A Cognitive Distortion is essentially an extreme or irrational thought that causes you to feel worse. If you are a human then you have had one. Being able to recognize when we’re having a cognitive distortion can be a really effective way to start shifting the narrative that’s making us feel bad.

The concept of cognitive distortions comes from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, a type of psychotherapy developed by Psychologist Aaron Beck that focuses on the relationships between our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. When we have cognitive distortions, or biased thinking errors, our believing those thoughts can increase the likelihood that we will feel anxious, depressed, or upset.

The quickest way to determine if you might be having a thought that is a cognitive distortion is if you are feeling anxious. Often, when we dig for that anxiety inducing thought, it turns out to be a cognitive distortion. Identifying the cognitive distortion, and then asking ourselves how likely, rational, supported, or accurate that thought is can help shift us out of  believing that the worst possible outcome of an uncomfortable situation is inevitable.

Below is a list of some common cognitive distortions:

All or nothing thinking

Thinking in extremes, such as pass/fail or good/bad as being the only possibilities.

Personalizing

Attributing an outcome to yourself when the causes were actually arbitrary.

Catastrophizing

Assuming that the worst case scenario is going to happen.

Should Statements

Telling yourself that a situation “should” be different than it is.

Overgeneralizing

Concluding that a single incident is representative of how all future similar outcomes will be.

Magnifying/Minimizing

Concluding that something is much more or much less significant than it actually is.

Jumping to Conclusions

Jumping to a negative conclusion that is not totally supported by the facts of the situation.

Unhelpful Thinking

Your fear may be possible, but it is still making you feel worse to hyper fixate on it.

Being able to identify whether or not your anxious thought is a cognitive distortion is the first step in being able to reconsider the narrative you are buying into. This is not replacing negative thoughts with positive thoughts, but rather taking a step back to determine if you are feeling worse because you are buying into an irrational thought. The more you are able to practice thinking about your thoughts, the more power you have to reframe your perception of a difficult situation.