If you often wonder about how to stop catastrophizing, think of the worst possible scenarios of situations and take action based on those thoughts.
Some medical professionals call this magnifying because it makes a situation look much worse than it is. Therefore, people with pain may experience greater pain when they catastrophize, as it worsens their mental and physical health.
People catastrophize for several reasons, ranging from depression to anxiety. Catastrophizing occurs when a person is fixated on the worst possible outcome of a situation and treats it as likely to happen even when it has not or is not likely to be so.
How To Stop Catastrophizing – 10 Ways
If you want to know how to stop worrying and catastrophizing, here are 10 concrete steps you could take:
1. Stop Exaggerating
Exaggeration is a universal concept. The French say it is making a storm in a glass of water. The British describe it as making a storm in a teacup. The Dutch say, turning a mosquito into an elephant.
Generally, it is making a mountain out of a molehill. Whatever description is given to it does not change the meaning, which is to magnify and overreact to situations at a particular time.
Research has shown that deformed thinking patterns can lead to exaggeration. You have an inflated sense of control(overestimation) or maximize the negative turnout of a situation (catastrophizing) to cope with anxiety.
Dealing with exaggeration helps you know how to stop catastrophizing and reduce your anxiety. To do this, you can start by being careful with your words to describe situations.
Ask yourself if that word truly reflects the reality of things and if they add value to the statement. Consider using words that reflect the true nature of things.
When you are just hungry, do not say you are starving; when you are faced with a problem that is just difficult, do not say it is an impossible task.
Even if you make these conscious efforts, you may still catch yourself exaggerating, so correct yourself once you pick up such exaggerations in your story.
You could take a step further to recognize why you exaggerated in the first place. Was it because you did not give much thought to how you could get your job done? Was it because you lacked self-esteem and hoped inflated praise would satisfy you?
These reflective thoughts would help you tackle the constant need to exaggerate and catastrophize when such ideas come into your mind.
2. Take Time To Rest
You might be wondering, what is the best therapy for catastrophizing? As much as there might be a long list of solutions to help you quit catastrophizing, resting is one of the most overlooked solutions.
When you are relaxed and not tense over a particular situation, you do not have to make it more significant than it is or build a castle from a case that does not exist. You can make rational decisions that will help solve that problem.
You can be assured that everything will work out in the end. The root cause of panicking and worrying over some issues can be a lack of rest. You do not have to get it all figured out now, but gradually, it gets better as you take the time out to relax.
Rest does not necessarily involve sleep, as both are different. Rest is neither a substitute for sleep nor a substitute for rest. Both are necessary to feel refreshed and rejuvenated.
You need to unpack your schedule and find some time to engage in activities that take your mind off the situation you are currently faced with – activities that put no pressure on your mind.
Start a new book, and try out a genre you have never read. Go for a karaoke night outing and sing to your heart’s content. Have a day off where you play with your kids or some friends. Do whatever activity can put you at ease and keep your mind at bay.
In the quiet of your mind, you can be relaxed before taking any decisions. This way, you see things from a different perspective, and your mind is clear to reach a profitable decision.
You are certainly going into the office or that conference room with a clear head, knowing exactly what to expect from the release of positivity you have submerged yourself into by relaxing. To take it further, you can have some `me-time”.
Take a break from your social obligations and be alone to recalibrate. This period of rest can also help reawaken your sense of vivid imagination. Practice breathing techniques and meditate when you feel overwhelmed by catastrophic thoughts.
3. Allow People To Help You
Asking for and receiving help is part of the human social experience and does not mean you are weak.
For many of us, the character of not asking for help can result from a culture where independence and individuality are prized and vulnerability and dependence are avoided.
This can cause you to bottle up your feelings and endure problems independently rather than ask for the help you need.
You may also struggle to accept help if you feel like you do not deserve it.
If you struggle with low self-esteem, you might feel guilty for accepting help or worry about imposing it on others.
However, with time, it becomes clear that asking for assistance is a valuable relational skill beyond just being ready to accept help.
This assistance may range from relatively minor tasks, such as shredding pieces of paper, to significant tasks, such as having to travel to another city to represent a friend at an official event.
If you like helping people, consider accepting help as a chance to give others that opportunity. Learning how to stop catastrophizing will have you assume that people are willing to offer help whenever you ask for it.
