Cognitive Distortions: Step by Step Guide

Identifying cognitive distortions (irrational and negative thoughts) is one of the most important skills one learns in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Here, I’ll explain in more detail what cognitive distortions are, give you a list of cognitive distortions with examples, and provide tricks and tips on how to identify and counter them.

What are cognitive distortions?

In cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a cognition is a thought, a belief, or an interpretation. But sometimes, we have irrational and negative thought patterns that lead to inaccurate perceptions of reality and negative emotions: cognitive distortions.

Proof that our thoughts are not reality is that people react differently to similar events. For example, imagine two people reacting to someone leaving them on reading for the last 12 hours. One starts thinking that the other person hates them. The other thinks that the person probably just forgot to reply to their message or that they were tired. The thought “they did not reply to my message so that must mean that they hate me” corresponds to a cognitive distortion called mind-reading (assuming what the other person is thinking). Our thoughts are not reality, they are just that, thoughts.

However, there is hope. Most of our thinking is done out of habit, so we can work to change our cognitions.

List of cognitive distortions

Now, I’m going to provide you with a more comprehensive list of cognitive distortions along with examples. Keep in mind that cognitive distortions can often be quite similar, so it’s not crucial to pinpoint the exact one. If you’re uncertain, feel free to choose multiple distortions or simply select the one that you believe fits best.

Identifying negative thinking patterns is a proven effective strategy to deal with anxious thoughts (1).

• All-or-nothing/black-and-white thinking

Perceiving situations in extreme and polarized terms, seeing things as either all good or all bad, with no middle ground or shades of gray.

Example: “If I’m not perfect, they’ll leave me,” assuming that any flaws will automatically lead to rejection, without considering that healthy relationships involve understanding and accepting imperfections.

• Overgeneralization

Taking a specific instance or experience and applying it to all situations, events, or people. Making a conclusion based on a single occurrence.

Example: After being rejected once for a date, thinking “No one is ever going to want to be with me.” However, a single rejection does not mean you are universally undesirable. There are possibilities of future positive relationships and we should not disregard the complexity of individual preferences and circumstances.

• Catastrophizing

Imagining the worst possible outcome of a situation and blowing it out of proportion.

Example: After making a minor mistake in a presentation at work, Lisa starts catastrophizing, imagining that she’s going to lose her job, that her career is ruined, and that she’ll end up unemployed and destitute. In reality, the mistake was relatively insignificant and unlikely to lead to such extreme consequences.

• Personalization

Tendency to take external events or other people’s behaviors personally, even when they have little to do with the individual. Attributing the actions or reactions of others to themselves, assuming that they are the cause, even when other factors are likely at play.

Example: When a friend cancels plans to hang out, Sarah immediately thinks, “They must not want to spend time with me because I’m boring.” In reality, her friend might have canceled due to their busy schedule or other commitments.

• Mind reading

The assumption that one knows the thoughts, feelings, or intentions of others without any concrete evidence.

Example: During a group discussion, Mark assumes that Sarah is upset with him because she’s not making eye contact. He concludes that she must think he’s boring and annoying. In reality, Sarah might be preoccupied with something unrelated and her lack of eye contact has nothing to do with Mark.

• Mental filtering

Focusing selectively on negative or distressing aspects of a situation while ignoring or discounting the positive or neutral aspects.

Example: After receiving a performance review with numerous positive comments and one piece of constructive criticism, Emily fixates solely on the criticism. She discounts all the praise she receives and becomes convinced that she’s a failure in her job.

• Discounting the positive

Minimizing or dismissing positive experiences, qualities, or achievements, often downplaying their significance or attributing them to external factors.

Example: Despite receiving praise for his artwork, Alex consistently discounts the positive by saying, “It’s not a big deal; anyone could do that.” He fails to recognize his artistic talent and undermines his achievements, disregarding the effort and skill he put into his work.

(Mental filtering and discounting the positive are very similar)

• “Should” statements

Imposing rigid and unrealistic expectations on oneself or others.

Example: Samantha constantly tells herself, “I should always be perfect in everything I do.” This places an unrealistic and unattainable standard on herself. When she inevitably falls short of perfection, she feels like a failure and experiences a great deal of stress and anxiety.

• Emotional reasoning

Believing that your emotions automatically reflect reality, regardless of whether there is evidence to support those emotions. Making conclusions about the external world based solely on one’s emotional state, rather than objective facts or logical reasoning.

Example: Sarah is invited to a social event, but she’s feeling anxious about attending. She concludes, “I feel so anxious about this, so there must be something wrong with the event.” In this case, Sarah is using her anxious feelings as evidence that the event is inherently problematic, without considering that her anxiety might be stemming from her insecurities rather than actual issues with the event itself.

• Labeling

Attaching negative labels or global judgments to oneself or others based on a single event or behavior. Instead of recognizing the complexity of a person or situation, labeling involves making broad and often overly harsh characterizations.

For example: if someone accidentally forgets a friend’s birthday, they might label themselves as “a terrible friend” rather than understanding that occasional forgetfulness doesn’t necessarily reflect the entirety of their relationship.

Free Printable List of Cognitive Distortions

And also last but not least, here is a FREE printable PDF version of the list of cognitive distortions.

How to identify cognitive distortions?

You don’t need to write down every cognitive distortion, but it can be good practice to identify one and think of alternative interpretations as a way to break the habit of negative thinking.

I usually create a table with four columns and use this format. I keep adding a row each time I experience a new cognitive distortion.

Thought	Cognitive distortion	Alternative interpretations	Date and context
I did one question wrong on my exam, that means I’m going to fail.	Catastrophizing	I did one question wrong, but that doesn’t mean all my answers are wrong and I can still pass my exam. Maybe other students also failed that question so they might curve the exam in my favor.	Thinking at night

You can record your cognitive distortions on paper or your computer/phone. I prefer to write them down in a Word document or a notion template, so I can always keep adding more rows and content. It can be done with a very basic format, this is the one I use. You can also check with your therapist to see if they have a preferred method so you can share your thoughts with them.

It can also be helpful to add a date and context so you can see if there are patterns. Do you tend to have more negative thoughts when browsing Instagram? Recognizing this pattern might provide insight. For example, I’ve noticed that I end up having lots of negative thoughts when I’m stalking people on social media. I always end up comparing myself to others holding myself to high standards and feeling like a failure. Knowing this thought pattern has helped me prevent it (I uninstalled Instagram as a precautionary measure, so now I can only check it when I’m browsing online).

Free Interactive Diary for Cognitive Distortions

Countering cognitive distortions

Recognizing a cognitive distortion can also assist you in countering it effectively. This involves recognizing its potential irrationality and lack of evidence.

You can ask yourself the following questions:

• What evidence do I have to support this thought?
• Is there another possible explanation?

Cognitive distortions step by step

• Keep a diary and record your negative thoughts

• For each cognition, try to identify what cognitive distortion it represents. (Quick tip here)
• Counter the cognitive distortions. Try to think of other possible scenarios, opening up probabilities, even if they don’t seem very probable to you.

Free Printable Worksheet for Cognitive Distortions

Sources

(1) Morgan, A. J., Chittleborough, P., & Jorm, A. F. (2021). Self-help strategies for sub-threshold anxiety: A Delphi consensus study to find messages suitable for population-wide promotion. Journal of Mental Health Promotion, 10(3), 123-145. https://doi.org/xxxxxx