Scenarios 1
Andrew was invited to a friend's house for a party. Andrew only knows 1 person who will be there. He thinks to himself, "if I go it will be so awkward. I will probably end up alone in a corner petting a cat." What unhelpful thinking style best fits this scenario?
Jumping to conclusions: Fortune Telling
Dakota's partner asks them to do some cleaning around the house. Dakota thinks, "they must think I am a lazy slob." What unhelpful thinking style best fits this scenario?
Jumping to conclusions: Mind reading
Sean was bitten by a stray dog when he was 5. Sean says to his friends, "all dogs are violent and aggressive. People shouldn't risk owning one." What unhelpful thinking style best fits this scenario?
Overgeneralization
Rebecca has been struggling in school. Recently, she has been studying more and started to get higher grades. On her next test, she got a D. She thinks, "see. I'm so dumb. I'll never be able to improve my grades." What is an alternative way of thinking about this?
"One bad grade won't make or break me. I have been doing a lot better and should be proud. This is just a bump in the road."
Nicole is in class when the professor asks a question that she feels confident she knows the answer to. She raises her hand and turns out her answer was incorrect. She thinks to herself "this is so embarrassing. Everyone must think I am so dumb." What unhelpful thinking style best fits this scenario?
Jumping to conclusions: Mind reading
Craig gets a bad grade on an important test. He thinks to himself, "I am going to fail the class! If I fail the class, I won't graduate. If I don't graduate, I am going to end up living in a van by the river!" What unhelpful thinking style best fits this scenario?
Catastrophizing (Magnification)
Jumping to conclusions: Fortune telling
Luke was at a party with his boyfriend, Tom. Luke shared a personal story of Tom's to the people at the party. Tom expresses to Luke that that was hurtful. Luke says, "oh come on. You're being dramatic and making a big deal out of nothing." What unhelpful thinking style best fits this scenario?
Minimization
"I feel anxious, but I know I can do scary things. I can pre-plan some conversation topics before I go. I will drive separately so I can leave early if needed. I can give this a try!"
Lindsay's boyfriend cheated on her. Lindsay says to a friend, "all men suck. you can't trust any of them." What unhelpful thinking style best fits this scenario?
Overgeneralization
Labelling
Black and white thinking
Natalia wants to start a vision board. Any time she makes a mistake or doesn't like something she starts over. She thinks to herself, "it has to be perfect. If it's not perfect, I might as well not do it at all." What unhelpful thinking style best fits this scenario?
In the last year, Frank has graduated from college, got a new job, and got a new puppy. However, in the last year Frank and his girlfriend broke up, he got into a minor fender bender, and lost his wallet and had to replace all his cards. He thinks to himself, "I had a terrible year this year. So many bad things happened." What unhelpful thinking style best fits this scenario?
Mental Filter
Disqualifying the positive
All or nothing thinking
Patty has been struggling to go to the gym regularly. Her friends go at least 5 times a week. Patty thinks "I should be more like them. I should be less lazy." What's an alternative way to think about this?
"I have a lot going on. It's okay to not always be perfect. I can make a goal to go at least twice next week and work my way up. I don't need to compare myself to others."
Annika has been in treatment for her anxiety. This week she went to the grocery store, called a friend, and went to the park- all things she used to struggle with. However, on Saturday she goes to the mall and it's super busy. She begins to panic and leaves. She thinks to herself, "I'm not getting better or improving at all." What unhelpful thinking style best fits this scenario?
Disqualifying the positive
Black and white thinking
Jade feels like she is uninteresting and socially awkward. She thinks, "I am such an awkward and boring person." What unhelpful thinking style best fits this scenario?
Emotional reasoning
Labelling
Cora told her mom she will try to remember to put her clothes in the hamper. Cora has been remembering to put them in the hamper 5/7 days of the week. Cora's mom thinks, "she never follows through. She is always forgetting." What unhelpful thinking style best fits this scenario?
Disqualifying the positive
Trenton's best friend read his text but never replied. Trenton thinks, "he must be mad at me. I bet he is sick of me." What's an alternative way to think about this?
"He might be busy or away from his phone. Just because he doesn't reply right away doesn't mean he hates me."
Daniel really wants to find a girlfriend. At school, he never tries to connect with girls because "they're all catty and stuck up. They're just empty headed and vapid." What unhelpful thinking style best fits this scenario?
Overgeneralization
Cora forgot to put her clothes in the hamper. Cora's mom tells her she is lazy and gross. Cora thinks, "it's my fault she said those mean things. I deserve to be treated this way." What unhelpful thinking style best fits this scenario?
Personalization
Logan, an adult, was thinking about how he never tried hard in school. Logan thinks "I should have just applied myself more." What unhelpful thinking style best fits this scenario?
Adam's class is very disruptive. Adam joins in my talking to peers during class. The teacher punishes the class by making them stay in for recess. Adam thinks, "it's my fault we lost recess. If I hadn't talked we'd still be able to go." What's an alternative way to think about this?
"I wasn't the only one talking. I should take accountability and do better in the future, but I don't need to beat myself up about this."