Guide
Three ways to combat negative thought spirals
by Anna Sandner
Clear your head in just a few minutes: 3 quick exercises to combat stress
23/1/2026
Translation: machine translated
Are your thoughts going round in circles again and stress is getting the better of you? Then short, targeted exercises can help you to think clearly again. Here are my three mini-hacks to combat inner restlessness.
How has your day been so far - stressful, exhausting, tiring? Then these short relaxation sequences might be just what you need. I've put together three exercises that have made me laugh in many a stressful situation. You can use them, for example, in cases of inner restlessness, circling thoughts, mental overload, before important conversations or decisions. Or in transitional moments such as after work, before going to sleep or between two demanding tasks. Whenever you have the feeling: «I'm not clear, not present, not really able to act right now.»
No solution for chronic stress
Let's be clear from the outset: these quick exercises are not suitable for relaxing away chronic stress, underlying conflicts, depressive states or prolonged exhaustion «» . They will not heal your psyche. They do not replace therapy and do not solve problematic life circumstances. Their strength lies elsewhere: they help acutely, like a kind of mental and physical reset.
How the mini exercises work
So, strictly speaking, it's less about relaxation in the classic sense and more about targeted regulation. Stress puts your nervous system into alarm mode: your body is tense, your attention is narrowed and your thoughts keep running in the same loops. You can interrupt this gruelling state by giving your nervous system a different, clear signal.
Source: Pexels
Manage your attention in a targeted way
Targeting your attention is an important lever here. Rumination thrives on the fact that (unpleasant) thoughts are given unchecked space. Many short exercises tie up precisely this limited capacity and occupy your working memory in such a way that your thoughts lose momentum. Not because the problem is solved, but because the brain can take a short break from the continuous firing.
Creating distance from the gruelling thoughts
A second key effect is creating distance from thoughts: In moments of stress, it feels like we are completely at their mercy. However, exercises that allow us to experience thoughts as something perceptible change our relationship with them. Then you still have the thought, but you no longer identify with it so strongly. This often noticeably reduces the emotional pressure. At the same time, short, self-chosen exercises give you back a sense of control. This often helps to reduce stress more quickly than stoically enduring it.
3 mini-hacks for acute stress regulation
1. strip away thoughts
Here's how: Stand up and brush your body with both hands - from your shoulders to your arms, chest, stomach and legs. As if you were actually wiping away dirt, dust or sticky, distracting thoughts. It works best if you make the movement deliberately exaggerated and energetic.
Why it works: The brain reacts strongly to symbolic actions. You make the thoughts physically tangible and set a final impulse with the concrete action. It signals to your brain that something stressful has been completed.
2. the absurd voice
Here's how: Take a stressful thought («I can't do this», «This is going to go wrong») and say it out loud. The trick: say it in a completely absurd voice, as a comic duck, opera baritone, robot or extremely slowly, super fast or squeaky.
Why it works: Stressful thoughts often feel like facts when you are stressed because they are automatic and serious. When you say them in an absurd voice, you change their form without having to work through the content. The prefrontal cortex becomes active and recognises the thought as a mental event instead of an objective truth. Humour and alienation also help you to distance yourself internally.
3. the mental zoom-out
How to do it: Close your eyes and imagine that you are slowly zooming out and away from yourself. First you see yourself in the room, then the room in the house, the house in the street, then the whole city, the country, the continent. Until you are looking at the earth from space. Stay on each level for two to three breaths.
Source: Google Maps
Why it works: Stress activates a threat programme and narrows the focus. Everything revolves around the current problem as if it were the only thing that exists. With the mental zoom-out, you can systematically leave tunnel vision behind. Each level creates distance between you and the trigger without pushing it away or reinterpreting it.
I like being able to achieve a lot for the psyche in a short space of time. That's why the guide «The 1-minute strategy against mental exhaustion» immediately piqued my interest. One minute is already very little, I thought. And unfortunately, I wasn't entirely convinced by the booklet. But read for yourself:
«The 1-minute strategy against mental exhaustion»
This little guide by bestselling Spiegel author Cordula Nussbaum promises a whole series of mini-strategies to combat mental overload. In addition to the short exercises, Nussbaum uses many everyday examples to explain complex concepts such as neuronal mechanisms or the «monkey mind» (restless mind). This is a good introduction to the topic for those with no prior knowledge. Many tips are suitable for everyday use and can be implemented quickly.
However, those who have already dealt with the topic before may (like me) be left disappointed. Many of the suggested strategies seem rather superficial and are familiar from classic mindfulness and stress management. There were no moments of surprise for me. The book also promises help against mental exhaustion. However, this would require a deeper examination, for example of psychotherapeutic or holistic approaches, which the small guide cannot provide.
Header image: Cottonbro / Pexels
Anna Sandner
Senior Editor
Anna.Sandner@galaxus.deScience editor and biologist. I love animals and am fascinated by plants, their abilities and everything you can do with them. That's why my favourite place is always the outdoors - somewhere in nature, preferably in my wild garden.
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