Have you ever felt like your mind is working against you, throwing negative thoughts your way at the worst possible moments? Whether it’s doubting your abilities before a big presentation or feeling certain that a friend is upset with you despite no clear evidence, these thoughts can be incredibly disruptive.
But here’s the good news: While we can’t always control the thoughts that pop into our heads, we can decide whether we let them dictate our actions.
This empowering insight comes from Dr. Aaron Beck, the father of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a psychotherapeutic approach that has proven effective in treating a range of mental health disorders.
Dr. Beck noticed that patients struggling with depression often found themselves consumed by thoughts that just didn’t hold up to scrutiny. Over time, he realised these thoughts followed specific, predictable patterns, which he called “cognitive distortions.”
What are cognitive distortions?
Think of cognitive distortions as unhelpful thinking styles. Often, they produce thoughts that stir up negative feelings, leading us down paths of sadness, worry, and self-doubt. For example, you may:
- Think “I’m a total failure” after receiving a less-than-perfect grade on an exam.
- Think you have a terminal illness after experiencing a minor health symptom.
- Think that people don’t mean the compliments they give you and “are just being nice.”
Some of these thoughts may appear illogical when we write them down, but they can feel incredibly convincing, especially when we’re under pressure. As you would imagine, we are particularly vulnerable to these thoughts in the workplace, where stress levels can be high.
However, when we understand the tricks our brains tend to play on us, we can choose not to let these thoughts control our actions and shape our reality. To do this, we first need to familiarise ourselves with the 12 unhelpful thinking styles and acknowledge their impact on our self-perception, workplace relationships, and career progression.
12 unhelpful thinking styles
1. Overgeneralisation
What it is: Making sweeping conclusions based on a single event or piece of evidence
Examples:
| Self-perception | After one presentation goes poorly, you think, “I always mess up important tasks.” |
| Workplace relationships | When a team member overlooks your suggestion during a meeting, you think, “Nobody values my input.” |
| Career progression | After not receiving a promotion, you believe “I’ll never advance in this company.” |
Pro-tip: Look out for absolute terms like “always”, “never”, “everyone”, or “no one” in your self-talk can help you spot overgeneralising statements.
2. Mental filters
What it is: Focusing exclusively on the negative aspects of a situation while discounting positive experiences
Examples:
| Self-perception | Despite receiving positive feedback on a project, you fixate on one minor critique. |
| Workplace relationships | When your colleague compliments you on your work, you think, “They’re just being polite.” |
| Career progression | You assume a client is dissatisfied with your service because they expressed concerns about one aspect. |
Pro-tip: Take a few minutes each day to write own three things you are grateful for, no matter how small, to shift your focus from negative to positive experiences
3. Jumping to conclusions
What it is: Making broad conclusions about situations and outcomes without sufficient evidence
Examples:
| Self-perception | After hitting a minor setback, you conclude that a project you’re leading will fail. |
| Workplace relationships | You conclude that your team member is tardy because they were late without hearing their perspective. |
| Career progression | You conclude that you will be fired because your manager requests a meeting without details. |
Pro-tip: Gather evidence that supports and contradicts your conclusion to develop a more balanced and rational thinking pattern.
4. Mind reading
What it is: Assuming you know what others are thinking and feeling without any evidence.
Examples:
| Self-perception | Assuming your manager is disappointed in your performance because they didn’t praise your recent project, without considering that they may have been busy or saving feedback for a formal review |
| Workplace relationships | Assuming your colleague is jealous of your success because they didn’t congratulate you on a recent accomplishment, even though they may be unaware of the achievement |
| Career progression | Assuming that a potential mentor is uninterested because they haven’t responded to your request for guidance, without considering that they may be busy or prefer in-person interactions |
Pro-tip: Consider alternative explanations for others’ behaviours and emotions, and put yourself in their shoes to better understand their point of view.
5. Predictive thinking
What it is: Anticipating negative outcomes without evidence
Examples:
| Self-perception | Predicting that your ideas will be met with disapproval in a group setting, you perceive yourself as incompetent |
| Workplace relationships | Predicting that your manager will micromanage your project, you become defensive and resistant to feedback |
| Career progression | Predicting that you won’t get a promotion, you don’t apply for it at all |
Pro-tip: Test the validity of your predictions by taking small steps towards your goals or exposing yourself to the feared outcome.
