Blinkered Thinking

Challenging unhelpful thought patterns and becoming more objective can help to avoid the automatic descent into unwarranted negativity.

Journaling and keeping an open mind when receiving feedback can help you recognise the positives. By avoiding mental filtering, you will be better equipped...

Mental filtering can have a detrimental impact on your self-confidence and personal growth. If the one piece of advice your boss gave you after a presentation led you to feel that you were no good at public speaking, then you may internalise that any future attempts will be a disaster. This vicio...

 Asking your friends or colleagues for an objective opinion on your performance or achievements is a good way to gauge your ability or progress. If you have become entrenched in negative self-talk, listen carefully to what others objectively report.

Write down all of the positive opinions y...

In psychology, a cost-benefit analysis is a technique used as part of cognitive behavioural therapy.  

On a piece of paper, create two columns for costs and benefits. Think about whether mental filtering benefits you, as well as what it costs you. Write each point down in a column and assi...

• Upon submitting a project for approval, the overwhelmingly positive feedback is quickly overshadowed by one piece of constructive criticism. This can lead you to believe that you are doing a poor job, even though this is not what you were told.
• A colleague fails to greet you when you...

To manage this cognitive distortion, you must consciously start to manage negative thought patterns so you can begin to see your efforts and achievements in a more positive light.

First, recognise when mental filtering occurs. A key step to managing a cognitive distortion is to acknowledge ...