen.

Those patterns can be hard to get out of if you don’t have some lifelines to throw to yourself.

One lifeline is called an upward spiral. 

It’s a list of 5-10 things you can easily do when you catch yourself heading in the direction of a downward spiral because you want to disrupt its momentum and trajectory.

It’s like changing a ship’s course.

So what are 5-10 simple things you can do?

Here are some of mine:

Wiping off my kitchen’s counters. That one task will make my world feel right-side up again in twenty seconds. Something about not having a bunch of clutter, crumbs, or spills, creates a lovely sense of calm for my brain.

Listening to 80’s music and, depending on where I am, singing and dancing along. This gets you “bonus points” because you’re engaging your whole body and moving any pent-up energy through you instead of it staying stuck. 

Talking to someone who’s earned the right to listen to what’s really on my mind and heart. Not everyone in your life is in this category. They need to be unbiased, less apt to try to jump in and fix it, and affirming without letting you wallow too long.

Petting and playing with my black Lab, Carolina. Animals are very regulating to our nervous systems and are endless sources of laughs and love.

Setting my timer and watching funny reels for 10 minutes. 

Asking Sully to play Uno or another game with me. Other humans help regulate our nervous systems too, and doing something fun reminds our systems that we are, in fact, safe.

Watching my favourite movie, Zootopia. This movie makes me laugh so hard every time I watch it, and watching something we’ve seen before is calming because it’s predictable, which is comforting to our nervous systems, which tend to dislike uncertainty.

Come up with your own list of upward spiral activities. 

Keep them simple, easy to do, free, and also do them when you’re not heading into a downward spiral because then they become second nature and easier to “grab” when you’re starting to feel off.

You got this, Sunshine, and I’ve always got your back! 

  Jenn Baron is a Certified Life Coach. She helps women see what's going on in their brains, decide if it's working for them, and share easy-to-implement tools that get them the results they want. Fast.

To learn more about how Jenn can help you, check out her site or IG.