The Spiral Technique: A Quick Tool to Calm Anxiety
What is the Spiral Technique?
The Spiral is an effective technique to calm anxiety. While this technique is taken from, and often used in, EMDR therapy, you don’t have to be in therapy, or even be familiar with EMDR, to use it.
When anxiety shows up, it often appears as something physical, like a knot in your chest, a lump in your throat, tension your shoulders, an upset stomach, or a headache. This is because anxiety, much like trauma, lives in your body. Your body interprets this uncomfortable sensation as a threat, and your nervous system responds to this perceived threat almost exactly as it would a real, physical threat. This creates an uncomfortable physical sensation that can be hard to shake, even once the thoughts in our mind that initially prompted the anxiety have passed.
Here’s how to try working through this feeling with the spiral technique right now:
Get comfortable, and take 1-2 deep calming breaths to start.
Identify something that bothers you a little to a medium amount, but not something completely overwhelming or upsetting. Let’s start with something that’s just kind of annoying, maybe 3-4 on a scale of 1-10.
Bring up an image that represents it for you.
As you think of the image that represents it, notice where you feel the disturbance in your body. What does it feel like? What shape can you imagine it taking? What color? Hold your awareness on that image of that disturbance in your body for a few seconds.
Now imagine that this feeling is a spiral of energy. Notice as it begins to move throughout your body. Follow the spiral of energy as it moves through your body.
Now, with your mind, gently change the direction of the spiral in your body. If it’s moving clockwise, gently change it to counterclockwise. If it’s already moving in a counterclockwise direction, shift it so it moves clockwise.
Notice what happens to the feelings in your body. For many people the feelings will begin to disappear as they change the direction of the spiral, imagining the anxiety unwinding in their body. If the feelings begin to lessen, continue until you feel have reached a comfortable level of calm, letting your nervous system settle into whatever has changed, even if the shift is small.
Try this now, or the next time you feel a little anxious, and let me know what you think. I read every email, and would love your feedback! I can be reached at susan@susancandiloro.com or www.susancandiloro.com.
Susan Candiloro, LCSW-R, is an EMDRIA Certified Therapist and EMDRIA Approved Consultant in Albany, NY. With over 25 years of experience in the mental health field, Susan specializes in working with women navigating shame, anxiety, perfectionism, and late-diagnosed ADHD, providing virtual EMDR therapy across New York and Florida. Interested in working with Susan? Reach out here.