It was one of those days. One more cloudy, gloomy day that had Katrina wishing for spring. Her husband was thoughtful, and walked the dog before work—but he left his muddy shoes on when he came back in the house, leaving little puddles on the clean floor.

Was it really a good day to call the cable company? The last time she did, it took an hour and she wound up in tears of frustration. Katrina sat for a moment. How did she want this day to go?

Katrina’s negative emotions were starting to lead her into something called a shame spiral. “I’m so incompetent,” she thought after writing a check wrong. “Why can’t I pay attention?”

It didn’t occur to her to recall that she had been busy with Christmas and Kwanzaa preparations and caring for her 80-year-old father after his hernia surgery. “I must be losing it,” she thought. “I’m not as sharp as I was. I’m a screwup. Why do I try to do anything?” Now the day was in serious jeopardy.

If you’ve ever been in a self-shaming spiral, you might recognize these signs. One thing goes wrong, you start blaming yourself, and in short order, your life seems like a disaster.

Here’s where Katrina actually did........

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