These are just a couple of examples of common thinking errors that we can engage in.
Thinking errors refer to instances where our thoughts become distorted from the reality of the situation, causing unnecessary anxiety, and negatively impacting on our emotional well-being and behaviour. We will all experience thinking errors at some point in time, however this can become problematic if they become a feature of our everyday lives.
Here we aim to introduce you to the common thinking errors and help you to recognise these in yourself, so that you can take control back of the situation and your behaviour. However, this doesn’t have to be a time intensive exercise; just a couple of minutes every day to reflect upon how you interpret the situations you encounter in your day-to-day life will suffice. Alternatively, you may want to reflect upon your recent experiences and recall your thoughts about these.
To help you identify your own thinking errors, it’s good to understand the different types of errors that exist. Below is a list of some of the most common examples.
What is this error about?
Forming a general conclusion based on a single incident or piece of information.
Example
Having a single piece of constructive feedback in your appraisal and thinking that you aren’t any good at your job.
What is this error about?
Thinking that things are much worse than they actually are.
Example
Being unable to make any savings one month and thinking that you’ll never be able to afford to retire.
What is this error about?
Thinking things are all good or all bad – black or white – without allowing for anything in between.
Example
Thinking a project is either a success or a complete failure.
What is this error about?
Believing we know what someone is thinking or why they might be acting in a certain way without them actually saying anything.
Example
Believing that a person thinks you’re stupid when you ask a question during a meeting.
What is this error about?
Having a selective filter on the information so that we dismiss the positives and become focused on the negatives.
Example
Performing well in a task, but instead of appreciating all the things you did well, you focus on the one bit of negative feedback you received and let this cloud your overall evaluation of how things went.
What is this error about?
Thinking that events or someone’s actions are a reaction to us.
Example
Believing that someone’s delayed response to your message must be the result of something you said or did to offend them.
What is this error about?
Predicting that bad things will happen to us, when there’s no evidence to support this.
Example
Believing that you will fail the qualification, so you put yourself off from trying.
Now, take time to reflect on these common thinking errors. Can you identify examples of these in your own life? You could either reflect upon recent situations or experiences you have had, or maybe keep a journal over a week to identify examples of when you have demonstrated some of these thinking errors. You may not necessarily demonstrate all of these; focus only on those that are relevant to you now.
Now you take the examples you have identified and consider how you might challenge these thinking errors. What evidence do you have to help you recognise that these thoughts may not be accurate? For example, if one of your thinking errors is personalisation – have you ever been in a situation where you have attributed another person’s delayed response as being a sign that you said or did something to offend them, only to later find out their phone battery had died, or they had been on holiday, or dealing with their own personal situation?
Remember to keep challenging your thoughts on a regular basis – the more you do this, the easier it will become. By adopting a more realistic and balanced thought process, you will start to see more positive outcomes in terms of how you feel but also how you approach situations.