You Can’t Think Your Way Out of a Spiral

by | May 31, 2025 | Shift your state

You Can’t Think Your Way Out of a Spiral (Here’s What to Do Instead)

You know that feeling when your brain is doing backflips trying to “fix” how you feel?
The overanalyzing. The worst-case-scenario-ing. The endless loop of “what ifs” and “why am I like this?”

Here’s the truth no one tells you in the middle of a meltdown:

You can’t think your way out of a spiral.

And believe me, I’ve tried. Hard.

But spirals don’t respond to logic. They don’t care how many reasons you’ve listed, how many books you’ve read, or how many times your rational brain says “calm down.”

Why Thinking Doesn’t Work

Because spirals don’t start in your thinking mind, they start in your nervous system.

When your body goes into survival mode (fight, flight, freeze, freak out), it hijacks your thoughts. Your brain isn’t trying to solve problems. It’s trying to keep you alive.

So no, you’re not crazy.
You’re dysregulated.

And you need a reset.

What Actually Helps

To stop the spiral, you don’t need more thoughts.
You need a state shift.

Something that changes your breath, your posture, your sensory input.
Something that tells your brain: “We’re safe now. You can shut up.”

These are my go-to tools when I’m right in the middle of it:

🚶‍♀️ 1. Walk It Out

  • Move your body to move the energy.

  • Even pacing around the room works.

  • Add affirmations or music for bonus rewiring.

😮‍💨 2. Hum It Out

  • Try the 7-Minute Chakra Tune-Up

  • Humming activates your vagus nerve and calms your system fast.

  • Sound shifts state faster than thought. Trust the hum.

🪄 Want a printable guide? Grab Chakra Hum: 7 Sounds to Shift Your State

💧 3. Water Reset

  • Splash cold water on your face.

  • Take a hot (or contrast) shower.

  • Drink a glass of water slowly, like it’s medicine.

This isn’t fluff — your nervous system responds to physical cues way more than mental ones.

🎧 4. Music (Mood DJ)

  • Use sound to hijack your state in a good way.

  • Blast something energising. Or soothing. You know what you need.

  • Movement + music = nervous system gold.

Bob Baker’s upbeat affirmations while walking are magic:

✍️ 5. Journaling / STEAR Framework

Once the edge of the spiral softens, then it’s time to journal.

  • Use the STEAR framework (Situation, Thought, Emotion, Action, Result)

  • Write it out. Don’t aim to “solve.” Just get it out of your head.

  • Bonus: ask yourself “What would my V2 self think instead?”

TL;DR

  • Spirals aren’t solved in the mind. They’re solved in the body.

  • You don’t need to think better. You need to shift your state.

  • These five tools actually work:

  1. Walk
  2. Hum
  3. Water
  4. Music
  5. Journal

Next time you feel stuck AF, don’t reach for your thoughts.
Reach for one of these.