Interrupting the spiral
How to Find the Exit in 5 Simple Steps
Written by Emma Nagle, LCSW | March 30, 2026
Mental spirals can feel convincing. Urgent. Like if you just think a little longer, you’ll finally land somewhere solid. Spiraling can look like losing an hour to the same thought. It could also look like staring at the ceiling, too overwhelmed to move. Often times it’s impacting you throughout your whole day causing you to be half-present, half somewhere else.
“Crashing out,” “going down the rabbit hole," - whatever you choose to call it - it’s important to note that most spirals don’t resolve, they deepen. Getting out isn’t about finding the perfect thought or getting to the bottom of the issue. It’s about interrupting the pattern.
Here are 5 ways to begin your exit:
Name it
“This is a spiral” can create just enough distance. You’re not solving the thoughts, you’re recognizing the loop.
Come back to your body
Spirals live in the mind but are driven by the nervous system. Feel your feet. Slow your breath. Notice something physical around you. You’re shifting out of thought and into experience.
Stay in this moment
Spirals tend to jump far into the future. Bring yourself back to right now. What actually needs your attention in this moment?
Loosen your grip on your thoughts
You don’t have to answer every question your mind asks. You don’t have to follow it all the way down to the ground floor. Some thoughts are like unstable steps, you can notice them without putting your full weight on them.
Take the nearest exit
Movement helps shift mental momentum. Stand up. Get a glass of water. Step outside. Like noticing the exit door in a stairwell, you don’t have to keep circling. You can leave from right where you are…
You don’t have to think your way out of a spiral.
You can step out of it one small interruption at a time.
