Common Cognitive Distortions and How to Manage Them
Cognitive distortions are a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy theory proposed by Aaron Beck, CBT’s founder, and then later popularized by David Burns. They are different thought patterns that we instinctually use that have a negative impact on us. These thoughts are incorrect and irrational. Overcoming cognitive distortions is not an easy task, as these thoughts are automatic and learned throughout our whole lives. This does not mean it’s impossible, however. The first step is being aware of the cognitive distortion, catching it in the moment, and reframing the thought. The more you do this the better you will get and the less likely your mind will jump to these cognitive distortions.
I have provided you with a list of 15 common cognitive distortions with a description and tips on how to manage them in the hopes that this will make it easier for you to overcome these patterns of thinking.
Common Cognitive Distortions
Mental filter
Description: Magnifying negative details and filtering out positive details.
How to Manage: Look at the big picture and list the positives of the situation.
Polarized thinking
Description: Thinking things are all or nothing and only focusing on extremes without recognizing the middle ground/gray area.
How to Manage: Create a spectrum with the extremes on each side and add information in between them to emphasize the middle ground.
Overgeneralization
Description: Coming to a general conclusion based on a single incident.
How to Manage: Consider different perspectives and outcomes.
Jumping to conclusions
Description: Mind-reading by assuming what other people are feeling and thinking and/or fortune-telling by assuming the worst will happen.
How to Manage: Recognize that you can’t know what other people are feeling and thinking and that you can’t tell the future. Ask yourself why you are jumping to that conclusion and consider different perspectives and outcomes.
Catastrophizing
Description: Asking what-if questions to imagine the absolute worst occurring. Can be magnifying by exaggerating the negatives or minimizing by playing down the positives.
How to Manage: Recognize what is out of your control, analyze the evidence, and view the situation objectively, focusing on the positives.
Personalization
Description: Thinking that everything others do or say is a direct, personal reaction to you and comparing yourself to others.
How to Manage: Appreciate that you are a unique, beautiful individual and that your biggest critic is yourself.
Control fallacies
Description: Believing that you have complete control of every situation in life. Can be externally controlled where you feel a victim of fate or internally controlled where you assume responsibility for the emotions of others.
How to Manage: Be honest with yourself and recognize what is actually in and out of your control.
Fallacy of fairness
Description: Believing you know what is fair and judging every situation against your definition of fairness.
How to Manage: Recognize that your definition of fairness is biased and subjective and that things are not always as they seem. Practice being open-minded and non-judgemental.
Blaming
Description: Holding other people responsible for your pain or blaming yourself for every problem.
How to Manage: Appreciate that we are all individuals, and we create our own reality. Take accountability for your actions but forgive yourself. We are all doing our best.
Shoulds
Description: Having a list of rules about how you believe every person should behave and getting upset when those rules are broken.
How to Manage: Analyze the evidence, challenge the thought, and rephrase it into a more positive statement
Emotional reasoning
Description: Believing that your emotions are fact, taking over any rationality or logic.
How to Manage: Bring awareness to your emotions, appreciate them, then put them to the side and consider the logical perspective.
Fallacy of change
Description: Expecting that other people will change to suit you if pressured enough.
How to Manage: Appreciate that we are all individuals trying our best and that other people are not here to serve you. Reframe your perspective and reaction to the person.
Labeling
Description: Attaching unhealthy universal labels to yourself or others.
How to Manage: Determine where this thought originated from and challenge it. Consider the label from a non-judgemental perspective.
Always being right
Description: Believing that being wrong is unthinkable, so you set out to prove that you are right.
How to Manage: Understand that it is ok to be wrong and appreciate the opportunity to learn from the situation.
Heaven’s reward fallacy
Description: Believing that your sacrifices and hard work and will eventually pay off.
How to Manage: Be in the present and appreciate that life doesn’t need to be difficult. Recognize that you are deserving of everything you want already.
Remember that the first step is always awareness! Be gentle and patient with yourself as you rewire your brain.
I have created a worksheet with each cognitive distortion and its description and a quick activity you can do to start working on overcoming cognitive distortions. You can download it here. Please let me know if you want help with doing this or have any questions!
Lots of love,
Andrea
