The Problem

 “The problem is not the problem. The problem is the incredible amount of overthinking you’re doing with the problem. Let it go and be free.” (MarcandAngel)

Catastrophizing is when someone assumes that the worst will happen. Often, it involves believing that you’re in a worse situation than you really are or exaggerating the difficulties you face. Catastrophizing is a word that describes my personality perfectly. I always assume the worst will happen instead of the good.

Thank goodness my negative attitude about certain life situations doesn’t come true. I even get angry at other people when they try to correct me on my pessimistic outlook. I am adept at finding the negativity of any positive situation. If I just described you above, here are 4 ways to help you to stop catastrophizing:

Ask questions: When you catch yourself predicting a terrible outcome, stop and ask yourself: “Is this something that I know to be true today? Is this outcome truly a catastrophe, or is it just unpleasant? What other possible outcomes are there? Are any of them positive?”

Be kind to yourself: Realize that catastrophizing is natural, and something you do occasionally. Don’t beat yourself up. Instead, give yourself the space and the time to reflect and adjust. You won’t stop catastrophizing overnight. It is a process, one that can take place over a lifetime. Real life is unpredictable. Seldom do you experience true catastrophes. Even if you do, negative experiences are not always 100 percent horrible.

Think about this. The hardest and worst times in your life have contained moments of hope and even small flickers of joy. Our apocalyptic visions of the future do not take these details into account. They make you fearful when there is nothing to fear. Sometimes life’s small things don’t need to be over thought, but appreciated just as they are. Life is often not as it appears to be upon closer inspection.

Have faith in your ability to cope: So what if that horrible thing does happen? Think about how you would react, and what you would do to make the outcome more positive. Reflect on past experience as you’ll. How did you overcome past hardships? You’ll likely find comfort in knowing that you can get through difficult times.

Recognize it: Become aware of your own thought patterns. Take it a step further and write down your worries throughout the day in a journal. Both of these activities allow you to step back and observe your own thoughts, rather than actively engaging with them. Eventually, you’ll see your worst-case scenarios for what they are: just thoughts, nothing more.

“I’ve got 99 problems, and 86 of them are completely made up scenarios in my head that I’m stressing about for absolutely no logical reason.” (Bill Murray)[i]

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[i] Adapted from:

·       “4 things to remember the next time you’re spiraling” by Robin Galante

·       “Catastrophizing: What You Need to Know to Stop Worrying” by Sian Ferguson

This post was inspired by the TV series, Mothers-in-Law (1967-1969), and this quote from the show: “There’s nothing too little that it can’t be blown out of proportion.”