<ul><li>Seeing the world in terms of black and white extremes. </li><li>A tendency to magnify our faults and minimize our achievements. </li><li>Taking an isolated event and assuming that all other events will follow the same pattern. </li><li>Jumping to conclusions.</li><li>Catastrophising: </li></ul>


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Examples of distorted thinking

The first step is to become aware of which of these negative belief patterns you are susceptible to. Keep a journal and record your negative thoughts.Ask yourself the following questions each time you experience negative beliefs.
<ul><li>What is my evidence for thinking this way? </li><li>Is there any evidence that doesn't support this belief?</li><li>Could there be other ways of interpreting this event?</li></ul>

Challenging beliefs

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At the core of cognitive behavioural theory is the idea that our thoughts can act as a block that prevents us seeing events or ourselves in a positive light. Instead, we distort reality and foster negative beliefs about our situation. However, once identified, these negative beliefs can be challenged. Examples of distorted thinking include: 
Black or white thinking: Seeing the world in terms of extremes, and needing to categorise everything in terms of good and bad outcomes. Approaching events with an either/or attitude: the party I am organising will either be a complete success, or nobody will come at all.
Magnification and minimisation: A tendency to magnify our faults and minimise our achievements. If your boss asks you to redraft a report, you see it as a sign that you are a failure, while overlooking the recent praise you received for another project.
Overgeneralising: Taking an isolated event and assuming that all other events will follow the same pattern. For example, a friend has reacted badly to a piece of news, so everyone else will react the same way. 
Jumping to conclusions: Making irrational rather than rational assumptions. If an expected email doesn't arrive, you believe the sender hates you, rather than stopping to consider whether they are busy, or having problems with their internet connection. 
Catastrophising: When faced with a challenge, you immediately ask yourself: "What's the worst that could happen?" If you are susceptible to catastrophic thinking, you are likely to let your worries snowball and envisage disaster at every turn. The worst possible scenario becomes a reality, and fear of it prevents you taking action. 
Challenging beliefsThe first step is to become aware of which of these negative belief patterns you are susceptible to. It may help to keep a journal and record your negative thoughts, or ask someone close to you for input. Next, ask yourself the following questions each time you experience these thinking patterns, which might help you find alternatives to your initial reaction: 
* What is my evidence for thinking this way? 
* Is there any evidence that doesn't support this belief?
* Could there be other ways of interpreting this event? Topics
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At the core of cognitive behavioural theory is the idea that our thoughts can act as a block that prevents us seeing events or ourselves in a positive light. Instead, we distort reality and foster negative beliefs about our situation. However, once identified, these negative beliefs can be challenged.

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At the core of cognitive behavioural theory is the idea that our thoughts can act as a block that prevents us seeing events or ourselves in a positive light. Instead, we distort reality and foster negative beliefs about our situation. However, once identified, these negative beliefs can be challenged. Examples of distorted thinking include:

Black or white thinking: Seeing the world in terms of extremes, and needing to categorise everything in terms of good and bad outcomes. Approaching events with an either/or attitude: the party I am organising will either be a complete success, or nobody will come at all. Magnification and minimisation: A tendency to magnify our faults and minimise our achievements. If your boss asks you to redraft a report, you see it as a sign that you are a failure, while overlooking the recent praise you received for another project. Overgeneralising: Taking an isolated event and assuming that all other events will follow the same pattern. For example, a friend has reacted badly to a piece of news, so everyone else will react the same way.

Jumping to conclusions: Making irrational rather than rational assumptions. If an expected email doesn't arrive, you believe the sender hates you, rather than stopping to consider whether they are busy, or having problems with their internet connection. Catastrophising: When faced with a challenge, you immediately ask yourself: "What's the worst that could happen?" If you are susceptible to catastrophic thinking, you are likely to let your worries snowball and envisage disaster at every turn. The worst possible scenario becomes a reality, and fear of it prevents you taking action.

The first step is to become aware of which of these negative belief patterns you are susceptible to. It may help to keep a journal and record your negative thoughts, or ask someone close to you for input. Next, ask yourself the following questions each time you experience these thinking patterns, which might help you find alternatives to your initial reaction:

The bright side: how to challenge negative beliefs

Examples of distorted thinking

Challenging beliefs

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