{"id":35030,"date":"2023-10-29T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-29T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/139de0c8-7bdb-43f3-9346-2d7e3b707431"},"modified":"2023-10-29T17:46:12","modified_gmt":"2023-10-29T16:46:12","slug":"4-simple-ways-to-finally-stop-catastrophising-explained-by-a-psychologist","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/rss_feed\/4-simple-ways-to-finally-stop-catastrophising-explained-by-a-psychologist\/","title":{"rendered":"4 simple ways to finally stop catastrophising, explained by a psychologist"},"content":{"rendered":"

Catastrophe-filled thoughts are common and unpleasant. Here are some tips to manage them if they get out of hand… <\/p>

By Christian Jarrett\n <\/p>

Published: Sunday, 29 October 2023 at 16:00 PM<\/p>

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Catastrophe-filled thoughts are common, especially for people prone to anxiety. You might find yourself imagining that your first day at a new job will be an excruciating disaster, that you\u2019ll flunk an upcoming exam, or that your flight to New York will crash.<\/p>

These thoughts are unpleasant, but they\u2019re essentially your mind working overtime to keep you safe. If you start to act on these catastrophic thoughts, trying to avoid any risk in your life, that\u2019s when this thinking style can start to become debilitating.<\/p>

It\u2019s easy to see why we evolved to experience anxiety. If our ancestors had rushed head-first into every situation, they probably wouldn\u2019t have survived very long. Anxiety<\/a> is your brain\u2019s way of saying, \u201cHang on a minute, are you sure this is safe?\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>

Most experts agree that a modest degree of anxiety and anticipation of potential negative consequences is normal and helpful. It can become problematic, however, when it gets out of hand, and when your predictions become overwhelmingly negative, which is what\u2019s happening when you catastrophise habitually.\u00a0<\/p>

Instead of weighing up all the possible outcomes and settling on a realistic anticipation of what might happen, you\u2019re jumping to the worst-case scenario. You might have learned to think this way because you grew up in an anxious family. Or perhaps bad things have happened to you in the past, which has led you to be highly fearful about the future.<\/p>

Or maybe you\u2019re just very anxious by nature and fearing the worst gives you a temporary sense of control \u2013 you might feel that, at the very least, you won\u2019t be caught unprepared because you\u2019ve already thought through all the most terrible potential outcomes. <\/p>

Incidentally, research into this sort of \u2018bracing for the worst\u2019 approach shows that it makes people unhappy in the build-up to an event<\/a> and doesn\u2019t offer any protection if things really do go wrong.\u00a0<\/p>

If you feel like your catastrophising is getting out of hand, there are a few basic steps, based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, that you can try for yourself that might help.\u00a0<\/p>

1. Try to step away from your worries\u00a0<\/h2>

Your catastrophic thoughts are fuelled by anxiety, so anything you can do to relax and cultivate calm should help (options include walking in nature, exercise classes and spending fun time with friends).\u00a0<\/p>

2.\u00a0Make time to address your worries\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>

Try scheduling a brief \u2018worry window\u2019 in your day \u2013 this will help you let the anxious thoughts go at other times because you\u2019ll know you\u2019re going to come back to them later.\u00a0<\/p>

3.\u00a0Interrogate the evidence\u00a0for\u00a0your worries\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>

Challenge your catastrophic thoughts by forcing yourself to be as objective as possible about them. For instance, think about other \u2018first days\u2019 that weren\u2019t excruciating; remind yourself of the prep you\u2019ve done for the exam; or read up on the safety stats for flying.\u00a0<\/p>

4.\u00a0Try the \u2018so what\u2019 approach\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>

To take the intensity out of your thoughts, you could try challenging the very notion that these things really would be as terrible as you fear. For example, even if the first day on a new job is a nightmare, you\u2019ll get over it; you could re-take the exam; and people can and do survive plane crashes.<\/p>

If none of this helps, it\u2019s worth consulting a mental health professional who will be able to offer you a more comprehensive plan for overcoming your catastrophising habit.\u00a0<\/p>

Read more:<\/strong><\/p>