Understanding Thinking Traps (and How to Cope with Them)
Anxiety has a way of convincing us that what we are thinking is inseparable from what is happening around us. Anxiety Canada calls these unhelpful thought patterns “Thinking Traps”—automatic, biased ways our minds interpret situations, especially under stress. We can easily get stuck in them, causing us to spiral.
However, with some mindfulness you can learn to spot the traps and respond to differently – breaking the pattern.
Below are some of the common thinking traps with ways to cope with each one.
Thinking traps are happening in the brain as a cognitive process, but anxiety also lives in the body so with any of these it will be helpful to add in grounding and calming tools like breathing or stretching.
1. Fortune Telling
What it looks like:
Predicting the future will turn out badly.
Example:
“I know I’m going to fail.”
How to cope:
Ask yourself what you know for sure – collect the facts.
Agree to sit with possibility, telling yourself, “I don’t know what will happen” or, “I’m going to put this on the shelf until I have more information.”
Focus on what you can control.
2. Black & White Thinking
What it looks like:
Seeing things as extremes, either good or bad, success or failure.
Example:
“I messed up with a friend and now the relationship is ruined.”
How to cope:
Understand that things are rarely so extremely polarized and that there is a whole spectrum of nuance that is possible.
Bring in some grace.
3. Mind Reading
What it looks like:
Assuming you know what others are thinking — and usually believing that it is something negative about you.
Example:
“She thinks I’m an idiot.”
How to cope:
Similar to fortune-telling, ask yourself if this is something you believe or that you know for sure.
Acknowledge that you don’t know what others are thinking.
Try to let it go.
4. Overgeneralizing
What it looks like:
Taking one negative experience and applying it broadly, using absolutes like “always” and “never” to describe what is happening.
Example:
“This always happens.”
“I never get it right.”
How to cope:
Focus on the specific situation or event at hand.
Replace words like “always” and “never” with more accurate language.
Look for exceptions.
5. Labelling
What it looks like:
Defining yourself (or others) negatively. The opposite of overgeneralizing, this can reduce a person to being associated with a specific action or event.
Example:
“I’m a failure.”
“He’s useless.”
How to cope:
Separate behaviour from identity.
Bring in some (self-)compassion and empathy instead of judgment.
6. Overestimating
What it looks like:
Believing a situation is far more threatening than it actually is, or exaggerating the danger.
Example:
“If I go to the hospital, they’ll lock me up”
How to cope:
Similar to Fortune Telling, your brain is leaping to conclusions that are unlikely. Ask yourself how likely it is that this scenario could occur.
Review past coping and resources – have you or anyone you know been in a similar situation?
If it is helpful, collect more information.
7. Negativity Bias
What it looks like:
Focusing on the negative while ignoring the positives.
Example:
“The event would have gone pretty well if it wasn’t for that disastrous part”
How to cope:
Take a step back and look at the big picture.
See if you can name one positive or neutral aspect.
8. Catastrophizing
What it looks like:
Jumping to the worst-case scenario and believing we don’t have the resources to manage it.
Example:
“I’ll have to quit my job because I got such a bad review, I won’t be able to deal with it.”
How to cope:
Ask yourself what is the most likely outcome? Then explore how you might manage – break the down the problem and explore your resources.
Understand that the worst we can imagine rarely happens and that we can usually deal with it.
9. “Shoulds”
What it looks like:
Rigid rules prescribing how you or others ought to feel or behave.
Example:
“I should be able to handle this.”
“We have to visit them.”
How to cope:
Put yourself back into the situation.
Replace “shoulds”, shame, or pressure with what you are feel or want. Tell yourself something like, “It would be nice if…” or “I’d like…”
Practice self-compassion over self-criticism.
10.”What ifs”
What it looks like:
Getting stuck in an endless loop of asking “what if?”
Example:
“What if something goes wrong?”
“What if I can’t handle it?”
How to cope:
Focus on the present moment, rather than on the hypothetical future situation.
Tell yourself that you will deal with that situation when it arises.
Set aside designated “worry time” so that the worries are contained.
Thinking traps they are coping mechanisms that your brain has developed to try to protect you. They are a very human way of trying to align the information from the world around us with the information from our nervous system, but getting stuck in a cycle that isn’t serving you.
Learning to work with them takes practice, patience, and kindness toward yourself.
If anxiety and unhelpful thought patterns are interfering with your quality of life, working with a trained mental health professional can help you bring in the mindfulness and skills to respond to them differently.
Book a session through the link above if you would like some support with anxiety.
