We often develop unhelpful thinking styles and habits that may hinder our happiness, success and ability to deal with certain situations.
Being able to recognise when we are having unhelpful thinking styles is the key to being able to challenge and distance ourselves from these thoughts, and see the situation in a different way. People who suffer with depression and anxiety may be more prone to having these thinking styles; but everyone falls into these habits sometimes. Often these thinking styles occur during challenging or distressing situations, and it is in these moments that we require positive, balanced and helpful thinking to prevail.
The ten most common unhelpful thinking styles are as follows:
All or Nothing
Sometimes called ‘Black and white’ thinking or only seeing extremes of a situation. Because of the extreme way of viewing everything, there is never a middle ground: things are either good or bad, right or wrong, sad or happy.
Over-generalising
Seeing a pattern based on a single event, and drawing broad conclusions. This may be based on past experiences that are being used as a predictor for future events. When using wording such as, “He never…”, “She never…”, “I always…”, “You never…” then often this is an over-generalisation.
Mental Filter
Only paying attention to certain types of evidence. Not noticing your success, only failure. This thinking style is also called ‘tunnel vision’ and is where, for example, only the negatives are filtered out of a situation. Therefore, only the negative aspects are seen, when the reality may be quite different.
Catastrophising
Blowing things out of proportion and imagining ‘worst case scenario.’ This makes the problem even more difficult to overcome, as you’re making it out to be bigger than it actually is.
Jumping to Conclusions
Either imagining you know what other people are thinking, or predicting the future. These conclusions are not based on fact, but rather your own emotions- and therefore they can often be wrong.
Magnification & Minimisation
Magnifying the positive attributes of another person, while at the same time minimising your positive attributes. This is essentially bringing yourself down and devaluing yourself. You discard your own achievements, character and positive attributes as if they don’t matter.
Emotional Reasoning
Assuming that because you feel a certain way, what you think must be true. Viewing a certain situation in accordance with what you’re feeling, and allowing those emotions to affect your perception of a situation. I’m embarrassed so I must be an idiot.
“Should” & “Must”
Using critical words like “should”, “must”, and “ought” can make you feel guilty, or like you’ve already failed. Applying these words to others often results in frustration.
Labelling
Assigning labels to yourself and other people, despite the fact that they may be unhelpful or untrue. Wording may be: They are such an idiot. I’m a loser.
Personalisation: “This is my fault.”
Blaming yourself or taking responsibility for something that wasn’t completely your fault. Or, blaming other people for something that was your fault. Taking responsibility for everything that goes wrong in your life could be construed as admirable; but it soon becomes burdensome and that leads to feelings of guilt and regret.