6. Magnification
What it is: Exaggerating the importance of problems or shortcomings
Examples:
| Self-perception | Believing that you are socially inept after committing a minor faux pas during a meeting |
| Workplace relationships | Perceiving differences in opinions with team members as a threat to camaraderie |
| Career progression | Believing that one job rejection means you are unfit for your desired career path |
Pro-tip: Put your problem into perspective by assigning it a proportion that reflects its true significance in the bigger picture.
For instance, although differing opinions might seem to threaten camaraderie, it’s essential to consider other factors such as shared goals and the ability to resolve conflicts constructively.
7. Emotional reasoning
What it is: Believing that your feelings reflect reality.
Examples:
| Self-perception | Believing that you are incompetent because you feel overwhelmed by your workload |
| Workplace relationships | Believing that your coworkers are trying to undermine you because you feel threatened by their feedback |
| Career progression | Believing that feelings of discomfort associated with a promotion indicate a lack of readiness or suitability. (i.e. imposter syndrome) |
Pro-tip: Recognising and naming your emotions (using the emotions wheel) can provide clarity about your feelings and separate them from objective reality.
8. “Should” and “must” statements
What it is: Setting rigid rules for yourself and others
Examples:
| Self-perception | Telling yourself, “I must never make mistakes as a manager,” and feeling devastated when you do |
| Workplace relationships | Believing, “My team should always agree with me,” and feeling upset when they don’t |
| Career progression | Thinking, “I should always be productive,” and feeling burnt out as a result |
Pro-tip: Replace “should” and “must” statements with more flexible and realistic language.
For example, instead of saying, “I must never make mistakes as a manager,” you could say, “It would be preferable not to make mistakes, but it’s okay if I do, as it’s a part of learning and growth.”
9. Labelling
What it is: Attaching negative labels to oneself or others based on specific behaviours
Examples:
| Self-perception | Labelling yourself a “crybaby” after tearing up at work |
| Workplace relationships | Labelling yourself “socially awkward” and refraining from interacting with others as a result. |
| Career progression | Labelling yourself as “not leadership material” after making a mistake |
Pro-tip: Reach out to trusted friends, family members, or even colleagues for feedback to get a more balanced perspective on your strengths and areas for improvement.
10. Personalisation and blame
What it is: Blaming yourself for events outside your control or holding others responsible for your problems
Examples:
| Self-perception | Blaming yourself for not receiving a raise, even though it was due to budget constraints |
| Workplace relationships | Blaming your manager for your own lack of motivation |
| Career progression | Blaming external factors (e.g. office politics) for not receiving a promotion, you don’t seek feedback or upskill for advancement. |
Pro-tip: Focus on aspects of the situation that you can influence, and use “I” statements to express your feelings and preferences in a respectful and constructive manner.
11. Catastrophising
What it is: Imagining the worst possible outcome in every situation
Examples:
| Self-perception | Believing that a minor error will result in losing your job. |
| Workplace relationships | Fearing that a peer’s promotion will disrupt established dynamics and resenting them for it. |
| Career progression | Feeling trapped in your current role after missing a promotion opportunity. |
Pro-tip: Reflect on past instances where catastrophic thoughts didn’t align with reality and use these experiences as evidence to challenge catastrophic thoughts
12. Black and white thinking
What it is: Seeing situations in extreme, all-or-nothing terms.
Examples:
| Self-perception | Viewing your efforts as wasted because they weren’t recognised in your preferred way |
| Workplace relationships | Seeing coworkers as either allies or enemies based on minor disagreements |
| Career progression | Feeling unmotivated to pursue advancement unless success is guaranteed |
Pro-tip: Recognise shades of grey in situations to understand that reality is often more nuanced than your thinking suggests.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy at Intellect Clinic
In putting our pro-tips into practice, Intellect’s app has got your back with an array of Learning Paths and Rescue Sessions. Our resources empower individuals to implement some of these strategies independently, putting the power of CBT techniques right at your fingertips.
But what about those deeper-rooted issues that seem to lurk beneath the surface? That’s where the expertise of a CBT-trained professional can be invaluable.
At Intellect Clinic, our counsellors, psychotherapists, and clinical psychologists will collaborate with you, delving into the origins of unhelpful thinking patterns and exploring how childhood experiences, past traumas, or societal pressures may have shaped them. They also facilitate thorough interventions, such as tailored behavioural experiments, to effectively counter them.
Learn more about Intellect Clinic here.
