This One Mindset Shift Saved Me From My Own Overthinking Spiral

“My emotions can visit, but they don’t get to take over the house.”

Feelings are such a powerful part of my human experience — sometimes they show up like a blaring car alarm in a quiet parking lot, and other times they sneak in like those silent phone notifications that don’t buzz, don’t ding, and somehow still manage to make me anxious. Some emotions confuse me, some overwhelm me, and some arrive with the clarity of a clean inbox on a Monday morning. But as chaotic as they can be, I’ve learned that feelings aren’t here to sabotage me; they’re here to teach me. They show up as my reminders, my warnings, and occasionally my personal hype-squad when I need a boost. And like Nietzsche said, they cast the shadows that shape my thoughts — but those shadows don’t have to become my prison walls.

I remind myself of that every time I watch the world react to things online. One minute, everyone’s calm; the next minute, a celebrity accidentally posts the wrong photo, a company drops a weird ad, or someone announces a breakup, and suddenly the internet acts like we're witnessing the fall of civilization. That used to be me in my everyday life — blowing one stressful moment out of proportion, letting a single feeling convince me that everything was falling apart. Now, I’m learning to take a breath, step back, and ask myself, “Is this feeling a fact or just a signal?” That small shift changes everything. It’s like finally realizing that the dramatic movie trailer in my head doesn’t necessarily reflect the actual movie of my life.

And that’s where Ash Alves’ wisdom hits home for me: my feelings aren’t meant to trap me; they’re meant to move through me. When I stop trying to cage them—when I let them breathe, flow, and fade—life feels lighter. I become more patient with myself. I stop spiraling over things that won’t matter in 24 hours. And I start choosing what defines me, instead of letting my emotions do the choosing. That’s the life hack I rely on daily: listen to my feelings, learn from them, but don’t let them build a permanent address inside me. They can visit, but they don’t get to take over the house.

Be Positive, and have an amazing day.