Stop Racing Thoughts and Anxiety: How Winnie the Pooh and Friends Use the "Swerve" Tool
- Bruce Schutter
- Jun 22
- 6 min read
Yesterday was one of those days when my mind felt like it was running a marathon—without water breaks or a finish line. My mental health challenges—Bipolar, Alcoholism, Anxiety Disorder, and PTSD—had decided to throw a party in my head, and I wasn’t exactly on the guest list.
So, I took a long walk in the park, hoping fresh air would help me catch my breath. Just when I thought I had the park to myself, who do I see? None other than Winnie the Pooh and Piglet.
They weren’t doing yoga or birdwatching. They were doing something much more familiar: navigating life’s emotional twists and turns.
Pooh waddled up to me, looking unusually serious for a bear with a sweet tooth.
“Bruce,” he said, his voice tinged with concern, “Piglet’s anxiety is running wild, and it’s consuming him. It’s causing problems throughout the day, and I need a way to help him.
What warrior tool do you have that could help?”
My Story
Now, Pooh and I have had these chats before—because he knows my story. How I struggled for 20 years with Bipolar, Alcoholism, Anxiety Disorders and PTSD. This left me feeling so powerless, that I tried to end my life. But in that dark time, I discovered something life-changing: Mental health is the key to overcoming any challenge.
With that knowledge, I created the Mental Health Warrior Program—a bold new SELF-HELP approach designed to put YOU in charge.
So you can take control of your emotions, triumph over challenges, and build the life you really want.
And in this case, I knew exactly what could help Piglet slow down those racing thoughts and ease his anxiety. It’s one of my go-to tools from my book 84 Mental Health Warrior Tools.
So I lit up with excitement and began explaining the tool—and exactly how to use it.
How to Use the "Swerve" Tool
The “Swerve” is a simple yet powerful mental health tool from my book 84 Tools of a Mental Health Warrior. It’s designed to help stop racing thoughts, out-of-control anxiety, and those never-ending negative loops that hijack your peace.
By using just one small word—“Swerve”—you can interrupt the mental chaos and get back in the driver’s seat of your emotions.
As Pooh and Piglet leaned in, ears perked and tails twitching (okay, mostly Piglet’s), I broke it down step by step:
Step 1: Recognize the Onset of Racing Thoughts or Anxiety
I told them that the first step is simply noticing when anxiety starts to creep in.
It’s like spotting storm clouds gathering—you might not stop the rain, but you can grab your emotional umbrella.
Step 2: Say “Swerve” (Out Loud or Silently)
When your thoughts start speeding toward a crash, say the word: “Swerve.”
It can be whispered, shouted, or silently mouthed—it doesn’t matter. The point is to interrupt the anxious momentum and send your brain in a new direction—one that doesn’t involve spiraling out of control.
Step 3: Pause and Regroup
This pause is your power move!
Take a breath. Feel your feet on the ground. Much like Pooh deciding whether to have one jar of honey or two—this is your moment to stop reacting and start regrouping.
Step 4: Assess and Decide
From this calmer headspace, you can now choose what comes next.
Maybe it’s taking a walk, texting a friend, or reminding yourself of the truth behind the fear.
You might not be able to avoid every pitfall in the Hundred Acre Wood—but you can choose a wiser path through it.
Example 1: Swerve from Anxiety to Confidence
Piglet, known for his constant fretting, often gets overwhelmed by the simplest things—like deciding what color scarf to wear. Pooh explained how Piglet would pace in circles, wringing his tiny hands, paralyzed by his own thoughts. Even picking a scarf for a crisp autumn day became a full-blown anxiety spiral.
"One day," Pooh recounted, "Piglet had to choose between a green scarf and a yellow one. You’d think he was defusing a bomb with how serious he looked! So, I decided we needed a solution—and that’s when we remembered your 'Swerve' tool."
So they gave it a try. The next time Piglet’s thoughts started racing, he said “Swerve,” paused, took a breath, and regrouped. Suddenly, it wasn’t life or death—it was just a scarf.
And that day, he proudly wore the green one like a champion.
