Anxiety: Ways to Challenge Self-Defeating Beliefs

   Anxiety: Ways to Challenge Self-Defeating Beliefs

 

Self-defeating beliefs may create or exacerbate anxiety. Below is a list of self-defeating beliefs that lead to anxious thoughts and ways to overcome them.

 

 

        Filtering: Focusing on the negative to the exclusion of the positive.

        Solution:  When youre thinking/feeling bad, try to do the opposite.  

 

        Black & White Thinking: Things are good or bad its all or nothing with no middle ground.

        Solution: Look for the exception to your point of view yes, but.

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        Overgeneralization:Exaggerating or taking things to the extreme.

        Solution: Avoid words such as: always, never, every, all, none, everybody, and nobody. Question the extremes. Is there any time that is not true?  

 

        Mind Reading: Making assumptions about an outcome or someones motivation.

        Solution: Can you really know whats going to happen or why something happens? What another persons intentions are? How can you know for sure? What are other possibilities? 

 

        Catastrophizing:AKA awfulizing expecting and projecting the worst.

        Solution: Remember that there is usually more than one possible outcome and the worst catastrophe usually does not happen.  

 

        Personalization:Its all about me my fault I did it wrong they hate me I am the only one who can do this.

        Solution: How do you know? Prove it, or consider other possibilities. Let others take ownership. 

        Control Fallacies:Either you have no control or you can control everything.

        Solution: Let go of what you cant control and be realistic about what you really can control.  

 

        Fallacy of Fairness:You think everything should be fair.

        Solution: Life is not fair. Accepting this will help you have more realistic expectations.   

        Blaming: You dont take responsibility for your choices and project fault onto others.  

        Solution: Take responsibility for your choices, including your feelings. Nobody else can make you feel or do anything. How you feel or react is up to you. Blame isnt necessary/helpful - it is what it is.

 

        Shoulds: Words like should, ought, and must foster impossible expectations and often result in disappointment, resentment, and failure.

        Solution: Flexibility is the key here. Give yourself and others the benefit of the doubt.  

 

        Emotional Reasoning: A belief that your emotions are based in truth.

        Solution: Challenge emotions with logic. Look for exceptions that are reasonable 

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