All or Nothing Thinking
Seeing holiday success as perfect or ruined. What thinking trap is this?
All or Nothing Thinking
Define catastrophizing.
Imagining the worst possible outcome as inevitable.
Should Statement
Rigid rules about how you or others “should” act.
Define mind-reading in CBT.
Assuming you know what others think without evidence
What is emotional reasoning?
Believing emotions are facts.
“If my cookies aren’t flawless, the whole party is a disaster.” Identify the trap.
All or Nothing Thinking
“If I’m late to dinner, everyone will hate me.” What trap is this?
Catastrophizing
“I should feel festive all month” is an example of what?
Should Statement
“They didn’t text back—they must be mad.” Identify the trap.
Mind Reading
“I feel guilty, so I must have done something wrong.” What trap is this?
Emotional Reasoning
Give a holiday example of all-or-nothing thinking.
Answers vary.
Give a holiday catastrophe thought and a grounded alternative.
Any catastrophic thought + a realistic alternative
Turn a “should statement” into a self-compassionate statement.
Answers Vary
Give a holiday example of mind-reading.
Answers vary.
Give a holiday example of emotional reasoning.
Any example linking a feeling to a false conclusion
How could you replace all-or-nothing thinking with a balanced thought?
Replace extremes with a middle-ground thought (e.g., “It doesn’t have to be perfect to be enjoyable”).
What physical symptoms can catastrophizing cause?
Stress, racing heart, tension, anxiety
Why are “should statements” harmful during holiday gatherings?
They create guilt and unrealistic pressure.
What’s one evidence-based way to challenge mind-reading?
Ask, check evidence, or adopt curiosity.
Why is emotional reasoning amplified during stressful seasons?
Holidays create emotional intensity + stress.
Why is all-or-nothing thinking especially common around the holidays?
Because holidays have high expectations, traditions, and pressure.
Create a 2-step plan to interrupt catastrophic thinking.
Pause → Reality-check → Replace thought
Give 3 common holiday “shoulds” and healthier replacements.
Three “shoulds” turned into flexible, kind alternatives.
Rewrite a mind-reading holiday assumption into a neutral or curious thought.
A reframe showing uncertainty instead of certainty.
Create a 3-sentence reframe that separates feelings from facts.
Three-sentence reframe separating facts and feelings.