From playful distractions to deeper emotional inquiry, these expert-approved techniques offer unexpected ways to interrupt rumination
It usually starts innocently enough. A passing thought, a niggling fear, and then, somehow, you’re stuck on a mental loop you can’t seem to switch off. Whether it’s replaying how you worded an email, catastrophising about the future of your relationship, or trying to predict the consequences of a decision, spiralling thoughts have a way of pulling us further from the present moment and deeper into unhelpful thoughts.
The instinct is often to shut them down or think more rationally. But what if that’s part of the problem? From games and cartoon voices to tarot cards and rewriting the narrative, these techniques might sound unusual at first, yet each offers a different route out of rumination and back towards something more grounded.
1. Get childish
“Sometimes I’ll ask a client to play pat-a-cake with me,” says therapist and relationship coach Bibi Jamieson. “When someone is spiralling, they’re usually very in their head and quite disconnected from their body, so bringing in rhythm, touch, eye contact – and even a bit of singing – shifts them into something more present and relational.”
According to Bibi, the nervous system can’t stay in a heightened, overthinking state while also engaging in something playful and connected.
2. Objectify your thoughts
Bibi regularly asks clients to say each thought out loud whilst handing her an object from the room they’re in, one for every thought. You might find you’re able to pause, choose, and notice each one, which Bibi says creates distance from the thoughts and lessens their power.
3. Dig under the spiral
Treat your spiral as the tip of the iceberg – the surface of a deeper pattern that is asking to be witnessed. “What’s all the way down, the deepest sensation, underneath all others?” asks therapist Stephan Fowler.
Because thought spirals tend to be repetitive in nature, looking deeper can reveal new information. “Focus on the innermost singular feeling, and find a word or phrase that captures it,” suggests Stephan.
While this can bring up old wounds, ultimately, that can be useful because you’re able to see you’re reacting to past events, not the present. But, for that reason, this is best practised with support from a professional.
4. Say it in a silly voice
Halting spiralling thoughts doesn’t have to feel heavy, thanks to this tip from counsellor Anna Chainska: “When a client is caught in a loop, I ask them to repeat the spiralling thought out loud in the voice of a cartoon character, a news anchor, or an overly dramatic opera singer.”
Sounds absurd, right? That’s the point. Rumination relies on us taking our thoughts seriously, but a ridiculous voice creates just enough psychological distance for the brain to register that the thought isn’t necessarily true.
5. Go bigger
As well as injecting humour into the process, Anna also guides clients to get curious about the body. “Rather than trying to stop the thought, I invite clients to find where the spiral lives physically (often the chest, jaw, or stomach) and deliberately amplify the sensation.”
This might mean clenching your teeth tighter, squeezing your fists, or curling up into a ball. “Counterintuitively, leaning into the body’s protest usually collapses it within 30 seconds,” reveals Anna.
6. Make a move
Instead of tossing and turning at night, psychotherapeutic counsellor Ellie Rowland-Callanan advises getting out of bed and moving to another room when thoughts begin to spiral.
“Physical movement supports the development of alternative thought processes, as well as reducing stress hormones and increasing endorphins,” she explains.
7. Pick a card, any card
To interrupt the well-worn cognitive pathways associated with those spiralling thoughts, counsellor Emma Dellow draws on something quite unexpected: tarot cards.
According to Emma, pulling a card at random shifts you into a reflective mode and can be explored by journaling or simply sitting with the card for a few minutes. “What stands out? What feels relevant? Where does the image take you?” she asks.
This guides you from analytical overdrive into meaning-making and imagination. “Tarot cards can create just enough psychological distance from the spiral to loosen its grip, while still staying connected to the underlying concern.”
8. Change the script
One unusual method that psychotherapist Hannah Jackson-McCamley has developed with clients is the idea of writing life events as a movie script.
One client in particular, who kept mentally replaying an argument with her ex that led to their split, found that writing alternative ‘scenes’ helped her to approach the memory she had with empathy.
“She allowed herself short amounts of time to write, which helped her manage the space she gave to the issue. And through redrafting the ‘scene’ from a drama to a romance, and even comedy, she was able to transform her attachment to the negative thought patterns she had about it.”
Try this yourself by writing descriptively about a specific scenario that is bothering you. How might you process it differently if it existed in a different genre?
More tips...
9. Use strong sensory input to break the loop – cold water, ice, or fresh air.
10. Overload your mind: count backwards from 100 while naming animals A–Z.
11. Set a three-minute timer and let yourself spiral fully until it ends.
12. Translate the thought into another language or frame it in third person (“Fiona is having the thought…”).
13. Ask what the thought is trying to achieve – it may be misguided protection.
14. Label the pattern (catastrophising, perfectionism, assumptions, etc.) to weaken it.
15. Zoom out: will this matter in a week, a year, five years?
16. Move your body: jumping jacks, a plank, anything physical.
17. Argue the opposite case like a lawyer – look for counter-evidence.
18. Shift attention to something novel or mildly absorbing: odd videos, new music, doodling, simple chores.
19. Tell yourself you’ll come back to it at a specific time (e.g. 6 pm), then gently park it. Paradoxically, scheduled worry often weakens the urge to loop.
20. Reduce the spiral into a single, clear line. This cuts through the noise and highlights what you’re actually reacting to.
