There is usually a predictable pattern to our thinking. Sometimes this pattern is for the good and sometimes it is for the bad. If it is a good pattern that means we have made success in an area before and we know how to tackle that same type of situation again. Now if we haven’t made success in that area yet, predictable mistakes in our thinking might occur. This situation might not be going as planned, creating extra stress, slowing us down, and we cannot move forward because of the jail cell we put in our heads. This is called Cognitive Distortion. We feel distorted, unsure what to do, things feel unclear, etc. Once we make sense in our thinking, everything starts to become clear again. This is how I would make things a little clearer:
Cognitive distortion → Explain → Fix
- All or Nothing → Think of it as Black & White → Don’t forget the world has color
- Labeling → Name calling self and others → View their personality only
- Over Generalizing → 1 bad event, think that will help again → It was only one time
- Mind Reading → Assume negative outcomes → Try the situation out before making it negative
- Mental Filter → Fixate on few pieces of info → listen to the whole story
Written by:
Sarah Grippi
Basketball Mindset