Catastrophizing: How to Stop Expecting Things to Go Bad
Have you ever had one small thing go wrong, and suddenly your brain spirals into a full-blown disaster scenario? Your boss emails you with a simple “Can we talk?” and you’re already convinced you’re getting fired. Your partner is in a bad mood, and you assume it’s because of something you did. A friend doesn’t text back right away, and your mind tells you they must be upset with you. This is catastrophizing—a cognitive distortion where your brain takes a minor issue and turns it into the worst possible outcome, without any real evidence. [...]