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Catastrophising: How toxic thinking leads you down dark paths. 26 July 2022. By David Robson,Features correspondent, @d_a_robson. Getty. (Credit: Getty) Expecting the very worst to happen in...
Sep 15, 2020 · Try to stay right where you are. Imagine your best- and worst-case scenario. You’ll realize that both are just childlike fantasies. Understand that reality is not black or white. It’s usually ...
Jun 15, 2009 · Timothy A Pychyl Ph.D. Don't Delay. Anticipating One's Troubles: The Elusive Benefits of Negative Expectations. Why expecting the worst is costly. Posted June 15, 2009. "He who suffers before...
- Acknowledge How Busy People Are
- Stay Busy Yourself
- Take A Dose of Muscle Medicine … Or Meditate!
- Take Steps Toward A Solution
- Phone A Friend
When you don’t see results or receive a response from someone else in (what you think should be) a timely manner, it’s easy to get upset and jump to the worst possible conclusion: “He doesn’t want to work with me. She isn’t interested in going out on another date. I didn’t get the job.” And so on and so forth. But wait a second. Maybe the current r...
You can’t always control how long you have to wait on an outcome, or even what that outcome is. But you can control how you wait. You can torture yourself by dwelling on negative possibilities … or you can distract yourself by staying focused on and engaged in other things.
You likely have heard about the “runner’s high” — this is a real feeling — and it can help you to stop expecting the worst. That’s because exercise releases endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins also decrease the amount of stress hormones — like cortisol — in your body. In fact, various studies have shown that exercise can ...
When you find yourself expecting a particular negative event — however likely or unlikely it might be — ask yourself if there is anything you can do to prepare for or even prevent it. In many cases, you’ll be able to take concrete steps toward a solution. Not only will you be keeping yourself busy, you’ll also be moving from helplessness to empower...
This “lifeline” can really help! The next time you catch yourself ruminating on just how bad things are going to get, pick up the phone and call someone you trust: your spouse or a friend, for example. Specifically, ask this person to help you think of several alternative outcomes, which, by definition, can’t be as bad as the worst-case scenario yo...
Mar 16, 2021 · Key points. A “looming cognitive style” involves assuming that ambiguous situations will yield the worst possible outcomes. This thinking style can make people more vulnerable to anxiety...
Sep 6, 2022 · I had to stop looking at my tendency to expect the worst as something to be fixed through logic and positive thinking. Instead I spoke to my inner child and let her know that she no longer had to keep me safe from all possible outcomes.
Going through the worst case scenario can also reveal that it is far from the likeliest outcome. What are the chances that things will turn out catastrophic? What are the chances that this will bring joy and success into my life?