Take away that negative thought that those who ask for help are lazy and cannot make headway alone. It does not mean that you are not capable or weak when you ask for help.
You might be worried that you are being overbearing or worrying that you are burdening someone else with your problems. “Why would they want to help me?” could be the thoughts that run through your mind whenever you ask for help.
However, all these are self-limiting doubts that exist in your mind. You do not need to take heed of them. You are not overbearing or burdensome. People are ready and willing to help you.
Do not be shy to ask for help when you need it. There is no compulsory “you must do it yourself” notice on any billboard for the tasks you have to do.
4. Arm Yourself With Facts
Working with solid facts will go a long way to help you on your journey of how to stop catastrophizing. It is easy to move on with whatever you hear or read without first clarifying the factual nature.
When you work with facts, it is easier to focus on the truth and not an estimation of what things are. For instance, in your workplace, you know a lady probably has some bad blood towards you. You are sure because you have heard her speak rudely to you on different occasions.
However, in a situation where you are not sure, you can begin to think that the whole office is against you and already assume that they would never listen to you when you speak, thereby jeopardizing your chances of making a stellar presentation even before you do so.
Even when you hear news from others, go the extra mile to verify before taking a step. Get clarity and the full details on everything you were told because catastrophizing goes hand in hand with exaggeration.
More so, not everything you hear or read can be verified correctly, which is expected. However, you can resist the urge to ponder what has not been verified yet to avoid creating catastrophic scenarios in your head.
5. Do Not Rush Decision-making
Flowing from the last tip, rushing into making decisions is a one-way flight to catastrophizing. Avoid making decisions on the spot, especially if you have no facts, unless it is an emergency.
Before you can begin to make a decision, you need to understand your situation fully. You could still take out a few seconds before you act in emergencies.
Catastrophizing will have you making up the worst-case scenarios in your head of different decisions, and rushing into decision-making might bring those decisions to life. Take your decisions through a thought process before you conclude.
The wider the options you explore, the better your final decision will likely be. Generating several options may seem to make your decision more complicated at first, but the act of coming up with alternatives forces you to dig deeper and look at the problem from different angles.
Unless you are racing by the clock, do not act on impulse. One of the essential steps on how to stop catastrophizing is to go a step further to seek the opinions of others.
Let them in on the situation; this will help you see things from a different perspective that does not end in the worst of ways. Also, you could decide to sleep over the situation. Research it properly to guide your conclusion.
Once you have evaluated the alternatives, the next step is to decide. Do not be hasty to get an easy way out that you weigh your decisions on a faulty scale. Your final decision is only as good as the facts and research you used to make it.
After making a good decision, you need to communicate it to everyone affected by it in an engaging, informative and inspiring way. Make sure everyone involved takes the actions assigned to them.
Get them involved in implementing the solution by discussing how and why you arrived at your decision. The more information you provide about risks and projected benefits, the more likely people will support it.
6. Listen To Advice
You grew up to be so independent, brooding over and making decisions on your own without conducting or seeking advice. As much as that is a confident way to live, it could harm your journey on how to stop catastrophizing.
When you seek advice from others, you have diverse opinions and suggestions on how to go about the situation. However, be careful not to seek advice from just anyone.
If you have a case that needs expert advice, find an expert on the job to get advice from. If you have a situation that requires experienced points of view, find people who have experience with such a situation or scenario.
You can seek advice from trusted friends or family members, those who want to see you make progress or make the best decision for that situation. For the record, you get to work faster when you seek help or advice, as we pointed out in tip 3.
Do not be scared that people might steal your ideas when you share details with them. You must evaluate the people you wish to ask before you go ahead.
Ensure they are trusted and responsible enough to know what is public and what should remain private.
7. Stay Grounded In The Present
Many people wish to learn more about how to live in the moment. They ask themselves, “How do I stop overthinking and catastrophizing?” as they tend to live more often in the past or the future.
How often do you find yourself thinking about what happened yesterday or what might happen tomorrow? How does this affect your life and well-being? Certain situations can make you forget the things that are placed before you.
You become tired while thinking about past experiences and anxious about the future outcome. Appreciate the simple pleasures of life by taking time to appreciate all around you and where you currently are.
