How to Change Your Thinking Patterns
Today I have a special treat for you. Here is a guest post from Julia Morrissey about understanding and changing our thinking patterns. This is really important!
Julia Morrissey is a content creator who develops helpful guides and compelling stories. Her passion for creative writing has led her to cover unique topics ranging from business to lifestyle. She calls New York City home and enjoys spending time with her rescue dog, running in Central Park, and finding new vegan dining options around the city.
How to Recognize and Combat Problematic Thinking Patterns
We are currently in a very challenging period and people are suffering mentally. Now more than ever, It is important that we prioritize mental health. In addition to the reality that the outcome of the pandemic is uncertain, the fact that we’ve been asked to practise social distancing is anxiety-provoking and difficult for many people. So much so, people have proposed we change the term to physical distancing to better describe what is being asked of us. We do not have to stop socializing at all. We have devices that allow us to remain connected with friends, family, and coworkers day in and day out.
Of course, that’s not to say that this isn’t an extremely stressful, anxiety-provoking situation. It’s normal to feel concerned and overwhelmed, but it is important to recognize cognitive distortions or inaccurate thinking. Certain thinking patterns can be problematic as they increase stress and discomfort. Among other mental health struggles, cognitive distortions can be brought on by anxiety, and this way of thinking tends to increase mental health challenges.
There are a number of recognizable cognitive distortions. Here are some of the more common ones:
Filtering - When we filter out the positives of a situation and only focus on the negatives, For example, I ruined the entire dinner last night because I burned the green beans.
Catastrophizing - When we exaggerate the negatives of a situation. For example, I failed my math test so I’m not going to graduate school and I’ll never get a job.
Jumping to Conclusions - When we make a quick judgement about someone or a situation without all of the facts. For example, my coworker didn’t ask me about my weekend before the meeting like she usually does, I think she’s mad at me.
Control fallacies - When we think that either everything is beyond our control or that we are in control of and responsible for everything. For example, my son had a bad day at school because I didn’t pack him what he wanted for lunch.
Cognitive distortions can occur at any time, so it is important to recognize them and learn how to combat negative self-talk. The visual below from University of St. Augustine for Health Services points out additional common cognitive distortions and offers tips on how to retrain your brain for success and positivity.
For more detailed information about How to Retrain Your Brain to Curb Negative Thoughts see this post on the University of St. Augustine blog.
