04/27/2026
The shame spiral is plagued with thoughts like:
“I should …”
“Why can’t I just …”
“I need to be …”
“I wish I was more …”
The shame spiral is woven with fear and it can feel really hard to bring yourself back to the now. The now where you are doing enough, you are enough, and you are safe. Here are some of my favorite ways to get back into the present 🫶🏻
🤍 Get back into your body! Movement is a great interruption and can look like an easy walk around the block, dancing, shaking your limbs, or stretching to release the tension.
🤍 Borrow regulation from a supportive person. You can voice note a trusted friend, ask a partner to remind you that you’re safe, snuggle a pet and mirror their breathing or reread old supportive messages.
🤍 Disrupt the pattern! This is done by stimulating the vagus nerve or through simple grounding techniques such as splashing cold water on your face, holding a warm cup of tea, engaging in deep breathing, or humming along to a great ‘reset’ song - A favorite is Good As Hell by Lizzo!
🤍 Use a compassionate reframe. When experiencing shame we believe we are the problem, which makes it important to remind ourselves of the truth. Oftentimes, we wouldn’t be this critical of someone we love especially without any evidence. Swap “I’m not enough,” to “I’m struggling and this is hard…” or “I should,” to “It would be helpful to…”
🤍 Lower the bar … like, A LOT. Shame makes us feel as though everything needs to be perfect. We don’t need that type of pressure so allow yourself the opportunity to take small steps.
You don’t have to fight the spiral perfectly—just gently interrupt it. One small moment back in your body, back in reality, back to you
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I’m a trauma-informed therapist in Magnolia, Texas helping individuals understand how we learn to love and how we integrate ourselves into various relationships by exploring childhood unmet needs, lack of praise, emotional neglect, and high achievement expectations.