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Attacking Thinking Traps

Learn how to manage and respond to thought distortions.

Creator: @mikacv

So why do we need to learn about thinking traps? The first step to making a change in our Cognitive Triangle is finding an area to improve or change. By idenitfying a thinking trap, we can attack the issue by finding a way to change this thinking pattern and change the way we think so that it in turn improves our behaviors and emotions. 

Were you able to identify some of the thought distortions we learned to thoughts you have had during the pandemic? Were you able to connect those thought distoritions to negative behaviors or emotions you have had in response to the pandemic? If we are able to admit to ourselves that we fall to some of these thinking traps, we can work on ways to prevent them from happening.

Attacking Thinking Traps Strategy

Here are some basic steps on how to approach this issue: 

  1. Write the situation down and then write about the negative thought that you are having in response to the situation.
  2. Identify the thought distortion you are having.
  3. Write down all the evidence you have to support that thought or refute that thought.
  4. Come up with a more balanced thought that takes all the evidence you listed into account. 

Here is an example:

  1. I saw that people are getting COVID and passing away on the news. I think that I am eventually going to get COVID and die too. This is inevitable.
  2. This is catastrophizing.
  3. For my thought: it is a fact that people are dying from COVID and the virus is spreading. Against my thought: not everyone who gets COVID dies and there are many precautions I can take to prevent getting COVID and ways to take care of myself if I do get COVID.
  4. New balanced thought: Knowing that people are dying from COVID motivates me to further protect myself from the virus. I can do everything I can to prevent myself from getting COVID.

This is a basic way to write down our situation, thoughts, and evidence to reach a more balanced thought and see changes in our emotions and behaviors thereafter. If you would like to read more specifically about what steps you can take to attack each thinking trap specifically, take a look at this site.