A reframing tool for when a thought has hooked you and you can feel yourself dropping into it. Not positive thinking. Not denial. A small move that loosens the grip.
When this might help:
A specific thought is repeating
You can name the spiral but can’t stop it
You’re catastrophising and you know you are
The practice:
Catch the spiralling thought. Then run three steps:
Name it. Say the thought out loud or write it down, exactly as it sounds in your head. “I’m going to lose my job and never recover.”
Flip it gently. Not to the opposite, that won’t land. Flip it to a kinder true thing. “I’m worried about my job, and worry is what my system does when it cares.”
Anchor. Add a phrase that holds you while the thought passes. “I’ve been here before. I came back. I will again.”
The flip is not a fix. The thought may come back. That’s fine. You’re not trying to delete it. You’re teaching your system that you have a way to stand next to it without being inside it.
Keep it with you: print this tool as a card (PDF).
Audio guide: arriving with the book's launch.
Come back to this whenever you need it. Returning is the practice.