<p><span>In this article you will learn the following</span><br></p><p>-<b data-redactor-tag="b">36 Types of thinking traps</b></p><p>-<b data-redactor-tag="b">39 Tips HOW TO GET OUT OF Your Thinking Trap</b></p><p>How to recognize and avoid your thinking traps</p><p>Thinking Trap can be described as a phase <b data-redactor-tag="b">- when we get stuck in exaggerated or irrational negative thought patterns that can lead us to believe things which may not have anything to do with facts</b>.</p><p>Fortunately or unfortunately - <b data-redactor-tag="b">Life rarely happens in linear, structured and predictable manner.</b></p><p>And <b data-redactor-tag="b">now it is getting even more complicated, complex, and ambiguous because of the disruptive changes</b> - which are happening faster than our brain can acclimatized.</p><p><b data-redactor-tag="b">Our past experiences, skills and knowledge are not enough to help us deal</b> with the new situations which does not have any precedence.</p><p><b data-redactor-tag="b">As a result the levels of stress for almost every individual has also</b> increased to unprecedented levels.</p><p>Kid from the very initial school admission days – <b data-redactor-tag="b">start experiencing stress – at least in India.</b></p><p>Stress happens - <b data-redactor-tag="b">when you find – you are unable to deal with or respond to the situations or feel troubled from and threatened by life's changes</b>.</p><p><b data-redactor-tag="b">High stress creates physical signs and symptoms and triggers most unpleasant feelings</b> – along with many symptoms of illness or sickness – you may notice pain in many parts of your body.</p><p><b data-redactor-tag="b">Stress may also make you feel</b> - angry, sad, unable to concentrate or focus, feel tired, guilty, ashamed, and restless.</p><p><b data-redactor-tag="b">All of us may go through phases which may makes us depressed and puts</b> us in un-resourceful mental, physical and emotional states.</p><p><b data-redactor-tag="b">BUT the real problem starts - when you get trapped and hooked with negative thoughts of your own making.</b></p><p><b data-redactor-tag="b">There are many kinds of difficult thoughts and feelings that can hook us when nothing is going right and life is falling apart</b> – like - Thoughts about giving up or Thoughts that blame others or when you make Harsh judgments about yourself or Thoughts about the future difficult events which you are scared about</p><p><b data-redactor-tag="b">As a result of these dis-empowering emotional states - You might get into</b> fights, arguments OR may even withdraw from people you love or may start using drugs, alcohol or smoke.</p><p><b data-redactor-tag="b">Negative thoughts and feelings can trap you when they are progressively</b> increasing without your being aware about them.</p><p><b data-redactor-tag="b">Many of us are not kind to ourselves when we are in difficult situations -When you get hooked by these</b> unkind thoughts about yourself – you get pulled away from your values.</p><p><b data-redactor-tag="b">The solution lies – in getting yourself grounded in reality, giving space for things which can't be changed and engaging with the world around you in meaningful, empowering and healthy manner</b>.</p><p><b data-redactor-tag="b">36 Types of thinking traps</b></p> <ul><li>1.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Grand illusion of being expert in everything</b> – which makes you overconfident in your abilities without sufficient evidence</li> <li>2.<b data-redactor-tag="b">What if</b> thinking – you start imagining all things that can go wrong without any reasons</li> <li>3.<b data-redactor-tag="b">OVERTHINKING</b> – you keep reflecting and hearing and seeing what someone said or did OR you did or did not do</li> <li>4.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Tunnel vision</b> - when you focus on just one thing [which would be the most negative and at times insignificant one] and ignore powerfully positive ones</li> <li>5.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Selective memory</b> – you are only able to recall what is comfortable to you</li> <li>6.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Convenient thinking</b> – you are focused on only your gratifications</li> <li>7.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Short-term thinking</b> – when you become a major in minor insignificant goals</li> <li><b data-redactor-tag="b">8.</b><b data-redactor-tag="b">Giving-in to your impulses with very poor self-control</b></li> <li>9.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Taking everything others said personally</b> – although they might not be referring to you OR may meant completely different than what you have assumed or taking things personally when they aren't actually connected to you</li> <li>10.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Personalization </b>- Blaming yourself for events beyond your control or for everything that is going wrong even in other's life</li> <li>11.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Filtering</b> - Focusing on the negative details of a situation while ignoring the positive.</li> <li>12.<b data-redactor-tag="b">All-or-Nothing Thinking</b> -Only seeing the extremes of a situation.</li> <li>13.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Jumping to Conclusions</b> -Judging or deciding something without all the facts.</li> <li><b data-redactor-tag="b">14.</b><b data-redactor-tag="b">Believing that whatever you feel and think is the truth</b></li> <li>15.