How to Break the Spiral and Reset Your Brain
Struggling with negative thoughts, brain fog, or the dreaded scroll-hole of social media?
You're not lazy—you’re likely dealing with a mental spiral. In this post, I’ll share my personal “brain fitness” plan that helps me reset, stop the overwhelm, and feel more present—without the pressure of perfection or toxic productivity hacks.
How am I doing?
Well… let’s just say if there were Olympic medals for mindless scrolling, I’d be wearing gold.
There’s this sneaky little addiction I’ve been wrestling with—maybe you know her? Social media. She’s charming. Distracting. Kinda like a frenemy who pops over uninvited and stays for six hours, eats your snacks, and convinces you to abandon your to-do list in favor of 47 dog memes and a deep existential crisis.
But here’s what I’ve realized:
The one thing that has consistently held me back in life—whether it’s making a bold move in my business, deciding what the hell to eat for lunch, or even just sending an email—is my own mind.
The inner dialogue? Unhinged. The doubt? Deafening. The shame spirals? Featuring guest appearances from regret, indecision, and random to-do lists from 2021.
And when I’m stuck in my head, I become less productive, less present, and a lot more judgmental of myself. Anyone else?
I call it: Brain Bullying.
And friends—it’s a thing.
So, I’ve started my own version of brain bootcamp. Not the toxic hustle kind. The let’s-stop-being-mean-to-ourselves kind. I call it brain fitness—because just like your glutes, your mental muscles need training too.
Here’s what I’m doing to take back my mental space—and stop spiraling into doomscrolls, sock reorganizing, and impulsively applying to vet tech school at 3am. (Just me?)
Brain Fitness: My 3-Step Spiral Survival Kit
Step 1: No More Mindless Consuming
I made a rule:
If I consume something, I have to do something with it.
That means no more binge-listening to podcasts, deep diving into motivational reels, or “researching” on YouTube unless I’m actively applying or sharing what I just learned.
Otherwise? DELETE. ARCHIVE. BYE.
I even take Instagram off my phone during the day. I pop in to post, comment, and then Irish exit the app like it’s a party I should’ve never gone to.
Strict? Yeah.
Necessary? 1000%.
Because here’s my old pattern:
Learn → consume → consume more → get overwhelmed → judge self → do nothing.
Fun, right?
Now I’m interrupting that loop—with action or nothing at all.
Step 2: Move When the Spiral Starts
When my brain starts yelling nonsense or I feel the doom cloud rolling in, I move. Not metaphorically. Literally. I change the channel—by changing my physical state.
Sometimes that means:
A walk with my weighted vest (still me, after all)
Calling a friend
Playing guitar or one of the 147 instruments in my house 🎶
Journaling
Using my sauna
Cooking something colorful and ridiculous
A purposeful podcast (only if I’m actively using the info)
I’m not aiming for perfection. I’m aiming for pattern interruption. And honestly? It works.
Step 3: Burn the “All or Nothing” Mentality
This one’s the hardest.
Because hi—I’m a recovering Type A perfectionist with a gold medal in extremes.
In the past:
6am workout = crushing life.
Slept in? Day ruined. Bring me the Doritos.
But I’m learning to live in the messy middle—where:
Trying counts.
Rest isn’t failure.
Progress can be slow and still meaningful.
This space? It’s not sexy. It won’t get you a before-and-after photo.
But it will help you stick around for the long game—and actually feel good while you do it.
I’ve bundled these 3 steps into a free, no-fluff PDF you can keep on your desk, phone, or mirror. It’s my go-to when my brain starts acting like a caffeinated squirrel. [Grab it here].
So What’s Next?
No, I’m not quitting yoga and sound healing to become a dog trainer and launch Barkganics, the all-natural pet food brand I (jokingly) announced on April Fools’—but many of you were so ready to preorder 😂.
What I am quitting is the version of myself that lets her brain spiral into mean girl mode.
I’m done being the sad potato in a weighted vest, scrolling my way into self-loathing and wondering if my socks need to be color-coded.
I know I’m not alone.
If you’ve been feeling mentally mushy, low on motivation, or one dopamine hit away from rehoming your responsibilities…
I see you.
And I’d love to hear from you.
Tell Me:
What do you do when your mind spirals or your energy flatlines?
Seriously—drop it in the comments. Even if it’s just:
“same.”
We’re all trying to rewire our brains, get sh*t done, and maybe—just maybe—feel a little less like sad potatoes along the way.
With love (and a side of whatever I’m about to make with beets),
XO, Jen