Unhelpful Thinking Styles

April C
Apr 6, 2025
4 min read

Imagine this. Exam week is coming up and all you can think about is the stress that’s been piling up. Final projects are due, exam review just came in and things are going on in your personal life that are filling up your plate. All you can think about is that you have absolutely no time at all.

“I’m not smart.”

“I’m going to fail.”

“I didn’t get this question right, I can’t do anything!”

Stop.

These are cognitive distortions or a more popular phrase, “unhelpful thinking styles." As Aristotle says, we are humans with reasoning. Our consciousness allows us to perceive the world around us, trying to understand what is happening. However, sometimes our brains will take the “short way” and produce results that don’t explain the full picture.

These distortions happen automatically which makes us unable to notice them. However, they are very powerful and can impact how we perceive the world.

These are the common patterns that people tend to have. Which ones do you relate to the most?

All-Or-Nothing Thinking:

This is where you see the world as black-and-white. It’s one extreme or another but in reality, there are shades of grey.

Examples:

“I made a mistake, everything is ruined!”

“I didn’t get a 95… I’m stupid!”

Following the examples, you’ll realize how many of these thinking types interconnect.

Overgeneralization:

This is the act of drawing a general conclusion from one single incident.

Examples:

“I’m always doing things wrong!”

“I can never get it right!”

Mental Filtering:

Mental filtering is taking away all the positives in a situation (filtering out) and focusing on the negatives (filtering in).

Examples:

You got many compliments throughout your presentation but one critique made you believe you are a terrible presenter.

Discounting the Positive:

Discounting the positive is similar to mental filtering but completely dismissing a situation's positive aspects.

Examples:

“I passed the exam but is it really because I did well?”

Jumping to Conclusions:

You create a negative interpretation despite the lack of facts that support the conclusion.

There are two types of “jumping to conclusions” style. There is “mind reading” and “fortune telling”.

Mind Reading:

Mind-reading is when you constantly imagine someone else’s reaction.

Examples:

“She must hate me.”

“I bet she’s disappointed in me.”

Fortune Telling:

You predict that situations will turn out badly.

Examples:

“I’m going to fail this exam!”

Magnification and Minimization:

You are exaggerating the negatives and minimizing the positives in a situation.

Examples:

“Anyone could have done this…”

“I ruined my whole presentation with that stutter!”

Catastrophizing:

It’s related to jumping to conclusions but jumping to the worst possible conclusion.

Examples:

“I’m not going to be able to complete the exam and I won’t be able to get a job in the future!”

“What if I get a 0 on the exam?!”

Emotional Reasoning:

This unhelpful thinking style is when the person’s emotion is taken as evidence.

Examples:

“I feel so hopeless… Everything is going to fall apart…”

“This person said something that made me angry! They are treating me poorly!”

Should Statements:

You use “should” statements to justify your unhealthy thinking and expectations.

Examples:

“I should be getting all A’s on my report card.”

“I should be happy right now!”

Labelling:

This is considered an extreme form of overgeneralization where you define yourself with a label due to a negative incident.

Examples:

“I’m stupid!”

“I’m useless!”

Personalization

Personalization is when you blame yourself and see yourself as the cause of a negative event even though you are not responsible for it.

Examples:

“He hates me… It’s all my fault.”

“There is a long line of people… It must be all my fault for standing here!”

Next Steps:

These aren’t the only unhealthy thinking styles but as you go along, you sort of see the connection. Now that you understand the different types, what is there to do next?

You already went through one of the steps! Understanding and being aware of the different thoughts that appear in your brain. When you see yourself having these thoughts, try to alter these thoughts. Instead of thinking, “I am stupid!”, try thinking, “This is a chance for me to improve”. By having more encouraging thoughts, you can change your perspective and have healthier ways of seeing life. Instead of seeing grades as your only value, see them as opportunities for learning.

Here are some helpful thoughts:

“I can do this!”

“I will do my best!”

“Mistakes are a core part of learning.”

If you feel you cannot change these thoughts or they are distressing you, feel free to seek support and help. You will have someone on your side and there will be someone there to support your struggles.