10 Ways to Revolutionize Your Thinking!
Many of us are not aware that our thinking can change our lives. How to repair this error? Find ways that you are thinking which are not true reality about the situation–then choose to change your thoughts!.
1. Mental Filter: When your focal point is on the most negative part of the situation. Instead, “Even though three of my colleagues didn’t pay attention to my presentation, five others made helpful and encouraging comments.”
2. Disqualifying the Positive: Your filter is set to screen out the positive! Here is a way you can change that: Someone says you look great today, but you respond with, “She doesn’t really mean that. She’s always looking for a way to make fun of me.” Instead, “Thank you! I was hoping this would outfit would turnout ok.”
3. ‘All or Nothing’ Thinking: You see everything as yes or no, black or white. Although it may be difficult, the objective is to start seeing some other colors, “I think that person meant to say . . .” “I didn’t succeed at this task, but I know with more practice I can move forward. I have already done that in ten areas of my work!”
4. Overgeneralisation: If one thing is bad, we think everything is bad. “Our trips always have something go wrong.” Instead, “That are breakdown on our trip was fully annoying. Good thing we were able to get it fixed and that our hotel was amazing!”
5. Jumping to Conclusions: Creating conclusions without evidence. Thinking you will fail a exam before you take it. Instead, “I need to study a few hours more and I know I can give it a great shot!”
6. Magnifying or Minimising (also referred to as “Catastrophisation”): Magnifying the Bad and Minimizing the Good. “Everything about my fitness is all wrong. I am not as muscular as my boss. My fitness efforts are useless.” Instead: “I haven’t yet increased my muscle mass with my routine, but I can look up ways to do that since I am so familiar with physiology.”
7. Personalisation: Thinking you are responsible for things when you are not. This ends in blaming yourself for the bad things that happen when you actually do not have any control over them. “It’s my fault the dog got sick. I forgot to keep his regular feed times and I missed 2 walks this week.” Instead: “My regular feeds and walks at least kept him well this long. This is the first time he got sick. I will have to find out from a vet how to help him.”
8. Shoulds and Oughts: These are thoughts about how others should be or act. Anger is the most generated feeling from this way of thinking:”I think doctors should know what they’re doing instead of treating people without knowing the outcomes.” Instead: “I’m grateful that doctors have so much training. I will have to explain what I mean when I see her again.”
9. Emotional Reasoning: When our feelings are facts to us. “I feel so depressed. My life is not good at all.” Instead: “I feel really sad right now. But my life has these many things about it that are so enjoyable. I need to change how I see my feelings because they do not represent all things in my life.”
10. Labelling: An extreme form of black and white thinking. You fail an exam. “I am so stupid why did I ever think I could do that?” Instead: “I only missed by a few marks. I can review the tough areas and do that exam again.”
This list of Cognitive Distortions is based on “Just Passing Time’s” video here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaNqpui7BLkekbfyq53llSg/about