The beautiful thing about self-awareness is that it’s easy to notice when your thoughts, habits, or attitude starts to make a turn for the worst. Recently, I let myself get so busy with house projects that I forgot to prioritize myself and my health which resulted in negative thought loops, more frequent low vibration emotions, and increased anxiety. When these things kick up, I know that I need to press pause and evaluate what’s going on so I can turn things around. Here are my top tips for reversing a downward spiral:

1.       Meditate

This is my first step for literally any problem because meditation is magic. Don’t just take my word for it – there’s plenty of science out there that backs me up. Meditation almost always helps clear the mind, calm the nervous system, and provides a blank slate for addressing any issues that you’re dealing with. The more often you meditate, the more it’s likely to help. If you don’t currently have a meditation practice, try sitting for 5 minutes 10 days in a row. Other mindfulness techniques like yoga, breathwork, or exercise work here as well.

2.       Prioritize yourself

I hesitate to use the term self-care because I think most people’s brains go straight to bubble baths and beauty products but ignoring our own needs is often what put us in the downward spiral to begin with. Self-care looks different on everybody because it’s really about doing whatever brings you back to yourself. For me, that looks like journaling and reading. For others it may be exercising or spending time outside. Bubble baths are great, but only if that’s what you know is best for you. The key here is to do the things you know are good for you but you don’t always make time for.

3.       Assess the situation

Again, we want to call on that self-awareness to help us identify what exactly is going on. What emotions are you grappling with? What recurring thought loops are running through your mind? Where in your body are you feeling these feelings? Once you identify exactly what’s going on, you can make a plan to work through it. For instance, if you’re struggling with willpower or self-worth, you might want to try some activities for balancing your solar plexus chakra.

4.       Ask for help

We can’t do it all alone. If you need support, ask for it! Maybe that’s asking your partner for some quality time, talking it out with a friend, or letting someone you love pitch in with things like errands or cleaning. Maybe it’s getting a reiki tune-up, going to therapy, or talking with a coach. We have support systems for a reason so use them!

5.       Put first things first

If you’re struggling with lack of time or resources, please remember that your outward circumstances are always a reflection of your inner world. Pause for as long as you need to get your mind right so that your circumstances start to reflect an improved mindset. This is so important to halting the momentum of a downward spiral. You can’t find a solution from the level of the problem so it’s much more productive to elevate yourself first and then move forward!

 These are things tat I do on a micro level for disruptive instances throughout my day and on a macro level when I need a total reset on the direction of my life. Try it out next time you need a little boost and see what you think!