I’m not telling you anything new today: many outcomes in life lead us to feel sad, disappointed, or even hopeless.
It’s during these times that many people unknowingly enter a vicious cycle, a self-sustaining loop of negative thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that reinforce each other. By understanding how these cycles work, we can better avoid falling into them and find healthier ways to navigate such times.
Again, a vicious cycle is a pattern where negative thoughts, feelings, and behaviors build on each other in a way that’s hard to break. Think of it as a downward spiral: one negative thought leads to an emotional response, which then triggers certain behaviors, reinforcing that original thought and making it feel even more “true.” This cycle can draw us deeper into negativity, creating a loop that becomes increasingly hard to escape.
These cycles aren’t limited to personal struggles, they also unfold on a larger scale of an ecosystem. During the Great Depression, for example, economic hardship led to decreased consumer spending, which forced businesses to downsize, which increased unemployment. This vicious economic cycle required massive intervention to overcome. These cycles can impact us until deliberate, supportive measures are taken to break the loop.
Life’s challenges can easily set us up for these patterns, but by recognizing and disrupting them, we can shift our experiences for the better. While feeling sadness or disappointment is natural, it’s also the catalyst toward growth. Remember, each challenge, whether personal or collective, offers an opportunity for growth and transformation.
Take time to grieve, but also give yourself space to hope and believe in the possibility of meaningful change. By doing this, we can prevent ourselves from falling into vicious cycles that keep us stuck. Trust me, I’ve been there myself many times!