{"id":14926,"date":"2013-07-23T20:23:10","date_gmt":"2013-07-24T04:23:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=14926"},"modified":"2013-07-24T10:51:22","modified_gmt":"2013-07-24T18:51:22","slug":"10-cognitive-distortions-that-are-stressing-you-out-and-sapping-your-productivity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/10-cognitive-distortions-that-are-stressing-you-out-and-sapping-your-productivity\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Cognitive Distortions that are Stressing You Out and Sapping Your Productivity"},"content":{"rendered":"
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<\/p>\n

The sculpture, Parable with a Skull, by Jaroslav R\u00f3na features a giant skull resting atop a person\u2019s back weighed down on their hands and knees, and was inspired by the works of Franz Kafka, whose characters are fraught with this very depiction of over-thinking and psychological torment. It is a stark example of what distorted thoughts can do to our minds and bodies, but is an essential reminder, nonetheless:\u00a0 we need to truly learn to master our own minds, so that unruly thinking does not become our master.<\/p>\n

According to cognitive-behavioral theory, it is not external experiences that contribute to our stress, but rather our thoughts and feelings. If you can become more aware of these underlying, negative thoughts, and replace them with more positive and realistic ones, you\u2019ll be well on your way to living a happier and more productive life, at home, work, and at play.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a list of ten cognitive distortions that may be weighing you down, and some helpful examples of \u201ccounter\u201d statements you can use to get you in a far healthier state of mind:
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. All of Nothing Thinking:<\/strong>\u00a0 Seeing things in black and white; that if one thing goes wrong you think you are a total failure.<\/p>\n

Counter Statement:\u00a0 \u201cThis is just one event that didn\u2019t go the way I planned, but it doesn\u2019t mean I\u2019m not a successful person.\u201d<\/p>\n

2. Overgeneralization:<\/strong>\u00a0 When something bad happens, you overgeneralize and think that something bad is always happening to you, when in fact, it isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Counter Statement:\u00a0 \u201cIt seems the whole world is against me sometimes, but I know that\u2019s really not true; many good things do come my way.\u201d<\/p>\n

3. Mental Filter:<\/strong>\u00a0 You only see the negative in a situation and ignore the positive.<\/p>\n

Counter Statement:\u00a0 \u201cMy boss didn\u2019t like my marketing plan, but she really loved my choice of graphic design.\u201d<\/p>\n

4. Disqualifying the Positive:<\/strong>\u00a0 Finding a reason to not accept positive feedback.<\/p>\n

Counter Statement:\u00a0 \u201cIt made me feel good when my co-worker said I did a great job on my presentation. I know she meant it.\u201d<\/p>\n

5. Jumping to Conclusions:<\/strong>\u00a0 When you make a negative interpretation and conclusion even though there are no definite facts for it.<\/p>\n

Counter Statement:\u00a0 \u201cThis traffic looks pretty bad, but I know I\u2019ll make it home eventually.\u201d<\/p>\n

6. Catastrophizing:<\/strong>\u00a0 You exaggerate the importance of things and they become way beyond their reality.<\/p>\n

Counter Statement:\u00a0 \u201cMy boss didn\u2019t get back to me when he said he would, but I\u2019m sure he\u2019s just busy. I can check in with him again at another time.\u201d<\/p>\n

7. Emotional Reasoning:<\/strong>\u00a0 This is when you assume that your negative emotions reflect the way things really are.<\/p>\n

Counter Statement:\u00a0 \u201cI might feel a little undervalued, but when I take a step back I do see that my hard work is acknowledged.\u201d<\/p>\n

8. Should Statements:<\/strong>\u00a0 When you try to motivate yourself by having too many \u201cshoulds\u201d and \u201cshouldn\u2019ts\u201d about how you should act, or how the world should be.<\/p>\n

Counter Statement:\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s healthy for me to accept some things the way they are.\u201d<\/p>\n

9. Labeling:<\/strong>\u00a0 Giving yourself or others a definitive label that can not be an accurate description.<\/p>\n

Counter Statement:\u00a0 \u201cI know it\u2019s not helpful to say that I\u2019m weak or a failure. I\u2019m a good person and I can grow, learn, and improve myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

10. Personalization:<\/strong>\u00a0 When you see yourself as personally responsible for an outside event; basically, you confuse influence with control.<\/p>\n

Counter Statement:\u00a0 \u201cThe downturn has affected the economy in unforeseen ways, but I\u2019m doing well at steering my business in the right direction.\u201d<\/p>\n

What cognitive distortions do you find yourself saying? What are some of your own suggestions to counteract them, or remind yourself to think more positively?<\/p>\n

Author of The Accomplishing More With Less Workbook<\/b>, Pierre Khawand is the Founder and CEO of People-OnTheGo<\/b>, a San Francisco-based company offering in-person and online training in the areas of time management, productivity, technology, wellness, and more to individuals and corporations. The information in this article is based on the work of Dr. Alicia R. Maher, who created People-OnTheGo\u2019s Stress Management workshop<\/b>. Please visit www.people-onthego.com\/webinars<\/b><\/a> <\/b>for information on upcoming webinars, and much more.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here\u2019s a list of ten cognitive distortions that may be weighing you down, and some helpful examples of \u201ccounter\u201d statements you can use to get you in a far healthier state of mind: Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12163,"featured_media":14940,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[32,17,21,6],"tags":[367,4641,4631,4639,1437,4629],"yoast_head":"\n10 Cognitive Distortions that are Stressing You Out and Sapping Your Productivity - Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Here\u2019s a list of ten cognitive distortions that may be weighing you down, and some helpful examples of \u201ccounter\u201d statements you can use to get you in a far healthier state of mind:\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/10-cognitive-distortions-that-are-stressing-you-out-and-sapping-your-productivity\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"10 Cognitive Distortions that are Stressing You Out and Sapping Your Productivity - 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