How Cognitive Distortions Keep you STUCK – 4 Way to Stop Negative Thinking | Shadé Zahrai

Summary

This video explores cognitive distortions, which are negative thought patterns that can damage self-esteem and mental health, leading to issues like anxiety and depression. It highlights common distortions such as overgeneralization, mental filtering, catastrophizing, personalization, and labeling. The video offers practical strategies for overcoming these distortions, including metacognition, replacing absolute language, focusing on facts rather than labels, and keeping a record of automatic negative thoughts (ANTs). By recognizing and reframing these cognitive traps, viewers can improve their mindset and mental wellbeing.

Takeaways

• 😀 Cognitive distortions are irrational thought patterns that can damage motivation, self-esteem, and mental health, contributing to issues like anxiety and depression.
• 😀 These distortions cause people to perceive reality inaccurately, leading to harmful consequences if left unaddressed.
• 😀 Overgeneralization is when you make broad conclusions based on limited data, such as thinking one failure means you'll fail forever.
• 😀 The mental filter involves focusing only on negative aspects of a situation, ignoring any positive outcomes or successes.
• 😀 Catastrophizing is when you exaggerate the potential consequences of an event, imagining the worst-case scenario.
• 😀 Personalization is when you blame yourself for things that are not entirely your responsibility or view others' actions as being directly related to you.
• 😀 Labeling is an extreme form of overgeneralization, where you attach a negative label to yourself instead of acknowledging specific mistakes or actions.
• 😀 These cognitive distortions can deeply affect your mindset and decision-making, leading to long-term damage if they become ingrained.
• 😀 Four practices can help counter these distortions: observe your thoughts objectively, replace absolute language with more realistic terms, move from labels to facts, and keep a record of automatic negative thoughts (ANTs).
• 😀 Metacognition, or thinking about your thinking, is a key practice that allows you to observe and challenge the cognitive distortions influencing your decisions and emotions.
• 😀 By tracking your thoughts and analyzing them, you can identify patterns and reframe cognitive distortions, leading to more realistic and healthier thinking over time.

Q & A

What are cognitive distortions?

Cognitive distortions are negative or irrational thought patterns that distort the way we perceive reality. They can lead to a diminished sense of motivation, lower self-esteem, and contribute to mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.

How do cognitive distortions affect mental health?

Cognitive distortions lead individuals to perceive reality inaccurately, which can negatively impact their emotions and decision-making. This can cause distress and contribute to mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and poor self-esteem.

Can cognitive distortions become habitual?

Yes, these negative thought patterns can become deeply ingrained over time. As a result, individuals may start to believe that these distorted thoughts are a part of who they are, making it harder to break the cycle.

What is overgeneralization in cognitive distortions?

Overgeneralization occurs when an individual draws a broad conclusion based on limited evidence or a single negative event. For example, not progressing in one job interview and concluding that they will never get another job.

What is a mental filter in cognitive distortions?

A mental filter is when someone focuses only on the negative aspects of a situation and ignores the positive. This leads to a skewed, pessimistic view of reality, even though there might be many positive elements present.

What does catastrophizing mean in cognitive distortions?

Catastrophizing refers to the tendency to blow situations out of proportion, often imagining the worst possible outcome. For instance, thinking a small mistake, like a typo in a proposal, will lead to losing credibility or getting fired.

How does personalization affect thought patterns?

Personalization is when someone takes personal responsibility for events or outcomes they weren't directly involved in. They may blame themselves for something that was not their fault, such as assuming the team’s failure to close a deal is their fault.

What is labeling in the context of cognitive distortions?

Labeling is an extreme form of overgeneralization where individuals attach a negative label to themselves, such as calling themselves a failure after making a mistake, instead of recognizing that they simply made an error.

How can metacognition help manage cognitive distortions?

Metacognition involves being aware of and reflecting on your thought processes. By observing your thoughts from a distance and analyzing them, you can better understand cognitive distortions and learn to manage them effectively.

What are some practical strategies to avoid cognitive distortions?

Practical strategies include: 1) Taking a step back and observing your thoughts objectively, 2) Replacing absolute language with more realistic terms, 3) Reframing labels into facts, and 4) Keeping a record of Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs) to identify patterns and reframe distorted thinking.