- What we think about impacts our emotions.
- Hence, when emotional, our thoughts can be inaccurate.
Thinking traps are false or inaccurate thoughts that we think are true, that make us upset.
Common thinking traps -
- Catastrophizing - Thinking a situation will be worse than it is.
- Mind Reading - Thinking that other people have negative thoughts about you when there is no evidence.
- Discounting the positives - Don’t give positives enough importance.
For more thinking traps, refer - https://content.lyrahealth.com/coaching/thinking-traps/
- From an evolutionary point of view, thinking about worst-case scenarios can help you prepare and avoid disasters.
Warning
Our Mind can be WRONG!!! Thoughts are not FACTS!!!
Challenging Traps
- Identify the situation - What? Why?
- Articulate what and why you are feeling/thinking.
- Identify the thinking trap.
- Write points for and against the thought.
- Generate an alternative response.
Getting Distance From Traps
- Not always necessary to challenge thinking traps.
- Distancing ourselves from them opens our minds to alternative possibilities.
- This can be achieved by acknowledging our thoughts.
- Another way to do it is to Externalize Your Thoughts.