I often find myself caught in a spiral. When I’m engaged and actively participating in my life, I experience an upward spiral. But when I let things slip and stop paying attention, I descend into a downward spiral, which somehow seems to happen much faster and more easily. One day I could be cooking, meal prepping, and joyfully improving my life, and the next, my house is a mess, I haven’t showered in a week, I’m eating poorly, and I have no clean clothes.
I am naturally a positive person, but sometimes that optimism becomes a hindrance. I always expect that things will turn out okay, making it easy to let my responsibilities slide. I don’t always stay diligent in doing what needs to be done, convinced that everything will work out in the end. This mindset can quickly turn my upward spiral into a downward one.
It can be incredibly challenging to escape from a funk. For a long time, I struggled to figure out how to reverse this downward momentum. The secret I discovered is to take action. Any positive action will do—even if it’s a baby step. Whether it’s putting the dishes in the dishwasher, washing my face, doing five minutes of arm exercises, or drinking a glass of water. These small actions send a message to my brain that I am paying attention and ready to start climbing upwards again.
If you find yourself in a similar situation, here is the Spiral Upwards: The Positive Shift Checklist that could inspire you to take that first positive step towards creating your own upward spiral.
I downloaded it. Good stuff. It might be fun to have us list all of our hobbies!
Early in the pandemic, I was really struggling. My easiest way to shift is to do good for others. I created a Facebook group that did not get off the ground. However, I created a number of “badges” that people could earn. Mostly about giving to others. The simplest was sharing something positive about other people’s social media. Your checklist is a reminder!