Turn off the noise and the news, and do not feel guilty about it. As much as you want to stay informed, there is also much misinformation. Again, the tip about being armed with facts comes in handy.
Social media can cause unnecessary and avoidable anxiety. When your life starts to feel like a record on replay, give yourself permission to switch gears and focus on something completely different.
You may feel all kinds of emotions, and you may be struggling significantly, and that is okay. Do not get stuck on past experiences that make you undermine the possibility of a positive outcome from situations.
Do not get carried away by thoughts of the future that cause any form of anxiety in your mind. Remind yourself to live in the now, in the present, where you have control of what happens and what does not.
Deep breathing and exercise routines can help you stay grounded and dwell in the present. If you are currently seeing a counsellor, take advantage of that opportunity. If you are looking for support, there is help out there.
8. Find Silver Linings
One powerful answer on how to stop catastrophizing is by finding silver linings in every situation. This is seeing the good aspects in challenging situations. It is having an optimistic mindset towards challenges.
This involves staying motivated in such scenarios where you usually have catastrophic thoughts. A heart of gratitude can also be fantastic to energize your positivity when you feel the worst in any situation.
Constantly declare positive affirmations for catastrophic thinking, such as “I know what to do ”, “I am not confused”, “I am not discouraged”, and “This will turn out better than I expected”.
Question those catastrophic thoughts you have in your mind because they are false. Fill your mind with thoughts of the best possible outcome. Another great way to find silver linings is to approach the situation with acceptance, courage and wisdom.
Identify what is within your control and what is beyond it. Take a chance where you can and let go where need be. Look at those scenarios from the perspective of opportunities to grow, learn, and improve.
Watch out for the negative thoughts of “What if…” that are self-limiting. This diminishes your likelihood of experiencing joy in that scenario. Always remember that you cannot see a shadow when you keep your face to the sunshine.
9. Believe In Yourself
You can be your biggest cheerleader or critic. On your journey of how to stop catastrophizing, believing in yourself is an essential key to success. Adopt a growth mindset that would help you learn, even from your mistakes.
Asides learning to stop catastrophizing, it is an excellent formula for personal and professional success. Do you criticize yourself when you make mistakes or learn from them? Are you focused on the times you failed or looking forward to your moments of success?
Even if you fail, you will fail gracefully as your belief in yourself is unwavering. You will inspire yourself to keep going regardless of any disheartening circumstances that may have played out in any scenario.
You have set an impressive number of goals you hope to achieve, but how can you reach your goals when you do not believe in yourself?
When you believe in yourself, you breed positivity, and this, in turn, helps you focus and be more productive. Avoid unnecessary comparisons of yourself and those around you.
Do not dwell on issues from the past; they are behind you and should remain there. Evaluate your current relationships and know when to cut off from anyone who constantly negatively influences your goals and aspirations.
10. See A Therapist
You might be asking yourself, is catastrophizing a mental disorder? No, it is not on its own, as it has not been officially categorized as a mental illness. However, it has different accompanying symptoms ranging from anxiety to depression.
Catastrophizing before a traumatic event can also be tagged as a precursor to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Everyone experiences catastrophizing now and again; it is when you suddenly find yourself experiencing the worst possible outcomes in your imagination.
But some people are better at handling these experiences than others, and some experience catastrophic thinking more often than others. When catastrophizing begins to prolong and spill into constant low moods, it becomes an issue.
Now the question you may have on how to stop catastrophizing would be, “Is there a cure for catastrophizing?”. Aside from personal coping, you can seek a healthcare professional (a therapist) to help you address the issue.
When they understand your condition and any other underlying symptoms, they can offer you guidance and support. You can consult other practitioners, such as mindfulness teachers, CBT instructors, counsellors, etc.
Conclusion
This article considered what catastrophizing is and how to stop catastrophizing. Low self-esteem and traumatic experiences are the root causes of catastrophizing. Different tips on how to stop catastrophizing were shared.
Ranging from accepting help from others, giving time to thorough thinking before making decisions, finding silver linings and believing in yourself. Do not rush into thinking of the worst-case scenario when you are not armed with facts.
Build your mind to see the best out of every situation regardless of the threatening outcome. Remember, the problem is not the problem. The problem is the incredible amount of overthinking you are doing with the problem. Let it go and be free.
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