Name the trap
"I got one question wrong, so I'm terrible at this"
All or Nothing Thinking
Your friend hasn't texted you back for three hours, they must be mad at me
Mind reading
“Everyone hates me.”
Question: What is one question you could ask to check this thought?
Answer:
“What evidence do I actually have that everyone hates me?”
Thought: “I’m going to mess this up.”
Challenge: What is one question you could ask yourself?
Answer:
“What evidence do I have that I will mess it up?”
“I made a mistake. I’m stupid.”
Possible answer:
“Making a mistake doesn’t mean I’m stupid.”
"I know everyone at the party is going to think I'm awkward"
Mind reading
You have a presentation tomorrow, I am going to embarrass myself
Foutune telling
“I’m going to fail.”
Question: Is this a fact or prediction?
Answer: Prediction
Thought: “Nobody understands me.”
Challenge: Give one alternative explanation.
Answer:
“Maybe I haven’t explained what I’m feeling clearly yet.”
“Everyone is judging me.”
Possible answer:
“I don’t actually know what everyone is thinking.”
"I didn't get the job, I'll probably never get a job"
Overgeneralization
you make one mistake and think "I always mess everything up"
Overgeneralization
“My friend didn’t invite me, so they must not like me.”
Question: What’s another possible explanation?
Answer:
They may have had limited space, forgotten, assumed I was busy, or had another reason
Thought: “This is the worst thing that could ever happen.”
Challenge: What CBT strategy could you use?
Answer: Worst-case / best-case / most-likely-case analysis.
“I failed once, so I’ll always fail.”
Possible answer:
“One experience doesn’t determine what will happen next time.”
"I just know something bad is going to happen tomorrow
Fortune telling
You think: “If I don’t do this perfectly, I’ve failed.”
All-or-Nothing Thinking
“I made one mistake, so I’m bad at everything.”
Question: What evidence could challenge this thought?
Answer:
Examples of times you succeeded, improved, or handled something well.
Thought: “I can’t handle this.”
Challenge: Turn it into a more realistic thought.
Answer:
“This is difficult, but I can handle it one step at a time.”
“Something bad is definitely going to happen.”
Possible answer:
“I don’t know what will happen. I can prepare for what I can control.”
"I made a mistake at work. My boss is definitely going to fire me, and then I'll never be able to find another job
Catastrophizing and Fortune telling
You walk into a room and two people stop talking. You think: “They were definitely talking about me.”
Mind Reading
Bonus: What other information could you gather before deciding that’s true?
“Everyone will judge me if I speak up.”
Question: What information would you need to actually know whether this is true?
Answer:
You would need evidence about what other people are actually thinking—you can’t automatically know their thoughts.
Thought: “If they don’t like me, I’ll be completely alone.”
Challenge: Identify the thinking trap AND challenge it.
Answer:
Catastrophizing/Fortune Telling.
“Someone not liking me doesn’t mean I’ll be alone. I have other relationships and opportunities to connect with people.”
“If I can’t do this perfectly, there’s no point trying.”
Possible answer:
“I don’t have to be perfect for my effort to be worthwhile.”