Often, people are not aware of their own cognitive distortions because they are subconsciously created. They lead to inaccurate beliefs and perceptions, and can result in irrational behavior. Cognitive distortions are a common feature of negative thought patterns, and they can take many forms. To understand how they affect you, it helps to familiarize yourself with the most common ones.
Cognitive distortions are patterns in our thinking that lead us to see things inaccurately. They distort how we perceive life events, causing us to believe that our own thoughts and actions are rational and normal, but the thoughts and actions of others are ridiculous or somehow bad. Each cognitive distortion usually has its own accompanying self-talk statements that enable unhelpful thinking to take root, survive, and even thrive. All too often we don’t even realize these distortions are getting in our way until they cause problems with work relationships, family roles, friendships, or romantic relationships. There are numerous cognitive distortions that exist. They can cause you to feel negative emotions, but they can also be used for positive purposes as well. Take a look at some of the more common cognitive distortions below!
Learn how your mind works so you can think more productively.
Cognitive distortions are ways of thinking that lead to incorrect conclusions. They’re not logical and they lead to negative emotions, but they can be learned and unlearned. When you hear about cognitive distortions, it’s natural for your first thought to be “I don’t do any of these things!” But the thing about cognitive distortions is that they occur automatically–you don’t have control over them. You might not even realize you’re doing them until someone points it out or you start paying attention in therapy or in this article!
We all have cognitive distortions, and that’s not a bad thing. They’re normal parts of being human and can even be useful at times. The key is understanding how they work so that we can use them to our advantage instead of letting them run our lives.
