Thinking Traps

Thinking Traps

Fortune-telling

• Predicting things will turn out badly.
• We cannot predict the future.
• Example:
  • "I know I’ll mess up."
  • "I will never be able to manage my anxiety."

Black-and-white thinking

• Looking at situations in terms of extremes (good or bad, success or failure).
• Most events require a more "moderate" explanation.
• Example:
  • "Anything less than perfect is a failure."
  • "I planned to eat only healthy foods, but I had a piece of chocolate cake. Now my diet is completely ruined!"

Mind-reading

• Believing that we know what others are thinking.
• Assuming that they are thinking the worst of us.
• No one can read minds.
• Example:
  • "Others think I’m stupid."
  • "She doesn’t like me."

Over-generalization

• Using words like "always" or "never" to describe situations or events.
• This type of thinking is not helpful because it does not take all situations or events into account.
• Example:
  • "I always make mistakes."
  • "I am never good at public speaking."

Labeling

• Talking to ourselves in mean ways and using a single negative word to describe ourselves.
• This kind of thinking is unhelpful and unfair.
• We are too complex to be summed up in a single word!
• Example:
  • "I’m stupid."
  • "I’m a loser."

Over-estimating danger

• Believing that something that is unlikely to happen is actually right around the corner.
• This type of thinking can maintain your anxiety.
• Example:
  • "I will faint."
  • "I’ll go crazy."
  • "I’m dying."

Filtering

• Paying attention to the bad things that happen, but ignoring all the good things.
• Prevents us from looking at all aspects of a situation and drawing a more balanced conclusion.
• Example:
  • Believing that you did a poor job on a presentation because some people looked bored, even though a number of people looked interested and you received several compliments on how well you did.

Catastrophizing

• Imagining that the worst possible thing is about to happen.
• Predicting that we won’t be able to cope with the outcome.
• The imagined worst-case scenario usually never happens.
• Even if it did, we are most likely able to cope with it.
• Example:
  • "I’ll freak out and no one will help."
  • "I’m going to make such a fool of myself, everyone will laugh a me, and I won’t be able to survive the embarrassment."

Should statements

• Telling yourself how you “should”, “must”, or “ought” to feel and behave.
• This is NOT how you actually feel or behave.
• The result is that you are constantly anxious and disappointed with yourself and/or with others around you.
• Example:
  • "I should never feel anxious."
  • "I must control my feelings."
  • "I should never make mistakes."