What to Do When Your Mind (Always) Dwells on the Worst-Case Scenario
Curated from: hbr.org
Ideas, facts & insights covering these topics:
4 ideas
·4.3K reads
21
Explore the World's Best Ideas
Join today and uncover 100+ curated journeys from 50+ topics. Unlock access to our mobile app with extensive features.
Catastrophizing
In our professional and personal lives, we all face numerous uncertain situations, which are usually out of our control. We may overestimate the likelihood or the effect of our fears and anxieties. This expectation of the worst is known as Catastrophizing.
Example: A wrong email sent to your boss can trigger a panic attack about being fired, or a failed test could make one imagine dropping out of school.
145
2.45K reads
The Age Of Uncertainty
Catastrophizing is natural in young adults as our lives are usually uncertain and unsettled till the age of 35.
Also, when we are in our 20s, our brain region of solving problems and handling uncertain situations, the prefrontal cortex, is still developing.
112
699 reads
Minimize The Catastrophizing
- Stop worrying about the future, or dwelling on the past too much, and stay in the present, as it is the only reality there is.
- Focus on the facts, not on the imaginative speculation in your head.
- Go through the worst-case scenario in your mind and try to play out the thing that you fear, and what your next action would be.
- Try to play out the best-case scenario in your head, understanding that it is just a child-like fantasy, just like the worst-case scenario.
147
519 reads
Fears Aren’t Facts
- Understand that life is not black or white and lies somewhere in the middle, the grey area.
- Get comfortable with things not being perfect all the time.
- Get more data or more experience about the thing you fear. The more you know something, the less fearful it becomes.
143
630 reads
IDEAS CURATED BY
Adeeb Schultz's ideas are part of this journey:
Learn more about personaldevelopment with this collection
Seeking support from others
Identifying the symptoms of burnout
Learning to say no
Related collections
Similar ideas
5 ideas
2 ideas
Why Expecting the Worst is Bad For Your Mental Health
pickthebrain.com
4 ideas
Do you worry too much? Stoicism can help
bigthink.com
Read & Learn
20x Faster
without
deepstash
with
deepstash
with
deepstash
Personalized microlearning
—
100+ Learning Journeys
—
Access to 200,000+ ideas
—
Access to the mobile app
—
Unlimited idea saving
—
—
Unlimited history
—
—
Unlimited listening to ideas
—
—
Downloading & offline access
—
—
Supercharge your mind with one idea per day
Enter your email and spend 1 minute every day to learn something new.
I agree to receive email updates