Ever found yourself caught in a mental spiral?

One thought sparks another, and suddenly you’re not just remembering something that went wrong—you’re reliving it. That awkward moment. That harsh comment. That missed opportunity.

Before you know it, you're in a full-blown battle with yourself. And here's the kicker: you're losing to your own imagination.

I’ve been there. A lot.

But a few tricks I picked up while learning about ADHD and NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) changed the game for me.

I'd like to share two of them with you.

Trick 1: Break the Pattern Physically

The first one is simple: Do something—anything—that interrupts the mental loop.

If your neurons are firing together in a negativity loop, you've got to fire something else.

Because the longer you stay in your head, the more your thoughts start holding hands and doing laps. One negative thought links to another, then another… and suddenly it’s a conga line of doom.

So break the chain. Here are some favourites:

• Blow your nose. Literally.
• Step outside and high-five a tree. (Yes, I’ve done this.)
• Do five push-ups.
• Solve a puzzle. Or a crossword. Or a Rubik’s cube.
• Sing a ridiculous song out loud.

The goal isn’t to “think positively.”

It’s to stop thinking negatively by thinking about something else entirely.

Movement beats rumination. Curiosity beats looping.

Break the loop. Physically. Fast.

Trick 2: Slow the Film

This one comes from NLP, and it’s a wild (but powerful) mental trick:

When we get stuck in negative thoughts, we tend to replay them in bright, high-definition colour and full emotional surround sound.

It’s as vivid as our happiest memories. And that’s the problem.

So what if you played the same scene… in black and white?

What if that thing your friend said to you, the one that stung, what if you replayed it in your head at half-speed, with their voice slowed down like a broken record?

“Youuuuuurrr soooo annnnnoyyyyyyyiiiinnnng.”

It’s hard to take it seriously now, isn’t it?

NLP teaches us that how we represent a memory affects how we feel about it.

So take control of the editing room:

• Turn down the volume.
• Blur the image.
• Shrink it down to the size of a postage stamp.
• Play it backwards. In slow motion. In an opera voice.

The goal isn’t to pretend it didn’t happen—it’s to loosen its grip.

To take a thought that’s hijacked your emotions and turn it into just another clip in the archive.

Why It Works

When we’re spiralling, our thoughts don’t walk—they sprint. Slowing them down is like flipping a switch.

And when you get playful with the imagery, you’re shifting from reaction to creation. You’re the director now.

Give It a Go

Next time you find yourself spiralling:

Interrupt the loop. Move your body. Break the rhythm.

Change the lens. Edit the reel.

One breaks the pattern. The other reclaims the story.

These tricks won’t fix everything. But they will give you your power back when you feel it slipping.

So next time your thoughts go rogue—high five a tree and rewrite the scene.

You might just laugh your way out of it.

Kia Kaha & Love,
Chris