Spiraling Upward

We all know what it feels like when our mind and spirit begin to spiral downward. And we also know how frustrating it can be to watch a student, one of our children, or a dear friend allow that spiraling to take them to a very dark place. I have to admit, I've even been there myself.

I want to share an idea from our new book, Learning That Never Ends. The idea is called "spiraling upward." It is quite simple. First you have to know yourself enough to recognize when the mental spiraling downward begins - from the onset. Do you begin by some negative comment about yourself? Is it a short, but dangerous statement of hopelessness that you let slip out and take hold? Do you postpone something that will end up being a positive thing for yourself because of fear?

The trick is to catch hold of that first negative thought or action and shut the spiral down - literally - cut it out. Do some action to stop it from continuing - a quick loud clap works for me, sometimes I physically throw away the thought. Then, here's the important follow-up piece. Visualize this spiral building upward, on curl at a time. Breathe in, breathe out and mention to yourself that you are able to do something good for yourself and that things really do work out. Now take a positive action - this could be a first step to a project you need to do, or it could be as simple as getting your two feet on the floor and getting up.

I taught this method to my students and allowed them to see that they too could have control over their emotions. Our students need to know they have some say in how deep and dark they allow themselves to go. Spiraling upward is a great tool for helping our students become more resilient, tenacious, and self-efficacious.

Give it a try!