Presented by BetterHelp.
Think back to a time when you felt badly about yourself—whether someone criticized you, you were disappointed in something you did or said, or you felt insecure. Now, ask yourself what helped you get past those feelings. Did you talk to a friend or parent? Maybe you worked through everything by yourself or searched the internet for advice. In any case, you probably had to change the way you were thinking to start to feel better, and this is no coincidence.
How you think is intrinsically linked to how you feel. If you’re experiencing negative feelings about yourself, they’re probably tied to unhelpful, repetitive thoughts that you can’t seem to shake. These are known as cognitive distortions, and everyone has them occasionally. However, some people are better at confronting them.
Cognitive distortions can have a significantly negative impact on your life, making it crucial to know how to leverage greater control over your thoughts so that you can adopt healthier feelings and beliefs about yourself, others, and the world. Here, we’ll discuss what cognitive distortions are, why they’re unhelpful, and how to overcome them.
What Are Cognitive Distortions?
Cognitive distortions refer to unhelpful, irrational, or unproductive thinking patterns that negatively affect how someone feels. While everyone can struggle with these thoughts from time to time, others may appear to be controlled by them, finding that their entire life outlook is affected by how they think.
Cognitive distortions can impact the way a person sees themselves and the world and affect how they behave. Thus, it can be critical to identify and reframe these thoughts to promote healthier ways of thinking.
Why Are Cognitive Distortions Unhelpful?
Cognitive distortions can create unhealthy biases toward oneself or the world, and they often aren’t accurate representations of reality. For example, a person may begin to develop harmful beliefs about themselves, such as that they’re worthless, lacking in their abilities, or a burden to those around them. These feelings can lead to depression, anxiety, and other mental health challenges. It can also cause them to struggle with their performance at school or work.
Additionally, they may experience low self-esteem, impacting their interpersonal relationships and motivation to go after new opportunities. This can negatively affect their quality of life, happiness, mental well-being, and overall satisfaction.
Overcoming Cognitive Distortions
With the right tools, support, and resources, it is possible to overcome cognitive distortions and choose healthier patterns of thinking. Here are some ways to do so:
- Grow in self-awareness: In order to change your thoughts, it’s important to know what you’re thinking in the first place. Developing more self-awareness of what you’re thinking and why you’re thinking it can help you understand where your thoughts are stemming from. This can allow you to make changes in your life as necessary so that you can adopt more productive, realistic thoughts.
- Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness is a type of mental exercise that involves staying present in the moment and observing your thoughts without judging or trying to interpret them. It can help you improve your insight into your cognitive distortions and reflect on what may be causing them. By getting to the root of your thoughts, you can exercise greater control over them and pick more rational ways of thinking.
- Seek support: Going to therapy can be a powerful tool for learning strategies to identify and reframe your thoughts. Approaches like rational emotive behavior therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy can teach you how to confront your unhelpful beliefs and replace them with more productive thoughts, thereby allowing you to feel better about yourself, others, and the world.
Changing your thoughts isn’t easy work, particularly when certain patterns have been set in your mind for years. However, with consistent effort, you can make significant strides over time.
Harnessing The Power Of Your Thoughts
Your thoughts are powerful, having the ability to influence you for better or for worse. They create the foundation for your present and future success, impacting your ability to perceive and engage with the people and world around you. By recognizing your cognitive distortions and taking charge of how you think, you can improve your self-esteem, develop positive habits, and achieve short and long-term success in your life.
