Thinking Traps 1
Seeing things in pure black-and-white categories with no middle ground or shades of gray
All-or-Nothing Thinking
Taking one single negative event and expecting it to happen over and over again
Overgeneralization
"They didn't wave back, they think I'm boring"
Jumping to Conclusions (Mind Reading)
"I feel anxious and overwhelmed, so this situation must be completely dangerous"
Emotional Reasoning
I felt awkward at the social gathering, I am always going to be bad with people
One uncomfortable moment doesn't define every social interaction I will ever have
Focusing entirely on negative details while completely ignoring any positive aspects
Mental Filter
Actively transforming neutral or positive experiences into negative ones
Disqualifying the Positive
"I spilled coffee on my shirt, the whole day is completely ruined"
Catastrophizing
"I only passed the exam because it was easy, not because I'm smart"
Disqualifying the Positive
I missed my morning train, so the entire day is completely ruined and I'll fall behind on everything
Missing the train is annoying, and I can still salvage the rest of the day and adjust my schedule
Deciding something negative is true without having any real evidence, often through mind-reading or fortune-telling
Jumping to Conclusions
Expecting the absolute worst-case scenario to happen, or blowing small problems way out of proportion
Catastrophizing
"I did not get invited to this party, I am always left out of everything"
Overgeneralization
"I should never make mistakes at work"
Should Statements
If I don't do this project perfectly, I am a total failure
Believing that your negative emotions reflect the actual objective truth
Emotional Reasoning
Assigning a harsh, fixed global label to yourself or someone else after a single mistake
Labeling
"My friend is in a bad mood... I must have done something wrong to upset them"
Personalization
"There's no point in trying out for the team because I know I won't make it"
Jumping to Conclusions (Fortune Telling)
Nine people praised my presentation, but I can't stop thinking about the one person who gave a minor critique
The majority of the feedback was very positive, and I can use that one helpful correction to improve next time
Imposing inflexible, unrealistic rules on yourself, other people, or the world, expecting reality to match those absolute demands
Shoulds & Musts
Believing that external events, other people's negative moods, or random occurrences are directly caused by you or meant to target you
Personalization
Calling yourself "an idiot" for forgetting where you left your keys
Labeling
"If I do not get a perfect score on this test, I am a total failure"
All-or-Nothing Thinking
My boss walked past my desk without smiling... they must be planning to fire me
I can't read minds. A lack of a smile has many causes, and it probably has nothing to do with my performance.