Don’t Believe Everything You Think!

Have you ever caught yourself spiraling into worst-case scenarios?

Maybe a friend takes a little longer to reply to your message, and suddenly, you’re convinced they’re mad at you. Or you make a small mistake at work and immediately think, I’m terrible at my job—everyone will find out. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone.

Your brain is a powerful storyteller, but not everything it tells you is true. In fact, our minds are wired to make cognitive distortions—automatic, often irrational ways of thinking that can fuel anxiety and stress. The good news? You can train your brain to recognize these distortions and question their validity.

The Brain’s Role in Distorted Thinking

When anxiety takes over, certain areas of your brain are working overtime, while others—like those responsible for rational thinking—may not be pulling their weight. Here’s a quick breakdown:

The Amygdala – This is your brain’s alarm system. It detects potential threats and triggers the fight-or-flight response. When overactive, it can make even minor concerns feel like major dangers.

The Prefrontal Cortex – This part of the brain, located behind your forehead, helps with logic, problem-solving, and impulse control. It’s responsible for questioning whether a thought is actually true. When anxiety takes hold, this area can become less active, making it harder to challenge negative thoughts.

The Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) – This region helps regulate emotional responses and detect errors in thinking. When functioning well, it can help you pause and reconsider distorted thoughts before fully believing them.

Common Thinking TrapsThat Fuel Anxiety

Your brain’s goal is to protect you, but sometimes, it overcompensates. Here are some common thinking errors that anxious minds tend to fall into:

Catastrophizing – Jumping to the worst possible outcome. ("If I mess up this presentation, I’ll lose my job.")

Black-and-White Thinking – Seeing situations as all good or all bad. ("If I’m not perfect, I’m a failure.")

Mind Reading – Assuming you know what others are thinking. ("They didn’t say hi to me—clearly, they don’t like me.")

Fortune-Telling – Predicting a negative future without evidence. ("I just know the date will go badly.")

Filtering – Focusing only on the negatives and ignoring the positives. ("Nine people said my work was great, but one person had a critique—so I must have done a terrible job.")

How to Challenge Traps Errors

If you find yourself stuck in one of these thinking traps, here’s how to push back:

Pause and Notice – Recognize when a negative thought arises. Awareness is the first step to change.

Ask Yourself: Is This 100% True? – What evidence supports this thought? What evidence contradicts it?

Consider a Friend’s Perspective – If a friend had this thought, what would you say to them?

Reframe the Thought – Shift your thinking to a more balanced view. Instead of “I’ll fail this test,” try “I’ve studied, and I’ll do my best.”

Training Your Brain for More Balanced Thinking

The more you challenge your anxious thoughts, the stronger your prefrontal cortex becomes at overriding the amygdala’s alarm signals. It’s like a muscle—the more you exercise rational thinking, the easier it becomes to recognize when your brain is feeding you distortions.

Remember: Not every thought deserves your belief. Your brain may tell you stories, but you have the power to question them.

Save this blog for when you need a reminder! Have you noticed any of these thinking patterns in yourself? Drop a comment below!