4 Thinking Errors That Can Fuel Anxiety
Our brains are constantly trying to interpret and make sense of the world around us. Thinking errors, also known as cognitive distortions or 'unhelpful thinking patterns', are ways our thoughts can become biased.
Thinking errors happen automatically, due to our brains taking ‘shortcuts’ and, unless we notice them, they can affect us without us even realising. Thinking errors are common and completely normal. But when they are present in your life excessively they may start to have a negative impact on your mood and mental wellbeing. This is because our thoughts influence how we feel. For example, you may find yourself worrying regularly about lots of different things or avoiding certain situations. These automatic thoughts can be triggered by external stimuli in the world around us or internal stimuli such as our emotions, bodily sensations or memories.
Types of Thinking Error
Below are 4 thinking errors that can lead to anxiety. This is not an exhaustive list; there are several other thinking biases. Do you recognise yourself in any of them?
1. Catastrophising and Fortune Telling
This is predicting the future negatively, without supporting evidence. It is normal to consider the consequences of our decisions and events. However, if you find yourself constantly imagining worst case scenarios and negative outcomes, regardless of how improbable they are, you may be catastrophising.
Example thought: “I’ll be so nervous I won’t be able to function at all and will fail my driving test.”
2. Mental Filter
This involves not seeing the full picture. Certain facts are ignored or dismissed, while others are focussed on. You may notice a negative detail and dwell on it excessively, while filtering out any positives of the situation.
Example thought: “Because I got one criticism in my performance review [which also contained lots of positive feedback] it means I am terrible at my work.”
3. Overgeneralisation
This is making a sweeping negative conclusion that goes beyond the current situation. You may conclude that something that happened once will repeatedly happen to you again.
Example thought: “Because I felt uncomfortable at the networking event, I don’t have what it takes to run a business.”
4. Mind reading
Humans are inherently a social species, so it is normal to care about how we are perceived and what others think of us. However, mind reading involves constantly assuming that others are thinking negatively of us. You may speculate about what people are thinking of you without any evidence and not considering more likely possibilities. In reality, while some may pass judgement, most people are too focussed on themselves and their own thoughts to think about you.
Example thoughts: “Everyone must be thinking that I’m boring.” or “She must be looking at me because I look stupid.”
You may recognise that you experience one of more of these yourself. You may even resonate with all four of them! If so, allow yourself some self-compassion. Remember it is completely normal and not your fault to experience unhelpful thinking errors. If you are experiencing these types of thoughts excessively and it is impacting your life it may be beneficial to seek support from your GP or a qualified therapist.
Overcoming Thinking Errors
One way of reducing thinking errors is to begin challenging them objectively. One way you can do this is on a piece of paper by creating three columns. In the first column, you list the factual evidence for the automatic thought being true. In the next column, do the opposite and consider the factual information for the thought being false. And in the third column, come up with a balanced alternative to the original thinking error you identified, that considers all the evidence.
It can also be helpful to practise creating distance between yourself and your thoughts. This way you can learn to observe them and more consciously choose which thoughts to engage with. One way you can begin doing this is by noticing when you have a biased thought and saying to yourself: “I notice I am having a thought that…” or “I notice my brain is telling me the story that…”. This can help you to start seeing thoughts for what they are; simply thoughts that are not necessarily true.
These are just a couple of ideas to get you started with reframing unhelpful thoughts. There are many other ways to build more helpful thinking habits. With time you will notice this affecting how you feel and behave too, leading to a positive cycle of change.
Recognising and overcoming unhelpful thinking patterns is often an important part of CBT for anxiety and something I support clients with. If you would like more support with anxiety and stress, do get in touch. I offer a free, informal 15-minute chat for you to find out more about therapy and whether I am the right therapist for you.
You can also find me on Instagram @therapywithamy_
References
Beck, J. S. (2021) Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Basics and Beyond. 3rd ed. New York, USA: The Guilford Press.
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/unhelpful-thinking-styles/