You know that downward spiral of negativity that can happen?

Where one bad thing happens, maybe even something minor, and then stuff just seems to be piling on.

And yes, while bad things are happening, you let your MINDSET only make things worse?

We let ourselves begin to spiral.

We begin to mentally tell ourselves…

“Life sucks.”

“I’m not good at anything.”

“I hate everything and it’s a horrible, no good, very bad day.”

We let our thoughts make things worse.

The question is though…How can we stop this spiral from happening?

I think we will always be works in progress, but I wanted to share some tips I feel like have helped me catch myself in the act of spiraling and stop it before I dig myself too deep a hole I then have to crawl out of.

So if you’ve found yourself going deeper and deeper into the negativity, try implementing these 3 tips.

#1: Recognize It. And Own It.

I think too often we don’t celebrate simply the fact that we’ve caught ourselves in the act of doing something.

But this is honestly the most key first step if we want to make a change.

You first have to recognize you’re doing something if you want to change it!

So if you’ve felt yourself beginning to spiral, give yourself a pat on the back for even first RECOGNIZING the fact.

Then OWN IT.

Recognize you are ultimately in control of your thoughts and actions.

No you can’t control events.

But you can take ownership of your own responses.

So begin to flip that script and change those thought patterns and reactions to what is going on!

#2: Flip The Script.

We do respond automatically to things.

We may have an initial emotional response or thought that drags us into that spiral.

But the second we recognize we are doing that, perpetuating the negativity? We need to switch those thoughts.

We need to focus on what we can do to move forward.

We need to FLIP THE SCRIPT and change how we talk to ourselves and view what is going on.

Everything can be seen as an obstacle or an opportunity….even the worst situations out there.

Is this always easy? OH HECK NO.

But it’s possible.

We just need to focus on pausing to give ourselves that perspective.

If you notice yourself talking to yourself in a negative way, change that script. Focus on framing things in a more positive way to get yourself moving forward.

#3: Control What You Can Control.

Owning your actions and flipping the script both come down to controlling what you can control.

No we can’t control so much of what happens in our life, but we can always choose to control our reactions to it.

Not necessarily our innate initial response BUT knowing we even have those responses, at some point we need to find a way to pause our brains and adjust.

We need to start to recognize our downward spiral and then begin to find things we CAN change.

We can control our perspective of events. We can control how we talk to ourselves.

We can say we are a failure because of something. Or we can say “Hey! At least now I know that doesn’t work!”

We can frame things in any way we choose. It’s why controlling what you can control and flipping that script is so key to stopping the spiral and even helping you climb out of that negativity!

#4: Realize You’re Not Alone.

I know it can often seem like we’re the only one things are happening to. That it is worse or harder for us.

But everyone goes through their own struggles that at times feel insurmountable.

And I think recognizing we can reach out to others, and that they will in some way understand, is key.

This is honestly a huge part of controlling what we can control.

You CAN control the support you have to move forward!

Because feeling alone almost makes things worse.

But you aren’t alone.

And then we have to remember…

“Tough times don’t last, tough people do.”

Often we ultimately drag out our own suffering by not following these tips and allowing ourselves to spiral further.

So if you’ve found yourself falling into this trap, recognize it. Own it. Flip how you’re talking to yourself, maybe even reaching out for help. Find ways to change that perspective and control what you can control!

And sometimes we need that outside perspective to help us see the opportunities in the obstacles…

At those times, coaching can be key!

–> LEARN MORE about my 1:1 Online Coaching