Anto · Guide · 8 min read
Cognitive distortions
Those mental shortcuts that turn a silence into a verdict. Naming them helps you not believe them instantly — without forcing yourself to “think positive.”
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Sometimes the mind is not entirely wrong. It just exaggerates. And in that exaggeration, the rest of the day slips away.
What they are
Cognitive distortions are shortcuts the mind takes under stress, fatigue, or fear. They do not mean you “think badly”: they are habits. Useful for surviving an intense moment; unreliable as a map of the day.
In practice, naming one already changes something: “this sounds like catastrophising” instead of “that’s just how it is.” The point is not to silence the mind. It is to gain a little air before you decide what to do.
Before you put a name on it, there is usually a signal: the body tenses, emotion rises fast, and the thought arrives closed — as if it were already true.
- The urge to believe it instantly (“that’s it, it’s true”).
- Absolute words: always, never, everyone, impossible.
- Anxiety, shame, or anger that arrive before you check the facts.
Everyday examples
You do not need a long list memorised. It helps to recognise the ones that keep showing up for you:
- All-or-nothing: “if it is not perfect, it is a total failure.”
- Catastrophising: “if I mess up the meeting, my career is over.”
- Mind reading: “they surely think I am a drag.”
- Overgeneralisation: one stumble becomes “this always happens to me.”
Exercise: look closely at a thought
Do this when you are not at the peak. If you are at 8 or 9, first come down a little (breathe, feet on the floor, a bit of grounding) and only then write.
- Write the thought exactly as it appears — without editing or “fixing” it.
- Give it a tentative name (catastrophising, all-or-nothing, mind reading…).
- Rate how you feel from 0 to 10.
- Note what evidence there is for and against, as if helping a friend.
- Write a more balanced version and, if it fits, a small action.
What this is not
Looking at a distortion is not “positive thinking” and does not downplay what you feel. Sometimes the thought points to something real; what twists it is the absolute or impossible certainty.
It is also not a diagnosis. Seeing a pattern does not say who you are: it says which habit kicked in. And habits can be trained — alone or with help.
When to seek help
It is worth talking to a professional if these loops will not loosen, they take sleep, work, or the wish to be with people, or if rumination leaves you with no room to act.
If there are thoughts of harming yourself, immediate risk, or you cannot care for yourself: seek emergency services or a crisis line in your country. Anto can offer resources; it does not replace those services.
If you want company looking closely at a thought — without pressure — you can continue on your phone.
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