Our minds are tricky things. We have the capability to think through complex problems, feel empathy for our friends and family, and be amused by a ridiculous YouTube video all within the space of an hour. We have a huge capacity to learn, to explore new ideas and viewpoints, and to reason through the every-day struggles and conundrums that arise over the course of our day.

For many people, it feels as though we typically are in control of what we think about, how we think about it, and how much time we devote to a given topic. The truth is, often our thoughts become very patterned and we start to generalize how we look at our lives and the world, and our thought patterns can start to take on a life of their own.

This can be a positive thing – it reduces the time we have to spend puzzling over new information, it decreases the effort we have to put forth, and seamlessly integrates new information with little conscious effort. However, if our thought patterns start to consistently become negative or hopeless, we will start to see the world and our own lives in a negative, hopeless light.

These negative patterns are commonly called “cognitive distortions”. Cognitive distortions can take many forms, but most of the time they fall into one of several general categories. There are between 10 and 15 generally recognized categories of distortions, but in this series, we’ll take a look at 3 of the most common and explore how to begin to readjust your thoughts to combat sadness, anger, anxiety, and loneliness.

For many people, just starting to notice your thoughts more can have a big effect in your well-being, but if you are finding yourself to be frequently depressed, anxious, or angry and are having trouble managing on your own, it may be time to seek the help of a licensed professional.

Check for the next installment to learn more about “All or Nothing” thinking and how it can affect your life!

Molly Halbrooks, LAMFT
mhalbrooks @ growcounseling.com