What to Do When You’re Spiraling at Your Desk
One minute, you’re answering emails. The next, your heart is racing, your thoughts are swirling, and your to-do list looks like a mountain you’ll never climb. You’re not lazy. You’re not dramatic. You’re just spiraling.
One minute, you’re answering emails. The next, your heart is racing, your thoughts are swirling, and your to-do list looks like a mountain you’ll never climb. You’re not lazy. You’re not dramatic. You’re just spiraling.
And yep—it happens to everyone. Even the most “put-together” person you know has probably stared blankly at their screen while their brain quietly imploded.
So what can you do right now, from your desk, to stop the spiral before it takes you down completely?
Step 1: Physically Pause
Before you even try to “fix” anything, stop typing. Stop clicking. Drop your shoulders. Put both feet flat on the floor. Unclench your jaw. Take one slow breath in through your nose… and exhale out through your mouth.
You’re not lazy. You’re not weak. You’re just overwhelmed. And overwhelmed brains need stillness before they can think clearly again.
Step 2: Label What’s Happening
You don’t need a therapist’s vocabulary. Just name what you’re feeling in plain language:
- “I feel totally behind.”
- “I’m scared I’m going to mess this up.”
- “Everything feels like too much right now.”
Naming the spiral doesn’t make it worse—it gives your brain a handle. Like shining a flashlight into a dark room. Suddenly it’s not a shadowy monster. It’s just a pile of thoughts.
Step 3: Go Micro, Not Mega
Your brain’s instinct in a spiral is to zoom out: big deadlines, big consequences, big anxiety. That’s the wrong direction.
Zoom in instead.
Don’t ask, “How will I finish all this?” Ask, “What’s one small thing I can do in the next 10 minutes?”
Answer an easy email. Rename a file. Grab water. Even cleaning up your desktop counts. Tiny action is what breaks the loop—not giant plans.
Step 4: Create a Visual Reset
Your screen is full of tabs. Your notes are everywhere. Your desktop is a warzone.
Pick one thing to clear. Maybe it’s minimizing every window except the one you’re working on. Or dragging messy files into a “Deal With Later” folder. Or just closing Slack for 15 minutes.
Visual chaos = mental chaos. Give your eyes a break, and your brain will follow.
Step 5: Move. Even a Little.
You don’t need to go for a 5K run. Just stand up. Stretch your arms. Walk to the kitchen. Shake out your hands. Roll your neck.
Movement—any movement—tells your nervous system, “Hey, we’re okay.” It pulls you out of panic mode and back into your body.
Bonus: If you can walk outside for 2 minutes, do it. Fresh air is basically a reset button with oxygen.
Step 6: Use “Name + Reframe”
Let’s say the spiraling thought is, “I’m going to screw this up.”
Try reframing it—without lying to yourself.
- Name: “I’m feeling overwhelmed because I want to do well.”
- Reframe: “I don’t have to be perfect. I just have to take the next step.”
You’re not pretending everything’s fine. You’re just offering your brain a less stressful version of the same truth.
Step 7: Text Someone
Don’t spiral in silence. Send a quick message to someone who won’t feed your panic:
- “Ugh, my brain is spiraling. Just needed to say that out loud.”
- “Can I vent for 30 seconds?”
- “Remind me that I’ve survived worse.”
Sometimes, just having someone say “Yep, you’re okay” is enough to stop the mental free-fall.
Step 8: Turn Off the Spiral Fuel
If your spiral is being fed by things like:
- 13 open tabs
- Slack notifications
- A chaotic news site you clicked “just for a sec”
- The constant ding of your phone
Cut the fuel. Close the tabs. Mute the apps. Set a 20-minute timer and protect your peace like it’s your job (because, let’s be honest, it kind of is).
Step 9: Write Down a “Bare Minimum” List
You don’t need to be your most productive self right now. You need to get through the next hour with your sanity intact.
Make a short “bare minimum” list:
- Answer Alex’s email
- Join 2pm meeting
- Eat something that’s not coffee
Cross off what you can. Celebrate every win like it’s a gold star. You’re rebuilding momentum one step at a time.
Step 10: Remind Yourself This Is a Moment, Not a Meltdown
Seriously. This doesn’t define you. You’re not broken. Your brain’s just short-circuiting a little. It’s trying to keep you safe—even if it’s doing a messy job of it.
Say to yourself (out loud if you can): “This is just a hard moment. It’s not the whole day.”
Because once the spiral passes—and it will—you’ll remember that you’ve got this.
