When One Click Sends You Spinning

And How I’m Getting Back on Track

Last Friday, something small set off something disproportionately big.

I had an early online class scheduled, and everything was going smoothly, until, a few minutes in, a message popped up on my laptop: “Update required.” Without thinking, and clearly not at my sharpest, I clicked “Update now” instead of “Update later.” The screen went dark, and just like that, the class ended abruptly.

My laptop decided it needed a full 40-minute update. In the meantime, I quickly sent an apology from my phone and shared a link to a recorded version of the class so my students could continue learning. But I felt awful.

So it all started with one innocent click: just one wrong button. No big deal, right? Wrong. Because apparently, my brain saw this as the perfect opportunity to stage a full-blown existential crisis.

First came the mild annoyance. “Oops, wrong button.” Then, without even catching its breath, my mind leapt to: “Wow, you’re really off today.” And before I knew it, the inner monologue had cranked up to full drama: “Your students are going to be so disappointed.”

A few moments later, it escalated further: “They’re not coming back. Ever.” And then, the pièce de résistance: “Maybe you’re just not cut out for this. You’re a fraud. A fraud in stretchy pants.”

All of this because I clicked the wrong button. Once.

Isn’t the human mind incredible? We’re able to conjure up a whole Netflix-worthy drama based on a single, completely reversible mistake. Honestly, if I could redirect this creativity, I’d have written three novels and a screenplay by now.

But none of it was true. The world didn’t end. And I’m still teaching yoga, clicking buttons and all.

Thankfully, this doesn’t happen too often! In fact, it only happens when I feel very tired. And that’s no coincidence. When we’re very tired, the brain’s emotional regulation takes a hit, and stress hormones can surge, throwing the HPA axis (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis) into overdrive. This stress response can make even minor problems feel huge. I’ll talk more about that next week: it’s genuinely fascinating stuff.

To make matters worse, I’d also skipped my usual exercise routine: another reason my stress system was kicked into high gear. Because I was tired, I thought I would ‘take it easy’ and only focus on teaching my classes and skip my own practice. That had been a mistake.

Exercise isn’t just about fitness for me. It’s how I regulate my mood. It clears the fog. It gives my mind somewhere to go when it’s stuck. After yoga, strengthening or a run, problems feel more manageable, my chest loosens, and my outlook softens. It’s like a reset button for my brain.

No exercise, no reset. So I knew what I had to do to avoid this crisis to ruin my whole day: I laced my shoes and stepped outside.

Have you ever had one of those days where everything just feels a bit too much? Like the world is pressing in and even the smallest hiccup throws you off? If so, you’re definitely not alone. I think we all have been there too. The key is to learn how to find our way back.

What helps you reset when things go sideways?

With love,