The second most common thinking error, as in cognition distortion, is fortune telling. ( Link to post on First thinking Error)
You predict without actual evidence, how bad things are going to be. This is almost always about negative outcomes. I often hear clients say this, “The meeting won’t go well” or “I’ll fail at this new business” etc. And I’m no stranger to it too. But I try to acknowledge it, tap or change the outcome in my mind when it happens.
We often fall in this trap of predicting dire outcomes for ourselves. It’s much easier for our survival brain to think of the worst so that it can be prepared for it. It thinks that we’re still in the jungle. To change this survival brain based catastrophizing, we need to remind ourselves of how often things go exactly the opposite of our predictions. When your prediction fails, acknowledge it. That way you can train your brain to have more balanced reactions rather than predicting the worst.
