INFOGRAPHICWELL-BEING

Are These 7 Thinking Traps Affecting Your Well-Being?

By Josey Murray
Reviewed by Susan Ko, Ph.D.
February 06, 2025
Cognitive distortions, or thinking traps, are unhelpful or inaccurate thoughts, perceptions, or beliefs that we all can have. When thinking traps become frequent, they can hold us back and negatively affect our mental well‑being. They may even contribute to feeling anxious or depressed. What to Know About Thinking Traps The concept of cognitive distortions comes from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a type of psychological treatment. In CBT, people learn to challenge unhelpful patterns of thinking about themselves and the world in order to change unwanted behaviors and help improve their mental health. 7 Thinking Traps to Be Aware of Catastrophizing Thinking that the worst result has or will happen, no matter how unlikely Example: My partner broke up with me. I’ll never find love again and be lonely all my life. Jumping to Conclusions Thinking you know the result of a situation before you have all the information Example: My boss wants to talk to me tomorrow. I must be getting fired. Magnifying and Minimizing Overvaluing the negative and undervaluing the positive, leading to overwhelming negativity Example: I know that I’ve gotten some As in school. But I can’t stop thinking about that one C I got. I’m a terrible student. Mindreading Assuming you know someone else’s thoughts or intentions or assuming someone else knows yours. Example: Why would he ask me to make dinner? Doesn’t he know I’ve had a really hard day? He must think I have nothing better to do. Overgeneralizing Using one event to draw conclusions about how every other similar event will end up or attributing the causes of problems to someone’s character rather than their behavior in a situation Example: She didn’t wish me a happy birthday; she is a rude person. Personalizing Blaming yourself for a negative outcome that wasn’t in your control, often resulting in low self-worth and sadness Example: My child is getting bullied at school. It’s all my fault for not sending him to private school. Tunnel Vision Only paying attention to negative information in your environment or information that supports your existing beliefs Example: Did you see that someone didn’t eat my lasagna? I knew I was a terrible cook. How to Escape a Trap To combat thinking traps, you’ll need to challenge your unhelpful thoughts and perceptions. Recognize that you’re trapped. This seems like it could be one of those tricks my mind likes to play. Label it. Which thinking trap does it seem like I’m falling into right now? Ask yourself these key questions. How do I know this? What am I missing? What else might be true? You can also challenge your thinking based on what thinking trap you’re in.   If you’re catastrophizing… Ask yourself: Is that really likely to happen? What’s more likely to happen? What is the best-case scenario? If you’re jumping to conclusions… Ask yourself: Do I have all the information yet? Can I wait until I know more before coming to a conclusion? If you’re magnifying and minimizing… Ask yourself: What are the positives and negatives of this situation? Can I challenge myself to see the full picture and even value the positive more than the negative? If you’re mindreading… Ask yourself: How do I actually know that that is what they are thinking? Did I ask them what their thoughts or intentions are? Did I make my beliefs or feelings known? Am I asking the other person to work too hard at figuring out my needs? If you’re overgeneralizing… Ask yourself: Could this situation be unique? What other things could have contributed to the outcome? If you’re personalizing… Ask yourself: How much of the situation was under my control? Did anyone or anything else contribute to this situation? If you have tunnel vision… Ask yourself: Is it possible that there is evidence from the situation the contradicts my beliefs? Can I ask someone else for their view of the situation to get a fuller picture? Learning to identify and escape thinking traps can save you from spiraling into more severe depressed or anxious thoughts. By being aware of your thoughts and asking the right questions, you can confront obstacles with more resilience and find your way toward greater well‑being. Sources:  American Psychological Association. (2018) Cognitive distortion.  Beck, A. (1963) Thinking and depression: I. Idiosyncratic content and cognitive distortions. Archives of General Psychiatry.  Chand et al. (2024) Cognitive Behavior Therapy. StatPearls. 

Cognitive distortions, or thinking traps, are unhelpful or inaccurate thoughts, perceptions, or beliefs that we all can have. When thinking traps become frequent, they can hold us back and negatively affect our mental well‑being. They may even contribute to feeling anxious or depressed.

What to Know About Thinking Traps

The concept of cognitive distortions comes from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a type of psychological treatment.

In CBT, people learn to challenge unhelpful patterns of thinking about themselves and the world in order to change unwanted behaviors and help improve their mental health.

7 Thinking Traps to Be Aware of

Catastrophizing

Thinking that the worst result has or will happen, no matter how unlikely

Example: My partner broke up with me. I’ll never find love again and be lonely all my life.

Jumping to Conclusions

Thinking you know the result of a situation before you have all the information

Example: My boss wants to talk to me tomorrow. I must be getting fired.

Magnifying and Minimizing

Overvaluing the negative and undervaluing the positive, leading to overwhelming negativity

Example: I know that I’ve gotten some As in school. But I can’t stop thinking about that one C I got. I’m a terrible student.

Mindreading

Assuming you know someone else’s thoughts or intentions or assuming someone else knows yours.

Example: Why would he ask me to make dinner? Doesn’t he know I’ve had a really hard day? He must think I have nothing better to do.

Overgeneralizing

Using one event to draw conclusions about how every other similar event will end up or attributing the causes of problems to someone’s character rather than their behavior in a situation

Example: She didn’t wish me a happy birthday; she is a rude person.

Personalizing

Blaming yourself for a negative outcome that wasn’t in your control, often resulting in low self-worth and sadness

Example: My child is getting bullied at school. It’s all my fault for not sending him to private school.

Tunnel Vision

Only paying attention to negative information in your environment or information that supports your existing beliefs

Example: Did you see that someone didn’t eat my lasagna? I knew I was a terrible cook.

How to Escape a Trap

To combat thinking traps, you’ll need to challenge your unhelpful thoughts and perceptions.

  1. Recognize that you’re trapped. This seems like it could be one of those tricks my mind likes to play.
  2. Label it. Which thinking trap does it seem like I’m falling into right now?
  3. Ask yourself these key questions. How do I know this? What am I missing? What else might be true?

You can also challenge your thinking based on what thinking trap you’re in.  

If you’re catastrophizing…

Ask yourself: Is that really likely to happen? What’s more likely to happen? What is the best-case scenario?

If you’re jumping to conclusions...

Ask yourself: Do I have all the information yet? Can I wait until I know more before coming to a conclusion?

If you’re magnifying and minimizing…

Ask yourself: What are the positives and negatives of this situation? Can I challenge myself to see the full picture and even value the positive more than the negative?

If you’re mindreading…

Ask yourself: How do I actually know that that is what they are thinking? Did I ask them what their thoughts or intentions are? Did I make my beliefs or feelings known? Am I asking the other person to work too hard at figuring out my needs?

If you’re overgeneralizing…

Ask yourself: Could this situation be unique? What other things could have contributed to the outcome?

If you’re personalizing…

Ask yourself: How much of the situation was under my control? Did anyone or anything else contribute to this situation?

If you have tunnel vision…

Ask yourself: Is it possible that there is evidence from the situation the contradicts my beliefs? Can I ask someone else for their view of the situation to get a fuller picture?

Learning to identify and escape thinking traps can save you from spiraling into more severe depressed or anxious thoughts. By being aware of your thoughts and asking the right questions, you can confront obstacles with more resilience and find your way toward greater well‑being.

Sources:

American Psychological Association. (2018) Cognitive distortion.

Beck, A. (1963) Thinking and depression: I. Idiosyncratic content and cognitive distortions. Archives of General Psychiatry.

Chand et al. (2024) Cognitive Behavior Therapy. StatPearls.