The Helter Skelter of Worry: Not Every Thought Needs a Ride
Someone I worked with once shared an image with me that has stayed in my mind. He pictured his worries like standing at the top of a Helter Skelter. You know the ones, brightly coloured slides at the fairground, winding you round and round until you land at the bottom with a bump.
For him, every time a negative thought appeared - what if I get this wrong? what if I’m not good enough? - was like standing at the top of that slide. He could choose to sit down, push off, and spiral down into more of the same. Or he could stand up, take a breath, and walk away. That image struck me, because so often we forget that we do have a choice.
Worries are persuasive. They whisper for our attention, and before we know it, we’ve gone round the spiral a dozen times. What started as a passing thought becomes a story we’ve told ourselves so often it feels like fact.
But what if, just sometimes, we paused before sliding? What if we noticed: Oh, here’s the Helter Skelter again. What if we gave ourselves the option to step away, instead of automatically pushing off?
It doesn’t mean the Helter Skelter disappears. It’s still there. The worries don’t vanish. But it does mean we can start to notice the pattern, the invitation to spiral, and choose something different.
In coaching, this is often the work. Not fixing people. Not banishing every negative thought. But creating enough awareness and space that you see the choices in front of you.
Next time a worry shows up, try this:
Notice the thought.
Ask yourself: Am I about to slide?
Decide: Do I want to go down this spiral, or do I want to stand up and step away?
It sounds simple. And it is. But it’s not always easy. That’s where practice helps. Each time you notice and choose, you build your muscle for stepping away.
And sometimes, yes, you’ll slide. We all do. But even then, you can dust yourself off at the bottom and remember, next time, there’s a choice.
If you find yourself sliding into spirals more often than you’d like, coaching can give you space to pause, notice the pattern, and choose a different way forward. If that sounds like what you need, let’s start with a free, no pressure, chemistry call.