What to Do When Your Mind (Always) Dwells on the Worst-Case Scenario
Are you constantly haunted by the specter of disaster? Let's delve into the psychology of worst-case scenario thinking, exploring its roots, impacts, and most importantly, effective strategies to break free from this mental trap.
The most uncertain and unsettled years of our lives happen between the ages of 18 and 35
that’s when we are picking our college majors, graduating from school, getting our first jobs, perhaps even living on our own in new places for the first time.
- In our 20s, the prefrontal cortex of our brains is still developing, which means that now is a great time to hardwire new habits, such as slowing down and thinking things through.
Try decatastrophizing first:
Stop time traveling
- Stay in the present and in the room with me
- Focus on what is
- Play out your worst-case scenario
- Actively plan for the worst possible outcome, but don’t let yourself get too far ahead of yourself
- Rely on the here and now solution
The real cure for catastrophizing is confidence
The trick is to hang out somewhere in the middle
- Get more data points
- With every test Paul passed, he could be a bit more confident about the next one
- It is normal to feel anxious before a big test
- Paul needed to be able to remind himself of exams that had gone well
- He would go to a coffee shop to study for a while, and then he would take his next exam
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