Anxiety: 5 common unhelpful thinking styles (cognitive distortions)
Anxiety often makes us jump to the worst-case scenario. If catastrophising and negative thinking sound familiar, here’s how to be more self-aware of cognitive distortions, opting for more helpful perspectives. [24.1.25.]
You’ll learn
Cognitive distortions are inaccurate, negative thinking patterns that magnify negatives and dismiss other options. Often they cause anxiety by creating simplistic black-and-white thinking.
Anxiety activates hypervigilance as the stress response scans for possible dangers and negative outcomes. This leads to constant worry and negative beliefs.
Challenge anxious thoughts by asking “Is this true?” By reframing worry into balanced alternatives we can find simple solutions. Third perspectives also distance yourself from anxious stories.
What are cognitive disortions?
These thoughts are often unbalanced and unrealistic —magnifying negatives and minimising positives. Often these thoughts happen at lightning speed as we tend to generalise and label people and situations based on past (negative and painful) experiences. This may be because negative experiences are “sticky” and we tend to recall negative events more easily as a survival mechanism.
Anxiety: the causes of cognitive distortions
When we’re anxious we tend to want to be safe as our brain becomes alert for potential dangers and threats. This detection system scans for negatives, which can cause hypervigilance or worst-case-scenario thinking. Anxiety focuses on negative outcomes and makes it harder to see positive possibilities which feeds itself. Negative thoughts lead to worry, which then leads to more distorted and inaccurate thoughts.
More causes:
Mental shortcuts: We take mental shortcuts to simplify uncertainty —creating false narratives (e.g., “They don’t like me”).
Stress and pressure: Stressful situations can cause distorted thinking, making generalisations —making it hard to maintain balanced perspectives.
Dealing with uncertainty: As we seek control over uncertain future events (like tests, or relationship issues) we can get overwhelmed and stressed, leading to pessimism (instead of helpful solutions).
Childhood trauma: A difficult childhood can establish strong negative patterns of distorted thinking that persist into adulthood.
Difficult life events: A collection of hard life events may include repeated negative thoughts that solidify into negative beliefs. This creates deeply ingrained mental patterns that feel difficult to change.
Anxiety: when worry becomes a negative pattern of belief
Anxious thoughts include constant worry, overestimating dangers. We seek control and 100% certainty so tend to assume the worst or create a false negative narrative (e.g. “if I make a mistake I’m no good”). These repeated negative worries then form a negative pattern of belief.
Anxiety and Cognitive Restructuring
For example, “They think I’m stupid,” becomes, “My mind tells me that they think I’m stupid. They’re probably not thinking about me at all.”
Hypervigilance causes an “alert mode” where we scan for dangers and threats which activates the stress response (fight-flight-freeze-or-fawn). Persistent worry and being aware of possible dangers and negative events make our brains prioritise negative thoughts as they feel protective.
This overtakes positive possibilities and neutral thinking. Here are examples of cognitive distortions when we’re anxious and what can be done to replace worried hypervigilant narratives.
Anxiety: 5 common cognitive distortions
1. Catastrophising
Catastrophising is expecting the worst-case scenario, interpreting events negatively. A sign of catastrophising is using, “what if…?” questions.
What if I make a mistake?
What if they don’t like me?
What if I get rejected and look stupid?
2. Black-or-white thinking
Black-or-white thinking is thinking in binaries (all-or-nothing thinking). There is no balance or nuance in the way of thinking (seeing grey areas). Everything is simplified into extremes.
If I don’t finish this, I’m a complete failure.
If we don’t agree, we may as well split up.
I didn’t go running today, so I’m lazy and unmotivated.
3. Personalisation
Personalisation is blaming yourself for events outside your control or assuming outcomes are directly about you. For example, thinking, "They’re upset because of something I said," even when there’s no evidence to support it. It often leads to excessive guilt, shame, or self-blame.
I forgot to feed the cat. If I had, he wouldn’t be sick.
I’m constantly late — I’m sure everyone sees how disorganised I am.
I was late to the meeting and that’s why everyone was looking at me.
4. Dismissing the positive
Dismissing the positive is when you downplay or reject positive experiences or accomplishments, often believing they don't "count" or were just luck. This distortion fuels anxiety by preventing you from acknowledging your strengths or progress.
I get up early but I never get enough done
They’re nice but they don’t know my flaws yet
I got the job but it’s only a matter of time until I mess up
5. Emotional reasoning
Emotional reasoning is when you believe something must be true simply because you feel it. You rely on emotions as evidence, even when they don’t reflect reality. This can amplify anxiety, as feelings of fear are seen as signs of danger or failure.
I feel bad so I can’t do any work now
I feel stressed out so this must be too much for me
I feel anxious so something bad is about to happen
How can I change cognitive distortions?
By challenging negative thoughts (“is this thought true?” and “What’s the balanced thought?”) you can find more nuance, which helps to take the next step. Also, you can look for the lesson by asking, “I may be struggling but what lesson can I learn?”
Getting distance from problems by seeing yourself from a third-person perspective can help. Rather than, “I feel so worried,” you can say “This person feels so worried.” By stepping away from our issues we can imagine how another person might respond. Zoning out on struggles and frustrations gives us a bigger picture, rather than personalising every hardship.
Another way to give yourself kindness is to ask how you’d advise and speak to an anxious friend. Often our internal dialogue is negative and based on blame, shame and guilt. What uplifting and supportive words would you share with a best friend to encourage them onwards?