You know the drill. You feel a little twinge of worry, maybe about a work email you haven’t responded to yet. No big deal. But suddenly, your anxious brain decides to take that worry, strap it to a rocket, and launch it into a full-blown disaster scenario.
Before you know it, you’re spiraling:
- “I didn’t reply to that email in time… they probably think I’m unprofessional… I’ll get fired… I’ll never find another job… I’ll have to move into my parents’ basement… they’ll make me do chores again… and I don’t even know where they keep the vacuum anymore!”
Or maybe it’s this one:
- “I felt a weird pain in my side… let me Google it… okay, WebMD says it could be gas… or… a rare, incurable disease that only three people in the world have had. Welp, better start saying my goodbyes.”
Sound familiar? If so, congratulations! You have an active imagination. Unfortunately, your brain is using its creativity for evil instead of good. But don’t worry, there are ways to stop the spiral before you end up convinced that you’ve ruined your life because you sent a text with one too many exclamation points.
Step 1: Observe and Label Your Thoughts
One of the best ways to break free from the anxiety spiral is to step back and observe your thoughts instead of getting sucked into them. Try this:
- Instead of “Aggh! I’m probably dying,” say: “Oh, hey, catastrophic thinking. You’re back again.”
- Instead of “Everyone secretly hates me,” say: “Ah, the ol’ mind-reading trick. Classic.”
Labeling your thoughts helps create some emotional distance, making them feel less like absolute truths and more like what they really are—habitual mental noise.
Step 2: Use Humor to Deflate the Intensity
Anxiety wants you to take it very seriously. But what happens when you start making fun of it? It loses its power.
Sometimes, the quickest way to take the edge off anxiety is to turn the volume down on how seriously we’re taking our thoughts. One playful trick? Imagine your anxious inner monologue being delivered by a completely ridiculous or lovable character.
Would you really believe your fear-based predictions if they were coming from Dory from Finding Nemo, who forgets everything every five seconds? Or Michael Scott from The Office, who once declared bankruptcy by simply yelling “I DECLARE BANKRUPTCY!” in his workplace? Or maybe George Costanza, who can spiral into full-blown panic over basically anything, including sandwich choices?
Let’s try it:
- Anxious Thought: “This presentation is going to be a disaster.”
- Michael Scott Version: “Would I rather give this presentation or declare bankruptcy on national television? Tough call.”
- Dory Version: “This presentation is going to—wait, what were we doing again? Oh look, a jellyfish! Just keep swimming, just keep swimming…”
- George Costanza Version: [Panicked yelling] “I’m sweating through my shirt already, Susan! You think they won’t notice I’ve rehearsed this 42 times and still can’t make eye contact?!”
Hearing our anxiety echoed in the voice of someone so obviously over-the-top helps us gain distance. It reminds us that not every thought is urgent or true—some are just a little dramatic (or forgetful, or neurotic). Humor can act like a safety valve for the pressure cooker of anxiety.
It’s hard to stay stuck in panic mode when you’re laughing at yourself.
Step 3: Spot the Common Mental Traps (Cognitive Distortions)
Anxiety loves to trick us into seeing the world in extremes. Here are some of its favorite sneaky tactics:
- Catastrophizing
“If I mess up this one thing, my whole life will fall apart.”
Reframe: “One mistake does not define me. Michael Jordan missed over 9,000 shots and lost nearly 300 games—but he’s still considered one of the greatest athletes of all time.”
2. Mind-Reading
“She didn’t text back right away. She’s obviously mad at me.”
Reframe: “Or… she could be, you know, living her life, not glued to her phone like I am.”
3. Black-and-White Thinking
“If I don’t do this perfectly, I’m a total failure.”
Reframe: “Perfection is a myth. Done is better than perfect.”
4. Fortune-Telling
“This party is going to be awful. I’ll have a terrible time.”
Reframe: “Maybe it’ll be fun, maybe it won’t. Either way, it’s not the apocalypse.”
Bonus: A Comedian Who Gets It
Sometimes the best way to deal with anxiety is to hear someone else joke about it. Some comedians who have great material on mental health include:
- Taylor Tomlinson – Talks about anxiety, therapy, and intrusive thoughts.
- Nate Bargatze – Shares lighthearted stories about overthinking.
- Jim Gaffigan – Often jokes about stress and everyday anxieties in a family-friendly way.
Final Thought: Anxiety Lies, but You Don’t Have to Believe It
Your brain is going to throw some wild thoughts at you. That’s just what brains do. But you don’t have to believe everything it says. With a little humor, self-awareness, and some deep breaths, you can stop anxiety from dragging you down the rabbit hole—and maybe even laugh a little along the way.
