What does it mean that breaking negative feedback loops?

Identifying the reinforcing mechanism is the key to breaking a destructive loop.

Example: You avoid a difficult conversation with your manager because you feel anxious. The avoidance temporarily reduces anxiety — which teaches your nervous system that avoidance works. So next time, the anxiety is stronger, the avoidance faster, and the underlying issue festers. The loop accelerates. To break it, you do not need to eliminate the anxiety. You need to disrupt the link between the anxiety signal and the avoidance behavior — once.

Try this: Map one destructive loop you are currently running. Draw four nodes: trigger, interpretation, behavior, and consequence. Identify which link in the chain is weakest — the one you could most realistically disrupt. Design one concrete intervention for that link. Execute it within 48 hours and record what happens.