the spiral effect

Welcome back to Sunday Goods!!!!

Overthinking? I know her well. She shows up uninvited, takes off her shoes, and gets real comfortable in my brain. Let’s talk about what she’s actually doing in there—and why your brain deserves a break.

Lately, I’ve been learning more about what overthinking really does to us—and why it leaves us feeling so tired, stuck, or anxious, even when we haven’t physically done anything at all.

Let’s break it down (elle's version):

Your brain is wired to keep you safe - that’s its main job. & when you get caught in thought loops—constantly replaying things, second-guessing, over-preparing for worst-case scenarios—your brain thinks it’s helping.

It’s like, "oh! we're working really hard to solve a threat!"
Even if that “threat” is just a text you haven’t responded to or a decision you're afraid to make.

What’s actually happening when you overthink:

✧ your amygdala (your fear center) goes into overdrive, scanning everything for danger—even things that aren’t dangerous.
✧ your prefrontal cortex, which helps you make clear, logical decisions, gets overwhelmed and foggy.
✧ & over time, your hippocampus—which supports memory and emotional regulation—can shrink if your brain is stuck in stress mode for too long.

So basically, overthinking wires your brain into survival mode, where the focus is on what could go wrong, what you didn’t do, what you should’ve done differently…
it creates these deeply worn mental pathways that make it harder to find peace, self-trust, or stillness—because your brain is used to spiraling instead.

I say this not to scare you, but to help you feel seen.

If you feel like you live in your head a lot, if you replay things on loop, if you second-guess even the smallest decisions—that’s not because you’re broken.
It’s because somewhere along the way, your brain learned that thinking more = being safe.
& now, that pattern is just playing itself out.

But here’s the good news:
Our brains are neuroplastic—which means we can unlearn this, we can reroute the pattern & we can teach our minds what safety actually feels like.

...so how do we start?

Not by forcing our thoughts to disappear - that never works.
We start by noticing the moment the spiral begins, that tiny moment of awareness is powerful.

So here's what’s helped me:

✧ saying out loud: “this is overthinking - not truth.”
✧ doing something physical: even just walking to another room, stretching, or drinking water—movement gets you out of the loop.
✧ journaling (not just thinking): sometimes what feels huge in your head is way smaller once you write it down.
✧ asking a softer question: instead of “what if I mess this up?” try “what’s the kindest next step I can take?”

& honestly—sometimes it’s just giving yourself permission to not have the answer right now.

This is your gentle reminder:

• you are not lazy.

• you are not indecisive.

• you’re a person with a kind heart and a busy mind that’s been in survival mode for too long.

The spiral isn’t your home. You don’t have to live there anymore.

This week, try noticing when your thoughts start to feel heavy.
Instead of spiraling, pause and tell yourself:
“my brain is trying to protect me—but I don’t need protection right now, I need peace.”

Let that be your reroute.

You’re allowed to rest. You’re allowed to not have it all figured out.
You’re allowed to feel safe in your own mind.

With care,

Elle