Challenging Catastrophic Thinking

Does your mind seem to play tricks on you sometimes, making you think the worst when something relatively small goes wrong? Do you tend to get stuck on the minor details of a project and find it hard to complete tasks or make decision as a result? Do you often fixate on the darkest and most painful outcomes of an uncertain situation?

It’s easy to get wrapped up in worst-case scenario thinking when we’re experiencing anxiety, depression, or feeling triggered by an event. This is often referred to as catastrophizing, or getting stuck on an irrational thought about something being much worse than it most likely is. Forgiving yourself for a small slip-up, for example, can become a major issue that affects your mood for the entire day or week if you tend to fall into catastrophic thinking patterns. 

Here are some ways to move away from catastrophic thinking that can allow you to make better decisions and live more fully. In essence, these strategies enable you to see the forest through the trees by allowing you to take in the full picture rather than hyper-focusing on the particular details that may be holding you back.

1. Develop awareness. The first step in changing uncomfortable thoughts is noticing when your catastrophic thinking is happening in response to certain cues. Identifying this pattern can offer some relief in the moment that it is happening and can encourage you take a step back from the cycle to feel more in control. 

2. Engage in relaxation, mindfulness, and self-care exercises. These can include visualization, deep breathing, yoga, meditation, grounding techniques, journaling, sleeping and eating well, and self-guided biofeedback. While it’s important to have these tools for when you are feeling activated, engaging in them regularly can help to reduce anxiety and depression. You can learn more about helpful strategies in this Positive Psychology article. 

3. Reframe your thoughts. Enlist simple cognitive behavioral strategies to challenge catastrophic thinking by reframing your thoughts with grounded, positive ones. For example, “I missed that work assignment and now I will be fired and jobless” can be reframed as “I missed that work assignment but I can request an extension, explain myself, and most likely my supervisor will understand.” Write these reframes down or repeat them to yourself. 

If you find that your mind is frequently racing with pessimistic thoughts that seem impossible to steer away from, therapy and bodywork can be valuable resources. Contact Healing Space Therapy Collective to learn more about your options or check out an online directory such as Psychology Today or Therapy Owl to find therapists in your area.