Page 37 - Surveyor 50.2 2015
P. 37
Stop your Cognitive Distortions to Reduce Stress
Vol.50 No.2 2015
How to change for the Learn to accept jumping to negative conclusions as the
better? the facts of life one-dimensional view paves the way for
and avoid being overgeneralisation which normally ends
The process of recognising, a perfectionist. up in relationship conflicts.
challenging, hanging Adopting the
cognitive distortions and “all-or-nothing” Mental filtering
negative thought patterns characteristics can
can be accomplished only magnify the Learn mental filtering to differentiate
through cognitive stressors in life, and daily events as many are positive ones
restructuring. In many cases, this small problems can despite occasional unwanted things
restructuring can be achieved through be even bigger and may happen from time to time. Learn to
practice and the commitment to change. appreciate the positive outcomes of life
A little cognitive restructuring can bring damaging. but never magnify the one thing that goes
significant change. wrong. Disqualifying the positive tends to
may be stuck in a traffic jam, but do treat positive events like flukes. It is the
Stop cognitive accept the fact that you are not alone. You evil of cognitive distortion that places a
distortions to reduce may be facing a big budget this month stronger emphasis on negative events
stress but there are many others who are even and downplaying the positive ones. Stop
worse than you. The food served by the imagining the worst possible scenario of
Thinking patterns can be habitual but wife is tasteless today but there are many a simple hiccup and it may be even worse
there is room for change. Without positive others who only live on a single meal a when a simple mistake is magnified as a
change of the thinking pattern, life can day. Avoid using the words “always” and catastrophe.
be damaging. As the stress response is “never” when describing things but learn to
triggered by perceived threat, an attitude accept things that come across and learn To filter the mental may also mean to see
that maximises the negative thoughts to achieve things that you aim. the positive side of everything rather than
and habits can lead to threatening placing an inordinate level of focus on the
scenarios and, therefore, stressed. It is the Get rid of negative and discounting the positive. To
knowledge of change as to how things are “overgeneralisation” reduce the stress level is to focus on the
viewed that can lead to positive handling positive aspects of a situation and make
of stress. Isolated events may happen despite peace with the negatives. If things just
the fact that we are taking all kinds of seem to be going wrong one after another,
For meaningful life to go on, learn the measures to avoid them happening. make an effort to notice and appreciate
tricks to handle the mind that distort the Never treat isolated events as future what does go smoothly.
views. Learn to see daily events positively, events. They could be “one-off” things
and learn the experiences of those that happen beyond our control. You may Jumping to negative
events to avoid depression and other face a rude salesgirl at the supermarket conclusions
mind disorders. It is the positive mood but stop believing that all salesgirls
that makes it easy to spot the cognitive are the same. You may come across Learn to develop logical positive
distortions and the lasting positive a queue-jumper at the traffic light but conclusions. The thought that your boss
changes of handling stressors in life. he may be rushing to the hospital. The hates you but acted positively when he
act of habitually labeling others leads to needs your effort to solve his problems
Avoid “all-or-nothing” is an example of jumping to conclusions.
thinking Conclusion-jumpers can often fall prey
to mind reading when they start to
Never think in extremes but look for ignore the good values of others. It can
rooms for negotiating with your own self. be even worse if one predicts negatively
Learn to accept the facts of life and avoid by ignoring the true intention of others.
being a perfectionist. Adopting the “all-or- Jumping to conclusion is a serious
nothing” characteristics can only magnify stressor when one starts to ignore certain
the stressors in life, and small problems facts when drawing conclusions. To
can be even bigger and damaging. You disregard a situation as evidence when
something unexpectedly happen means a
failure to look objectively at events beyond
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