Flexible vs. Rigid Thinking
What type of thinking sounds like this:
"There is only one right way we do this?"
Rigid Thinking
What do we call thoughts that are exaggerated, inaccurate, or unhelpful?
Negative thought patterns, thought traps, or cognitive distortions
A more balanced thought for "I can't do this" might be:
When challenging a thought, what should you look for?
The evidence of that thought
Your friend doesn't text back for two hours.
What is a flexible thought?
What type of thinking allows you to consider different solutions to a problem?
Flexible Thinking
If you fail one test and think "I'll never succeed in school", what thought trap is this?
Black/White thinking, overgeneralization
What does it mean to reframe a thought?
Looking at a situation from a different, more balanced perspective.
What are facts?
Things that can be proven
You don't make the sports team at school.
What's a flexible response?
Practice, try again, join another activity, ask for feedback.
A friend cancels plans. Is it more flexible to think:
A) "They hate me"
B) "Something must have come up"
B) "Something must have come up"
What thought trap involves expecting the worst possible outcome?
Catastrophizing
Turn this thought into a flexible thought:
"I always mess things up"
"Sometimes I make mistakes, but I can learn from them".
Fact or opinion?
"I feel nervous, so everyone must be judging me?"
Opinion
What is a flexible thought?
"This may help me improve", "This will help me in the long run", "I can learn new things because of this"
What is one benefit of flexible thinking?
Reduced stress, better problem-solving, improved relationships, greater resilience
What thought trap occurs when you assume you know what someone else is thinking?
Mind Reading
True or False:
Reframing means pretending everything is perfect.
FALSE
Name two clues that a thought may not be completely accurate?
It uses words like "always" or "never"
It's very extreme
It assumes the future
It assumes other's thoughts
You receive a lower grade than you expected.
What would a rigid thinker say?
"I'm stupid", "I never do well on things", "I will never be good in school".
True or False:
Flexible thinking means changing your values to please other people
FALSE
What thought trap is this?
"I made one mistake, so I'm a complete failure".
Labeling or All-or-Nothing thinking
"Is this thought 100% true?"
"What evidence do I have?"
"What would I tell a friend?"
What is the difference between a thought and a fact?
Thoughts are interpretations; facts can be proven.
You and a friend disagree.
What flexible-thinking skill helps with this?
Considering another perspective, looking for the evidence, etc.