Thought traps are a type of cognitive distortion that worsens anxiety. These negative thinking patterns are hard to get out of in the midst of anxiety. They can also become easier to fall into as your anxiety gets worse.

When this happens, thought traps can become a regular thinking pattern, which keeps your body and mind in a constant state of high alert. Over time, this can fuel burnout, fatigue, and contribute to high cortisol levels which are linked to weight gain, heart disease, and other physical issues. Here are five common thought traps and strategies to get out of them.

1. Catastrophizing

Catastrophizing involves imagining the worst-case scenario and assuming it’s inevitably going to happen. Say your partner is late getting home from work. Your mind might immediately jump to worrying they’ve been in a car accident, when in reality that’s an unlikely scenario. When you think this way, you work yourself into an anxious state until they get home safely.

2. Mind reading

Anxiety can lead us to believe that we know what others are thinking about us, which usually means assuming the worst. For instance, you might believe that your coworkers secretly dislike your or that your friends are always talking negatively about you behind your back. In reality, most people are likely not conspiring against you or faking being your friend.

3. Fortune telling

Fortune telling means predicting negative outcomes without any evidence to support them. For instance, if you have test anxiety, you might convince yourself you’ll fail an exam before even taking it. Fortune telling makes you discount your previous academic achievements.

4. Overgeneralization

When you’re generalizing, you take a single negative experience and apply it to all similar situations. You might find yourself thinking “why do these things always happen to me?” For example, if you’ve had a panic attack in a crowded place, you might believe you’ll always have them in public.

5. Emotional reasoning

Emotional reasoning means thinking your emotions accurately reflect reality, regardless of evidence to the contrary. In other words, you believe that if you feel a certain way, then it must be true. This can contribute to low self-esteem — you might think “I feel like I’m worthless, which means I actually am worthless.”

How to Escape Thought Traps

Identify your thought traps

The first step is knowing which thought traps you’re prone to. Sometimes it’s hard to remember how we felt during an anxious moment, so start by writing down your thoughts and feelings. Knowing which thought traps are likely to occur can help you address them more fully.

Interrogate yourself

Don’t let your thoughts go unchallenged. When you have a thought that everyone hates you, the worst will happen, or you’re not worth anything, ask yourself whether that’s true. Remind yourself it’s not possible to read other people’s minds, and that just because something happens once doesn’t mean it’ll happen again. You can even try adding in positive thoughts to counter the negative ones — remind yourself of your accomplishments and the people that love you.

Practice mindfulness

Mindfulness is a mental practice of intentionally paying attention to the present moment without judgment. This means letting your thoughts pass you by and staying grounded in your body. The more you practice this, the easier it is to let go of your negative emotions.

Talk to a therapist

If anxiety is affecting your daily life and you can’t break free from these thought traps, consider counseling. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one effective approach for challenging negative thought patterns. A therapist can work with you on targeted techniques for your unique situation and uncover where your anxiety is stemming from.

To learn more about how therapy can help you escape thought traps, please contact us.