Como Parar de Entrar em Espiral de Pensamentos Negativos

Você já se pegou pensando em algo ruim e, de repente, sua mente começou a criar vários pensamentos ainda piores, um atrás do outro? Isso se chama “entrar em espiral” — e é algo comum em quem está passando por ansiedade ou depressão. A boa notícia é que dá pra interromper esse ciclo. Abaixo, você vai ver uma explicação simples do que é esse processo e como sair dele quando ele começar.

What is spiraling?

Spiraling happens when something bad makes your brain start telling a bigger, negative story.

Spiraling is when one bad thought leads to another, and it keeps getting worse.

“I made a mistake → I always fail → I’m useless → No one cares.”

What happens in your brain?

In moments like this, the brain reacts fast. The part that feels emotions (amygdala) takes over, and the part that helps you think clearly (prefrontal cortex) becomes weaker. You feel first, and only later try to think. This pattern is common in depression and anxiety.

Why does it happen?

The brain mixes one event with your identity

When something bad happens, you start thinking “this is who I am” instead of “this just happened.” People with depression often have trouble seeing the difference between one failure and their whole personality (Bonner and Lewi, 1990).

The mind tries to explain pain with a negative story

The brain is always looking for patterns. In depression, it often finds negative patterns that don’t really exist — like thinking “I always mess up” after just one mistake (Beck et al., 1979).

You forget you have power

When you feel like nothing you do will change your life, you give up. This idea is called learned helplessness — and it’s very common in depression (Seligman, 1975).

How to stop spiraling (right now):

1. Watch out for generalizationsDon’t let one bad thing become a story about your whole life. Ask yourself: “Is this always true, or just true today?”

2. Recognize the patternSay to yourself: “This is that same old thought again.” When you do this, your brain starts to separate you from the spiral. This is called metacognition — thinking about your thoughts (Flavell, 1979).

3. Take back your powerInstead of asking “Why doesn’t she want me?”, ask “What kind of person do I want to be?” This changes your focus from needing others to controlling your own life.

4. Accept what happened, and actYou’re not guilty for your feelings. But you are responsible for what you do next. This idea — radical acceptance with action — helps people move forward (Linehan, 1993).

5. Use a growth mindsetInstead of thinking “I’ll never be loved,” try: “Let me see what happens if I improve my communication, health, or self-esteem.” People who believe they can grow from failure are more likely to feel better (Dweck, 2006).

Final thought

You are not your thoughts. You are the person who sees them.

If you can notice the pattern, you can break it.

References

• Beck, A. T., Rush, A. J., Shaw, B. F., & Emery, G. (1979). Cognitive therapy of depression.

• Bonner, S. E., & Lewi, B. L. (1990). Determinants of auditor expertise.

• Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success.

• Flavell, J. H. (1979). Metacognition and cognitive monitoring.

• Linehan, M. M. (1993). Cognitive-behavioral treatment of borderline personality disorder.

• Seligman, M. E. (1975). Helplessness: On depression, development, and death.