Spirals

The verb “to spiral” has come to refer to that feeling of frenzy or mania that strikes quickly and entirely consumes one’s attention.

It doesn’t matter what one was doing prior to encountering the stimuli that caused them to spiral; it seemingly consumes them. 

Sometimes it’s harmless: you’re reminded of a celebrity you haven’t thought about in ages and you waste a few minutes on their Wikipedia page. 

But other times it can knock you off track and ruin what was previously a productive day. 

And having experienced this recently, I believe this feeling is the reason why a book I often see in airports and big box bookstores is titled The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. 

At some point, the energy expended is simply not worth it.