Are Cognitive Distortions affecting your progress ?

Can we distort our own experiences and negatively affect our growth and mindset?

The truth is, the language we use in our every day life, right down to what has been spoken over us impacts how we subconsciously process and experience our world.

We attempt to capture thoughts, ideas and to describe what we see around us using words. Inevitably, things get "lost in translation.” This phenomenon has been happening since the days of Cain and Abel!

We lose information through "Generalizations,” a "Deletion of information“ and what is referred as a "Cognitive Distortion."

A Distortion is where some aspects of ideas and experiences are given more weight and focus than others. We all do this both consciously and unconsciously, and how we do this provides revelation to our underlying beliefs about ourselves, others and the world around us. 💡

Here is a list of the Top 10 Cognitive Distortions:

Which of these do you do?

* Note these areas below that you might like to discuss with your coach or therapist:

All or Nothing Thinking: Seeing things as black-or-white, right-or-wrong with nothing in-between. You might think:

• “Essentially, if I'm not perfect then I'm a failure.”

• I didn't finish writing that paper so it was a complete waste of time.

• There's no point in playing if I'm not 100% in shape.

• They didn't show - they’re completely unreliable!

2. Overgeneralization: Using words like always, or never in relation to a single event or experience.

• I'll never get that promotion - She always does that…

3. Minimizing or Magnifying

( Also Catastrophizing )

Seeing things as dramatically more or less important than they actually are. Often creating a "catastrophe" that follows.

• Because my boss publicly thanked her she'll get that promotion, not me (even though I had a great performance review and just won an industry award. )

• I forgot that email! That means my boss won't trust me again, I won't get that raise and my wife will leave me.

4. "Shoulds:”

Using "should", "need to", "must", "ought to" to motivate oneself, then feeling guilty when you don't follow through (or you can project anger and resentment when someone else doesn't follow through).

• I should have got the painting done this weekend.

• They ought to have been more considerate of my feelings, they should know that would upset me.

5. Labelling: Attaching a negative label to yourself or others following a single event.

• I didn't stand up to my co-worker, I'm such a wimp! What an idiot, he couldn't even see that coming!

6. Jumping to Conclusions:

1) Mind-Reading: Making negative assumptions about how people see you without evidence or factual support.

Your friend is preoccupied and you don't bother to find out why. You're thinking:

• She thi