🚀 How Your Mind Plays Tricks on You: & How to Overcome Them

Did you know that your mind can trick you into believing things that aren’t true? 🤯 Psychology researchers call these cognitive distortions—irrational thought patterns that can lower your motivation, hurt your self-esteem, and even contribute to anxiety and depression.

Here are 5 common cognitive distortions and how to overcome them:

🔹 1. OvergeneralizationYou draw a broad conclusion from a single event.❌ “I didn’t get that job interview, so I’ll never get hired anywhere.”✅ Reframe: “This was just one opportunity—others will come.”

🔹 2. Mental FilteringYou focus only on the negative while ignoring the positives.❌ “Everything at work has gone wrong this week.”✅ Reframe: “There were challenges, but I also had some wins.”

🔹 3. CatastrophizingYou assume the worst-case scenario.❌ “I made a typo in my report—now I’ll lose all credibility and get fired!”✅ Reframe: “A small mistake won’t define my entire work performance.”

🔹 4. PersonalizationYou take responsibility for things outside your control.❌ “The team lost the deal—it’s all my fault.”✅ Reframe: “I did my part, and many factors influenced the outcome.”

🔹 5. LabelingYou attach a negative label to yourself.❌ “I didn’t go to the gym today—I’m lazy.”✅ Reframe: “I skipped today, but I can go tomorrow.”

🧠 How to Break Free from These Thought Patterns:

1️⃣ Observe Your Thoughts 📝Write them down and ask yourself: Is this true? Could there be another way to interpret this?

2️⃣ Replace Absolute Words ❌➡️✅Switch “always” or “never” to “sometimes” or “on occasion” for a more balanced view.

3️⃣ Stick to the Facts 🎯Instead of labeling yourself, state what actually happened without unnecessary judgment.

4️⃣ Track Negative Thoughts (ANTs) 🐜Keep a journal of automatic negative thoughts and analyze them to find patterns and reframe them.

💡 Reflection Questions:

Which cognitive distortion do you notice in yourself the most?
How can you reframe a recent negative thought using these strategies?

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