Mind traps are common thought patterns that follow stressful events where the mind continues down a series of negative thoughts. In common language this is spiraling into despair. Recognizing common mind traps will help identify them and overcome them for the average person. There are at least ten common mind traps. A common trap is all-or-nothing thinking that sets the stakes inaccurately high. Another is pretending as if you can read another person’s mind. Some people will dwell on the negative outcomes with catastrophic thinking. Many will linger on what could have been. Some people will focus on the negative by filtering out the positive. Others will overgeneralize. Labeling is a common trap that many fall victim to. Avoiding mind traps and overcoming them will help people successfully navigate and cope with such events.
Key Takeaways:
- If you can recognize a mind trap, it becomes easier for you to free yourself from that kind of negative thinking.
- Check the facts about a situation before you start to cause yourself too much worry and stress over something that may not be true.
- One common mind trap is when people downplay their strengths and accomplishments and dwell only on the negative.
“When you’re under stress, it’s easy to get swept away by negative thought patterns that over-personalize and distort the actual event.”