The 6 Common Thinking Errors

Because most of the time, our thoughts aren’t 100% true.

Hi friends,

Today I wanted to share a book that I read a couple of months ago. I picked up this book because I was under a lot of stress to the point of burning out due to the new and overwhelming things I got myself into (e.g., I became fully hands-on on my research project). I didn’t finish reading the book #classicsheehan, but— I reached the part that resonated with me and learned a lot from it.

The book's title is The Burnout Fix by Dr. Jacinta M. Jimenez. In the first part of her book, she highlighted what we all have called negativity bias. It means that our brains tend to register negative stimuli readily so we can act on them and keep us alive. Our ancestors needed this to keep them safe from threats. However, today's world is not one where we are frequently faced with wild animals waiting to prey on us. Our negativity bias automatically kicks in when we let our minds run on default. She shared six common thinking errors— this is the exciting part because these called me out. I inserted some situations that could better explain them.

1. Mind reading

   • Situation: I noticed that my PI doesn’t give affirmations very often and doesn’t assign me things to do.

   • Thinking error: I thought this was because my work is mediocre, or I thought I wasn’t working hard enough.

   • Reality: I’m a hard worker. My PI has gotten better in her mentoring style and provides feedback and affirmations that keep me motivated. Sometimes, she doesn’t assign me things to do, not because I can’t handle it but because she wants to lighten my load. (She’s adorable.)

2. All-or-nothing thinking

   • Situation: I was rejected for two summer research programs that I applied to.

   • Thinking error: F********ck. My essay probably sucked, or my grades were subpar. I won’t have off-campus research this summer.

   • Reality: Chill. You applied to 10+ programs. The majority of them will send their decision in mid-April. Even if the rest doesn’t give you a spot, you know you’ll find a way.

3. Mental filter

   • Situation: (This is classic, especially if you’re a perfectionist, lol) I worked hard on an exam and got a 90%.

   • Thinking error: I made stupid mistakes, and they still bother me. I could have gotten a perfect score if I studied more ~I feel like a fraud~

   • Reality: Sheehan, relax. 90% > 10% I got more correct answers than incorrect ones. Give more credit to yourself!

4. Fortune telling

   • Situation: I was assigned to lead an event on short notice.

   • Thinking error: I know this will fail because we need more time for planning! The pressure!!!

   • Reality: I received a lot of fantastic feedback about the event. And many people helped make the event a success.

5. Personalization

   • Situation: I asked a question in a meeting, but I stuttered and spoke too fast since I was very nervous. I kinda forgot how to speak English for a hot minute.

   • Thinking error: I think I made a fool of myself for asking a question. I think I embarrassed myself in front of everyone. I could’ve just emailed the professor.

   • Reality: Half of the people in the meeting were wondering about the same thing but were too shy to speak up. The other half weren’t even paying attention.

6. Should statements

   • Situation: I find myself exhausted and in need of rest.

   • Thinking error: I should push through because if I don’t work harder, I will disappoint myself/others.

   • Reality: No one has infinite energy. I am more likely to commit errors and deliver half-assed work if I don’t get enough rest.

There are variations of these that you can find on the internet. Try looking up “cognitive distortions” and read more about it. I think it was beneficial for me to know when I’m committing thinking errors. By doing so, I can counterargue the voice in my head that prompts me to worry a lot. Because most of the time, our thoughts aren’t 100% true.

Sincerely,

Sheehan

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