How to Stay Calm When Your Mind Starts to Spiral

Jul 16, 2025

You don’t need to stop every anxious thought.

You need to notice when they’ve taken the wheel.

We all have moments when our minds spin fast, loud, and relentless.

One worry turns into ten.
One thought turns into a story.
And suddenly, you’re miles away from the present moment.

I’ve been there — lying in bed at 2 a.m., rehearsing conversations that never happened, fearing outcomes that haven’t arrived.

Not because I’m broken.

But because my brain is trying to protect me — in the only way it knows how.

The key isn’t fighting the spiral.

It’s learning how to interrupt it — gently, skillfully, and with compassion.

Here’s how to begin:

1️⃣ Name What’s Happening

The spiral feeds on silence.

It grows when you let it run unchecked.

Instead of getting lost in it, name it:

“This is anxiety.”
“This is a loop.”
“My brain is trying to help, but it’s overreacting.”

Naming it creates space. And in that space, you can breathe.

2️⃣ Return to Your Body

Spirals are mental — but the exit is physical.

Breathe.
Move.
Stretch.
Touch something cold. Ground yourself in the now.

You don’t need to think your way out of a spiral. You need to feel your way back into the present.

3️⃣ Ask a Grounding Question

Your thoughts are racing. So ask:

“What’s real right now?”

Not what might happen. Not what you fear.
What’s real, right here, in this moment?

Your breath.
The floor under your feet.
The fact that you’re still here — and still capable.

4️⃣ Slow Down the Narrative

An anxious mind tells fast stories:

“What if this happens? Then that’ll go wrong. Then everything falls apart.”

Instead of chasing the storyline, slow it down.

One thought at a time. One breath at a time.

Fear loves speed. Calm lives in slowness.

Reclaim Your Calm

You don’t have to silence your thoughts to feel peace.

You just need to recognize when they’re spiraling — and come back home to yourself.

Pause.
Take a breath.
Tell your brain: “I hear you. I’m safe. We’re okay right now.”

As Jon Kabat-Zinn said:
“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.”

Calm isn’t the absence of thoughts — it’s the skill of meeting them gently.

Comment below if this resonates with you.

What helps you return to calm when your mind runs wild?

Mindful Journal