I have a hard time waiting. For anything. Medical test results. My husband’s reply to a text. The agenda for the same-day meeting my manager put on my calendar. You get the idea.
My brain often jumps to worst-case scenarios. “I just know I have some horrible illness,” it will say. Or, “What if my husband was in an accident and can’t text?”
Those awful thoughts are examples of thinking traps, also known as cognitive distortions. They’re unhelpful — and usually inaccurate — thought patterns that happen automatically.
In fact, these patterns tend to develop during childhood. Our younger selves create mental frameworks to make sense of what we see happening around us. Sometimes those frameworks are skewed, leading us to view the world through a negative lens.1
The thoughts that come through that negative lens can trigger negative feelings. And those negative feelings can lead us to take unhelpful actions.
For instance, hopelessness may cause us to shut down. Anxiety may prompt us to distract ourselves by doomscrolling. Frustration may cause us to lash out. And before we know it, we’re in a downward spiral.
So what can we do about this brain bug? The first step is to recognize thinking traps when they happen.
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10 common thinking traps
Our troubling thoughts tend to fall into certain categories2. It’s easier to spot them once you know what you’re looking for.
Here are 10 of the most common, along with examples of thoughts that might surface in response to the scenario below. Do any of them sound familiar to you?
The scenario
You met a friend for coffee, and she seems irritable. You ask her what’s wrong, but she says nothing.
1. All-or-nothing thinking
The trap: Considering only extremes, nothing in between. If something isn’t perfect, you see it as all negative.
Example: “She’s never in a bad mood. She must be really angry at me.”
2. Overgeneralization
The trap: Taking a single negative event and thinking things will never be different for you. You use words such as “always” or “never” when you think about it.
Example: “All my friends get mad at me and then we ‘break up.’”
3. Mental filter
The trap: Focusing too much on the negative aspects of an event; being unable to see any positives.
Example: “She definitely gave me a weird look when I was talking about my partner. Then she was cold toward me for the rest of the time. I bet that’s what annoyed her.”
4. Discounting the positive
The trap: Ignoring positive things by saying that they “don’t count.”
Example: “Well, of course it doesn’t matter that she gave me a hug as we were leaving. I’m sure she didn’t want to be rude.”
5. Jumping to conclusions
The trap: Thinking you know how things are or will be even when there are no facts to support your ideas. This may show up as:
- Mind Reading – Convincing yourself that you know what someone else is thinking
- Fortune-telling – Thinking that you can predict the future
Examples: “I’m sure she’s still upset that I had to cancel our lunch a few weeks ago when I was sick.” Or, “She was so annoyed with me. I’m sure I’ll never hear from her again.”
6. Magnification
The trap: Overestimating the importance of your problems and what isn’t working; not recognizing your good traits.
Example: “I spent too much time talking about my partner. I always focus more on my own issues. I should have asked more about her new job. Of course she doesn’t want to be friends with someone who is so self-centered.”
7. Emotional reasoning
The trap: You think your feelings are reality. The more intense they are, the truer they feel.
Example: “I can’t shake this feeling that she’s really irritated with me, so it must be true.”
8. “Should” statements
The trap: Telling yourself that things must be the way you hoped or thought they would be. Should statements can lead to feelings of guilt and shame if you make them about you. Should
statements can lead to feelings of anger if you make them about others.
Example: “It’s the first time my friend and I have met for coffee in months. She should be happy to see me.”
9. Labeling
The trap: Directing all-or-nothing thinking at yourself. You assign a narrow label to yourself instead of recognizing all of your different qualities.
Example: “I’m such a weirdo for talking about my partner so much. No wonder she didn’t want to spend time with me.”
10. Personalization and blame
The trap: Blaming yourself for an event that’s out of your control.
Example: “I must have done something to make her mad at me. Ugh, why do I do that so often? I’m ashamed of myself”
How to combat thinking traps
Thinking traps are common. In fact, some evidence suggests that they’ve become even more widespread over the past few decades.2
But research shows that we can train our brains to recognize them and create a new path, making us less likely to have these types of thoughts in the future.3
At AbleTo, we use the 3Cs framework — Catch it, Check it, Change it — to do this. Here’s how it works:
- Catch it: Recognize that you’re having a thought
- Check it: Figure out which thinking trap — or traps — is at play
- Change it: Substitute a different thought that’s more helpful or neutral
Let’s go back to our example above to see how this might work in our scenario:
- Catch it: Recognize that “All my friends get mad at me and then we ‘break up’” is just a thought that your brain made up.
- Check it: This looks like overgeneralizing based on your perception of one event, doesn’t it?
- Change it: Take inventory of all of your friendships and realize that this doesn’t actually always happen. In fact, you have a number of friendships that have lasted a decade or more.
Want to practice this skill? Try our 3Cs Guided Journal. It’ll walk you through the process.
Outsmart your thinking traps
Most of us stumble into thinking traps from time to time. Even mental health pros like me. But by using the 3Cs Guided Journal in the AbleTo app or working with an AbleTo provider (or both!), you can learn how to set yourself free.
Need help putting these tips into practice?
You may be eligible for virtual therapy, coaching, or on-demand self care from AbleTo. Each program is designed by clinicians and grounded in science. Sign up today and get the support you deserve.
Sources
1. Wuth A, Mishra S, Beshai S, Feeney J. Experiences of developmental unpredictability and harshness predict adult cognition: An examination of maladaptive schemas, positive schemas, and cognitive distortions. Current Psychology. 2021;41(10):7155-7165. doi:10.1007/s12144-020-01274-2.
2. Bollen J, Ten Thij M, Breithaupt F, et al. Historical language records reveal a surge of cognitive distortions in recent decades. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021;118(30):e2102061118. doi:10.1073/pnas.2102061118
3. Kürümlüoğlugil R, Tanrıverdi D. The effects of the psychoeducation on cognitive distortions, negative automatic thoughts and dysfunctional attitudes of patients diagnosed with depression. Psychol Health Med. 2022;27(10):2085-2095. doi:10.1080/13548506.2021.1944654
By Kelli McElhinny, LCSW
Kelli is a licensed clinical social worker and a Clinical Content Producer at AbleTo. She has more than 10 years of experience working with clients in healthcare and outpatient mental health settings.
Clinically reviewed by Donay Butler, LMFT, a licensed therapist and AbleTo’s Manager of Clinical Program Development.
Stock photo by Iuliia Pilipeichenko/iStock. Posed by model.
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