Spot Thought Biases to Stop Downward Spirals

You’re sitting at your desk when the email pops up: a client request you missed. Instantly you think, “I’m incompetent.” Your chest tightens and your focus narrows. Before you spiral, you pause and scribble that thought into your notebook.

Next, you ask yourself, “Is this mind-reading or all-or-nothing thinking?” You land on all-or-nothing: you’ve judged one mistake as total failure. You label it firmly in your notes.

Then you jot an alternative: “Everyone makes errors; I’ll fix this quickly.” Miraculously, your shoulders drop and you feel a glimmer of calm. You tackle the follow-up email instead of hiding under your monitor.

All week you practice spotting these biases. Soon your inner critic’s volume drops. You’re not naive—you still take your job seriously—but you’re no longer the captive of catastrophic thoughts.

You first spot the negative thought and write it down as a clear statement. Next, you give it a simple label—mind-reading or overgeneralizing—to defuse its hold. Then you imagine a balanced reframe that a supportive coach might say and note that beside the bias. Keep your notebook handy and glance at it when similar thoughts try to hijack your mind. Feel that quiet shift each time your new perspectives guide you instead of old traps. Try it next time you catch yourself judging too harshly.