The article discusses the tendency of humans to catastrophize, particularly under anxiety or depression, which can worsen stress levels. While it's instinctive to expect the worst for survival, this mindset can lead to detrimental thinking patterns. By challenging thoughts to consider favorable outcomes, individuals can mitigate the effects of negative spirals. Examples like anticipating positive feedback on social media or being open to good news from the IRS illustrate the importance of balancing perspectives. Ultimately, reality often lies somewhere in between the negative and the positive.
It's human nature to assume the worst. Our brains would rather sound a thousand false alarms than risk missing something catastrophic.
Challenging your brain to consider the opposite can help interrupt the spiral of catastrophic thinking. Positive outcomes may be just as likely.
When you feel your stomach drop opening a letter from the IRS, remind yourself that, yes, it's possible you owe money. But it's also possible that you're getting a refund.
Usually, reality ends up somewhere in between the two extremes: Your social media post doesn't attract that much attention, negative or positive.
Collection
[
|
...
]