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Attributing the Positive to being temporary</b> or you having good times only because of pure luck</li> <li>16.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Picking data to suit and fit your beliefs</b> -<b data-redactor-tag="b">confirmation bias</b> -the tendency to seek out or interpret information to support what we already believe</li> <li>17.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Getting in the trap of Musts and Shoulds</b> – like – this must be done or that you should have done that </li> <li>18.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Mind reading</b> - is assuming that someone is thinking something negative, without having any definitive evidence</li> <li>19.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Predicting future</b> – based on hearsay or on insufficient information</li> <li>20.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Labelling yourself or others</b> - Saying only negative things about yourself or other people</li> <li>21.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Fortune-telling</b> -Predicting that something bad will happen without any evidence.</li> <li>22.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Overgeneralizing</b> – based on your past experience – you may assume that you will never succeed because you failed the first time you attempted it – so you predict the future</li> <li><b data-redactor-tag="b">23.</b><b data-redactor-tag="b">Overestimating your abilities</b></li> <li><b data-redactor-tag="b">24.</b><b data-redactor-tag="b">Undermining your abilities and strengths</b></li> <li>25.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Catastrophic Thinking</b> – makes you worry about the worst possible outcome of a given situation or action – and times these are based on very unreasonable, ridiculous and irrational reasons – them may get triggered from anxiety, depression, PTSD, obsessive compulsive disorder or another diagnosable mental health condition along with Brain chemistry as well as physical and social, financial, relationship, professional conditions</li> <li>26.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Me OR Them Thinking Trap</b> – You believe you are the SOLE cause of every setback and problem leads to formation of guilt and disappointment in yourself and may make you isolate yourself</li> <li>27.<b data-redactor-tag="b">When you believe everyone else is the SOLE cause of problems</b> in your life without your having any role -leads to feeling anger and aggression. </li> <li>28.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Helplessness Thinking Trap</b> – You believe that the negative event will impact all areas of your life and that you have no control</li> <li>29.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Mental habits making you</b> - worry, criticize, complain, doubt, regret, downplay, and generally bring us back down to earth. </li> <li><b data-redactor-tag="b">30.</b><b data-redactor-tag="b">I have got an unfair deal trap</b></li> <li><b data-redactor-tag="b">31.</b><b data-redactor-tag="b">Oversimplification</b></li> <li>32.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Magnifying any simple</b> event into a disastrous one</li> <li><b data-redactor-tag="b">33.</b><b data-redactor-tag="b">Making insignificant into a major</b></li> <li>34.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Comparing others strengths</b> with your weakness</li> <li>35.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Excessive Self-criticism</b> and berating yourself</li> <li>36.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Assuming that everyone thinks and beliefs same like you</b></li></ul> <p><b data-redactor-tag="b">39 Tips HOW TO GET OUT OF Your Thinking Trap</b></p> <ul><li>1.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Accept that chances of succeeding when you try anything new are just plain luck</b> – you can succeed in most meaningful goals –only after many trial and failures </li> <li>2.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Learn to face negative thoughts – without hiding, escaping or suppressing your feelings</b> - this is very-very difficult – but can be done if your focus gets into trying to find solutions </li> <li>3.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Start ACTING ON YOUR VALUES</b> - Choose the values that are most important to you</li> <li>4.LEAVE the situation if it is alright – at least temporarily</li> <li><b data-redactor-tag="b">5.</b><b data-redactor-tag="b">Take action to change WHAT CAN BE CHANGED</b></li> <li>6.Understand that trying to push away or escaping and ignoring - difficult thoughts and feelings does not work </li> <li>7.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Identify whether you are stuck in the Happiness-thinking Trap – if you are thinking any of these</b> - You can will be happy when you reach this milestone Or that you cannot be happy unless this happens Or that you don't deserve to be happy</li> <li><b data-redactor-tag="b">8.</b><b data-redactor-tag="b">ACCEPT THE PAIN THAT CANNOT BE CHANGED -Create space and stop fighting </b></li> <li><b data-redactor-tag="b">9.</b><b data-redactor-tag="b">Recognize and acknowledge that you have some negative thought </b></li> <li>10.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Learn to be aware about the triggers</b> – both people and situations that raises negative and uncomfortable thoughts and feelings</li> <li>11.Create your own response in advance to deal with these triggers effectively using healthy ways</li> <li>12.