Thoughts That Cause Anxiety And Stress
Stress is a threat to each of us sooner or later as a result of various events and adversities. And if these situations and conflicts accumulate, they could even pose a significant threat to our mental health.
While we may be able to cope with these events and go on with our lives, just remembering them can cause tension which in turn can turn into stress and anxiety. Memories are internal switches that can cause stress, even when we are not really under stress in our current lives.
It is therefore very important to be aware of the traps and patterns of thought that we can fall into and thus cause ourselves stress.
There are a wide variety of common cognitive impairments that can cause stress to the wearer. We need to be aware of these distortions in order to redesign and make more effective the thought patterns that guide us in their direction.
Cognitive impairments that cause anxiety and stress
1 – Thoughts do not correspond to reality
We tend to think that our thoughts are right and real because they are so strong. Even others have accepted them in part or in full, and they have sounded with repetition between our ears numerous times, but quite true, these thoughts are mere thoughts and do not necessarily represent reality objectively.
Our thoughts cause us bias, distorting our image of reality and making us believe purely in our own thoughts, rather than relying on concrete evidence. In this way, our own ability to perceive can be responsible for the feelings of anxiety and insecurity that afflict us. Therefore, it is very important to first make sure what is really going on before we rush to the wrong conclusions and make false assumptions about the situation.
2 – Determining the value of personal assumptions when making an assessment
When we begin to believe that all our thoughts are true just because they seem to be in our imaginations, we end up as rulers of distorted thoughts. This type of illogical thinking occurs because people tend to form opinions and determine the value of people, situations, and events.
Once again, this kind of personal bias through your experience may distort your perception of reality. When we base our conclusions solely on what we think, we may be trapped by this type of distortion. Sometimes such thoughts may come to our minds at random and plant seeds of nonsense in them.
3 – The belief that all thoughts are equal
As we begin to believe that all of our thoughts are of equal value, we may begin to make mistakes. Some of our thoughts only represent our opinion on a topic or are the result of our individual judgment. Some of our thoughts may be important, but others may be secondary and irrelevant to the situation.
However, most of us don’t make that weird nest distinction between important and insignificant thoughts and, in addition, we are sensitive to quick conclusions that cause us stress. We need to be aware of those thoughts that are exaggerated or unnecessarily general in nature.
4 – Threatening thoughts
Sometimes we may begin to imagine threats in any situation and begin to believe in every thought that pops into our heads. Remember that not every thought is genuine and correct. Some of our thoughts can plant unnecessary, and often illogical, threats in our minds.
Those with thoughts like this are often inclined to believe in them and end up feeling threatened and stressed. We must be very careful about this tendency, and not give in to every thought that comes to our minds.
5 – Being trapped in the same stressful way of thinking
Sometimes we are trapped in thought patterns that contain distorted beliefs about permanence, inevitability, and personal responsibility.
These traps can cause an enormous amount of stress in a person who believes that stress lasts indefinitely (persistence distortion), but in reality very few stressors endure indefinitely.
6 – Generalization of stress status
When we are oppressed to believe that the effects of stress have become so widespread that they affect every aspect of our lives, then we are not thinking realistically and we need to review our way of thinking.
Pessimistic people tend to make these generalization mistakes. They begin to believe that stress will affect every area of their lives, and that everything will spread into their hands sooner or later. But really, this is simply not true.
Maneuvering our thoughts to make it easier to deal with stress
It is entirely possible to deal with stress in an effective way. We can manage stress by controlling our thoughts and not giving in to every thought that powers our minds.
Keep this in mind so you don’t end up distorting your conclusions, and start replacing your stuck thoughts with healthy and functional thought patterns.
