Thinking Traps

Thinking traps are patterns of thought - usually negative - which prevent us from seeing things as they really are. They are unhelpful, automatic and ingrained and they are common, particularly when we are stressed. Thinking traps are dangerous because they allow us to enter a negative mental loop that leaves us stuck searching for answers that are already there. When thinking traps are present, rational thinking is non-existent and will cause disruption in a person's life. Three common traps are below but you can see several more at the website below:

Trap 1 – Catastrophising - Imagining worst-case - I will not pass this exam, I may as well not go, and I am not going to do anything all day now, or this week, what's the point.

Trap 2 – Personalising - (me, me, me thinking) Believing you are the sole cause of every setback and problem. Taking the blame for everything that goes wrong in your life

Trap 3 – Black and White Thinking - (all or nothing) Things are either good or bad, right or wrong.

We can change this if we change the way we think. This has the power to alter our mood and the way we navigate the world

Think about:

• What is the activating event?
• What are my immediate thoughts?
• What are the consequences of those thoughts, how will this impact my behaviour and thinking for the rest of the day?
• How can I dispute those thoughts and/or distract that behaviour with what is really going on?

Also think about:

• What do Thinking Traps look like?
• Which of these Thinking Traps affects me most often?
• What facts are typically ignored when I fall into one of these Traps?
• What behaviours might play out with these Traps?
• Why do I think Thinking Traps are most common during times of stress?
• How can I challenge myself to check my unhelpful patterns of thought?

https://www.mindsethealth.com/matter/thinking-traps-cognitive-distortions