By Mia Bennion

Typically, we don’t tend to question our brain or our thinking – if you think it, it must be right…right? Not necessarily!

Thoughts are opinions, not facts!

Our brain can be our best friend, helping to alert us to any danger, problem solve and granting us with creativity and imagination. Unfortunately, sometimes it can actually be a bit of a bully and trick us into thinking things that aren’t entirely true.

Fundamentally, an unhelpful thinking style is a pattern of thinking which is inaccurate and unrealistic, usually causing a negative effect on your mood. The fancy term applied to these unhelpful thinking styles is ‘cognitive distortions’. Our thoughts greatly influence how we feel and behave and the presence of these unhelpful thinking styles can lead us to feel low in mood or anxious.

The unhelpful thinking styles listed below are super common and if you’re human, it’s likely you can identify with at least one. Fear not however! The first step to getting rid of these pesky unhelpful thinking styles is awareness and recognising that what you’re thinking fits with one of these patterns. Take a read through and see if you relate to any:

1. Mental Filter

An exaggerated focus on the negative aspects of life and dismissal of any positive aspects. Only noticing things that ‘fit’ with the negative mental filter is also sometimes considered as looking through ‘gloomy specs’. For example, dwelling on a single negative comment made by your manager and discounting the numerous positive and encouraging comments they have made to you previously.

What if you’re filtering out the positives?

2. Disqualifying the Positive

Conversely, you may notice positive aspects but then chose to reject or ‘explain them away’ instead of embracing them. For example, if someone gives you a compliment you may think they are simply just being nice to you, they don’t really mean it or they feel sorry for you.

What if they genuinely wanted to compliment you?

3. All-or-Nothing Thinking/Black-and-White Thinking

Seeing things in terms of extremes i.e. things or individuals can only be good or bad, right or wrong, either perfect or a complete failure. There is no in-between or ‘shades of grey’.

What if you or someone else is just having a bad day…does that make you or them innately bad?

4. Catastrophising

Imagining and believing that the worst possible thing will or has happened. For example, your partner hasn’t texted you back, as a result you begin thinking they have been in an accident or that they don’t like you anymore.

What if they are just having a busy day?

5. Overgeneralising/Jumping to Conclusions

Taking one instance or outcome and generalising it as an overall pattern. For example, you could be graded a C on one exam, from this you conclude you are stupid and not good enough to pass your course.

What if it was a one-off? How did you do on all your other assignments?

6. Mind Reading

This is my personal favourite as it’s one I frequently notice myself falling victim to!

The inaccurate belief that we know what another person is thinking (usually about us and usually of the negative variety!). For example, you might be giving a presentation on your research and you watch for any unpleasant expressions from listeners which might show that they think you don’t know what you’re talking about.

What if their facial expression had absolutely nothing to do with you or your presentation?

7. Prediction/Fortune Telling

The tendency to believe we can predict the future and make conclusions on the outcomes of situations, usually based on little or no evidence. For example, predicting you will never find love because you have been single for several years.

What if you’re not basing your predictions on the available evidence?

8. Emotional Reasoning

Accepting one’s emotions as fact – “I feel it, therefore it must be true.” Just because we feel something doesn’t mean it is true. For example, we may feel we aren’t making progress with our project, but that doesn’t make it true!

What if you asked someone else about the progress you’re making with your project, would they have a different viewpoint?

9. Personalization

Taking everything personally or assigning blame to yourself without any logical reason to believe you are to blame. For example, feeling you are the cause of someone’s bad mood.

What if they are just stressed with work and it has absolutely nothing to do with you?

10. ‘Shoulds’ and ‘Musts’ Statements

Thinking you or someone else ‘should’ or ‘must’ do something or be like something. These tend to put unrealistic expectations on yourself and others and usually lead to feelings of guilt and disappointment.

What if you or they are simply a human who is allowed and will most likely at some point make a mistake?

So maybe next time you’re feeling a bit rubbish or anxious, try and identify some of the thoughts running through your mind (maybe even try writing these thoughts down somewhere!) and check to see whether your thoughts fit with any of the common unhelpful thinking patterns mentioned above. Look for exceptions to what you’re thinking and gather evidence that your thoughts aren’t 100% true. Then, you can begin replacing them with more realistic thoughts. With practice this can keep troublesome thoughts at bay.

If you feel like you’re struggling with your mental health and wish to seek further information or support, the University offers some resources – https://www.studentsupport.manchester.ac.uk/taking-care/