Chapter 1: Understanding Thinking Traps

It’s all too common to find yourself ensnared in a thinking trap. Our brains are designed to react more strongly to negative experiences than to positive ones, which is why negative feedback and distressing situations often linger in our minds more than compliments or joyful moments.

1. Overgeneralization: This involves making broad statements about yourself or others based on a single incident (e.g., making one mistake and concluding, "I never do anything right!").
2. Black-and-White Thinking: Here, you see situations in extremes, failing to recognize the spectrum of possibilities (e.g., believing, "I will either get a promotion or be fired at my annual review").
3. Catastrophizing: This entails fixating on the worst possible outcome, regardless of its likelihood (e.g., thinking that if your date doesn’t respond to your text, it means they are breaking up with you).
4. Fortune Telling: This cognitive distortion involves predicting adverse outcomes (e.g., assuming that a family gathering will be stressful because of past criticisms from your sisters).

Thinking traps, or cognitive distortions, obscure your view of reality and are often deeply entrenched, contributing to feelings of fear and anxiety.

So, what steps can you take if you find yourself caught in a thinking trap?

1. Challenge Your Thoughts: Identify a situation where your negative thought didn't hold true. Gather evidence that contradicts your negative perceptions.
2. Cognitive Reframing: Recognize that for every negative thought, there is an equally valid positive one. When your mind spirals downward, take a moment to consider the opposite perspective, even if you don't fully believe it.
3. Repetition of Truths: Remember that "thoughts are not facts." Your thoughts can generate emotions, and while those feelings are legitimate, they may not always reflect reality. Think of three people who have expressed nothing but positivity about you—alive or deceased—and view yourself through their eyes.
4. Use Negative Thoughts as Indicators: Treat these thoughts as signals that you are out of balance. Understand that your mind and body strive for harmony. Feeling negative can be a cue to return to your natural state of well-being.

Tomorrow, I will delve into four additional thinking traps and their solutions—be sure to follow Junaid Jamshed to catch part two of this insightful series!

If you're eager to explore the complexities of your mind and the impact of thinking traps, consider subscribing to my email list (it's free!). I will share more valuable insights with my email community this week to celebrate the second launch of the anxiety-free method.

Chapter 2: The Connection Between Anxiety and Anger

Anxiety and anger are intricately linked. Many individuals with anxiety often find themselves feeling irritable and quick to anger.

Chapter 3: Navigating Post-Graduation Anxiety

As I approach graduation, the uncertainty of my future is daunting.