Our Turn:
If you, like Piglet, get stuck in decision-anxiety mode, try using “Swerve” to interrupt the spiral. Say the word—silently or out loud—then pause, take a deep breath, and regroup.
You’re not avoiding the decision—you’re stepping out of the emotional quicksand just long enough to find your footing again. It only takes a few seconds, but it can save you hours of mental spin.
Example 2: Swerving Away from Panic
Another day, Piglet found himself caught in an unexpected gust of wind, which sent the leaves flying and his anxiety soaring. Piglet, as you might imagine, went into full-blown panic mode. His tiny legs scurried in every direction as if the wind were chasing him down!
That’s when Pooh remembered the “Swerve” tool. "Piglet, Swerve!" Pooh called out, and to Piglet's credit, he gave it a try.
He stopped, said “Swerve” out loud, paused, and regrouped. The wind was still blowing, but Piglet no longer felt trapped in his panic. He realized he could control how he reacted, even if he couldn’t control the wind.
Our Turn:
When life throws something unexpected your way—an angry email, a loud noise, or just a gust of chaos—try saying “Swerve.” It’s a quick reset, a tiny pause that gives you just enough space to respond instead of react.
Saying “Swerve” interrupts your brain’s stress loop, shifting your focus from panic to problem-solving. It puts YOU—not your emotions—back in the driver’s seat!
Example 3: Swerving Away from Self-Doubt
Even the ever-optimistic Pooh has moments of self-doubt—especially when he’s run out of honey and isn’t sure how to get more.“Sometimes,” Pooh confided, “I worry that I’ll never find honey again… and what kind of bear would I be without honey?”
Pooh explained how he used the “Swerve” tool to stop those thoughts before they took over. One particularly honeyless morning, he felt himself spiraling. Would he ever find honey again? Was he destined to live honeyless forever?
But then he paused, took a deep breath, and said, “Swerve.”
From that calmer place, Pooh remembered: there’s always a way. Whether it’s asking Rabbit for help or exploring a new part of the forest, there are always more paths forward—if you give yourself a chance to see them.
Our Turn:
Self-doubt has a sneaky way of turning molehills into mountains. But when we interrupt that spiral with a simple “Swerve,” we create just enough space to remember: we’ve been through tough things before—and we’re still here.
It works because saying “Swerve” breaks the cycle of rumination, giving your brain a split-second shift from fear to focus. It reminds you that you’re not stuck—you’re just between solutions.
So next time self-doubt whispers, “You can’t,” respond with a confident, “Swerve”—and then prove it wrong.
The Humorous Side of "Swerve"
As I shared the Swerve Tool with Pooh and Piglet, things took a hilarious turn. They both began practicing “Swerve” out loud—trying different tones, accents, and dramatic pauses like actors auditioning for a Hundred Acre Wood action film.
Soon we were all laughing, zig-zagging through imaginary anxiety obstacles like we were in an emotional obstacle course.
And that laughter? It wasn’t just fun—it made the tool work even better!
Humor naturally interrupts anxiety, lowers stress hormones, and brings you back to the moment. Add a dash of play to your practice, and “Swerve” becomes more than a technique—it becomes a joy-filled reset button for your day.
Wrap Up
As our conversation wound down, I felt a quiet wave of excitement. Talking with Pooh and Piglet reminded me why the Swerve tool matters—how it helps me navigate the daily challenges of Bipolar, Alcoholism, Anxiety Disorder, and PTSD. And seeing them not just understand it, but embrace it? That was something special.
Before we parted, I handed Pooh a copy of my book, 84 Tools of a Mental Health Warrior. He held it gently, eyes wide with gratitude. “Thank you, Bruce,” he said. “It’s comforting to know I can help Piglet with something so simple... and so powerful.”
And that’s the truth: sometimes the simplest tools are the most effective!
So whether you’re spiraling like Piglet, second-guessing like Pooh, or just trying to get through a stressful Tuesday, remember this—say Swerve.
Because when you do, you’re not running from life’s chaos—you’re choosing your path through it. One calm, collected step at a time!
Bruce Schutter
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