When we experience life, we learn about the world. This learning by experiencing can help keep us safe in a dangerous world. But what about when our world stops being dangerous?
The way our brains work can mean we can see danger where there is none. We interpret the world through the lens of the past and expect danger to play out in a particular way. We might think something is going to be like it was before, even when the reality is very different.
We call these mismatched thoughts cognitive distortions.
While understandable, cognitive distortions can lead to behaviour which seems misplaced to others. Or thoughts that stops us letting safe others in. We can become isolated or get into trouble for reacting to something that wasn’t there.
Becoming aware of how our world can be distorted, can be useful in re-framing our view.
This digital download contains four pages of information, images and a worksheet with space to reflect on any cognitive distortions.