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Identify if there is any negative thought patterns for an extended period of time -they might become rooted </b>in your core belief or value system - the system in which you make decisions, behave and interact with others and yourself </li> <li><b data-redactor-tag="b">13.</b><b data-redactor-tag="b">Learn to use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – read my article in this website on how do CBT for yourself</b></li> <li>14.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Challenge your rationale of thinking</b> – find evidence to support or discard your assumptions and perceptions</li> <li>15.Identify what changes you can make in your habits – that would create empowering feelings and thoughts</li> <li>16.<b data-redactor-tag="b">When you have identified – what works for you – practice all those</b> to make them part of your nature as well as automatic subconscious response</li> <li>17.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Learn to let Go Of What you Cannot Control</b> - you cannot control how other people behave -even if you are absolutely right and they are wrong – no one can make anyone act like they want them to</li> <li><b data-redactor-tag="b">18.</b><b data-redactor-tag="b">Find joy in smaller things by observing all that is going well</b></li> <li><b data-redactor-tag="b">19.</b><b data-redactor-tag="b">Focus on things that do matter to you and your loved ones – long-term</b></li> <li><b data-redactor-tag="b">20.</b><b data-redactor-tag="b">Focus on taking actions that are within your area of control and influence</b></li> <li>21.Seek help of your loved-ones</li> <li>22.Reach Out For professional Help – if nothing works</li> <li>23.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Learn to Prove yourself wrong – by learning to challenge all your assumptions and perceptions</b> as well as expert opinion – through learning the science of the things</li> <li>24.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Learning to replace and counter your negative thoughts with positive ones</b> – by Remembering that your feelings and thought although valid – are not always based on facts AND that your thoughts and feelings never define you</li> <li>25.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Learn to view the events happening as objectively as possible by learning to separate your thoughts from actual events</b> – by asking following questions - What actually happened – are your reaction overly exaggerated – how you are coping are the techniques you are using working</li> <li><b data-redactor-tag="b">26.</b><b data-redactor-tag="b">Identify your regular thinking traps</b></li> <li>27.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Learn to gather and Examine the evidence</b> -Try to find evidence against the thought</li> <li>28.Check whether you are using - Double-standard</li> <li>29.Seek and confirm whether thoughts and perceptions are what other people you trust support</li> <li><b data-redactor-tag="b">30.</b><b data-redactor-tag="b">Experiment to verify your beliefs -Test your beliefs in person</b></li> <li>31.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Learn to create a balance in your thoughts by saying to yourself that it is okay to feel upset right now</b>—there's a lot going on BUT you are focus on how to get out of this situation -Once you have worked through some challenges, try to think of a more balanced thought to replace the old thinking traps</li> <li>32.Understand your subconscious Bias </li> <li>33.Acknowledge that difficult things happen in life </li> <li><b data-redactor-tag="b">34.</b><b data-redactor-tag="b">Learn to Say STOP loudly when you become aware of getting into a negative spiral of thoughts</b></li> <li>35.Practice self-care as much as you can</li> <li>36.<b data-redactor-tag="b">Ask yourself that what is the very worst thing that can realistically happen</b> – then create solutions</li> <li>37.Ask yourself if you are confusing a possibility with a probability</li> <li>38.<b data-redactor-tag="b">To avoid falling in your Happiness Trap</b> – identify what makes you come alive, what makes you feel confident, what makes you feel great about yourself</li> <li><b data-redactor-tag="b">39.</b><b data-redactor-tag="b">Find joy by experimenting with the following activities</b></li> <li>I.Reading a book</li> <li>II.Listening to music</li> <li>III.Meditating</li> <li>IV.Enjoying a meal alone</li> <li>V.Listening to audiobooks/podcasts</li> <li>VI.Taking a short walk</li> <li>VII.Trying yoga </li> <li>VIII.Sitting alone</li> <li>IX.Relaxing in a way that feels comfortable to you </li></ul> <p><b data-redactor-tag="b">10 MYTHS about suicides- Thinking traps can lead few people into committing suicide </b></p> <ul><li>1.Talking about suicide will put the idea into someone's head.</li> <li>2.Someone who is suicidal is determined to die and can't be dissuaded from that intention.</li> <li>3.Only people with mental disorders are suicidal.</li> <li>4.Suicide is easy to explain.</li> <li>5.Suicide is an appropriate means to cope with problems.</li> <li>6.People who talk about suicide don't mean to do it. They are seeking attention.</li> <li>7.Suicide always occur without warnings. It occurs out of blue.</li> <li>8.Therapies and medicines won't work</li> <li>9.Giving someone a hotline no. to call is enough.</li> <li>10.People who are suicidal want to die.</li></ul><div><br></div><p>#unprecedentedlevelsofstress, #typesofthinkingtraps, #howtogetoutofyourthinkingtraps, #thinkingtraps, #identifyingandavoidingyourthinkingtraps, #howthinkingtrapscreatesstress, #gettingunhookedfromthinkingtraps, #thinkingtrapsandsuicide, #thinkingtrapsanddepression</p>