The way we think and how we feel can dramatically affect our disposition in life. Although we often don't realize it, our mood has a powerful impact on our mindset in any given situation. Thinking traps are negative automatic thoughts that are hard to shake off and can make life even more complicated than it already is. Here are 10 thinking traps we all face.
1. All or nothing thinking.
The key words: "always" and "never" which is all or nothing reasoning.
2. Predicting the future in a negative way.
When you have a feeling "something bad is going down," and convince yourself of it.
3. Minimizing the significance of your accomplishments.
Decreases self-confidence and prevents you from celebrating your accomplishments.
4. Over-generalization.
Creates unnecessary anxiety and prediction of the future.
5. Jumping to conclusions.
Responding impulsively to situations before you have full information.
6. Tunnel vision.
Inability to see beyond a certain perspective or consider a different point of view.
7. Magnifying.
Thinking the worst possible outcome is the only outcome possible. We exaggerate the importance of negative events.
8. Personalization.
Reflex tendency to attribute problems to one's own doing.
9. Externalizing.
Opposite of personalizing: Problems are never our fault.
10. Mindreading.
You assume what others are thinking and feeling about you without having any concrete evidence to suggest so.
"We are dying from overthinking. We are slowly killing ourselves by thinking about everything. Think. Think. Think. You can never trust the human mind anyway. It's a death trap." – Anthony Hopkins
