I am very skilled at getting stuck in vicious cycles. Negative feedback spirals that sometimes paralyze me, and make my head crazy. Perhaps you've experienced one, too?
Here are a couple of my old reliables:
The other day, realizing I was feeling paralyzed, I typed "vicious cycle" into google. And that was when I first discovered that vicious cycles have a happier and less-famous counterpart called the virtuous cycle: "a beneficial cycle of events or incidents, each having a positive effect on the next."
It was hard to get my brain to go there, under the paralyzing circumstances, but eventually I came up with a few examples:
So maybe I found the key?
You other negative-loopers out there can help me test the theory. Every time we realize we're in a vicious cycle, we can disrupt it with the first step of a virtuous cycle and make that feedback spiral swing upward. What do you think? So far it's really worked for me.
Can you offer another virtuous cycle for the toolkit? Knowing the steps really might be half the battle.
Such an eye opener for me, Alina! I was just talking to my friend Liz last night about how sometimes we can be our own most toxic enemies with those voices in our head and then we sabotage our own hopes and dreams, etc. I really like this view, though, that if we change our thoughts it will naturally change our behaviors and the world around us and then, in turn, continue to change our thoughts. I'm really loving the whole concept of the virtuous cycle. Thanks for that.
ReplyDeleteLove this, Alina. <3 I hate thinking of you beating yourself up...it hurts my heart. But I love that you're working on finding positive ways to make yourself--and others--feel better. *hugs*
ReplyDeleteThanks, Carol and Lola! It's something I'm figuring out and wondered if others might be as well. :)
ReplyDeleteOoh, this is good Alina-- and I especially like your examples of virtuous cycles-- that's so helpful. I'd never heard of a virtuous cycle before, but thank goodness there's something to counter the vicious ones! I will definitely put this into practice.
ReplyDeleteSimply my favorite post EVER on TKP. Dead on, Alina. This was a gift. Thank you. <3
ReplyDeleteVirtuous cycles are the way to go. I've never heard of this concept. It's a wonderful way to think!
ReplyDeleteOH! I love this so much, Alina! Thanks for sharing these "virtuous cycles." They're all exactly right! :o) <3
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