Have there been times when you worry too much, or even anticipate a disastrous outcome, even though it’s unnecessary? Do you convince yourself that a problem is going to be so huge to the point that you can’t bear it?

If you feel stressed and anxious over things that have yet to happen, you may be dealing with a cognitive distortion known as catastrophising, one of the many automatic thoughts that occur in response to events in everyday life.

Although it affects people from time to time, frequent occurrences increase your risk of depression. To perpetuate the cycle, those who are depressed are also likely to display distorted thinking.

What is it, really?

Catastrophising, also called catastrophic thinking, is when you imagine the absolute worst-case scenario. For example: “I feel sick today, but if I do not come to school, my teacher will get disappointed and I’ll underperform for the rest of the year!”

From an outside perspective, this sounds irrational. But for the person having this thought, it might seem true.

As with other cognitive distortions, catastrophic thinking may be triggered by situations that spark negative emotions. This is why it’s so important for you to become aware of how situations influence your thoughts and feelings.

The only way to address catastrophic thinking is to identify when it’s taking place. Once you are aware of it, you can practise these strategies:

1. Accept that life has ups and downs

No one is exempted from disappointments. This is just a fact of life. Learning to let go of expectations and how things should turn out will help make negative events more bearable.

Try to focus on what’s within your control. This means doing your best and accepting whatever the outcome may be.

2. Undergo cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

CBT has been proven to help change negative thought patterns. It’s also used with medication for serious mental health conditions.

If you find that catastrophising is greatly affecting your stress levels or, worse, causing you to feel depressed, you need help from a psychologist or therapist who can offer CBT.

3. Keep a journal

Jot down whatever you’re worried about. Getting these worrisome thoughts down on paper will not only reduce your stress but also allows you to keep track of negative thought patterns and work on them.

4. Practise mindfulness

Use mindfulness to relieve negative emotions. This means being fully aware of the present moment and not judging it in any way.

A review of empirical studies has shown that mindfulness reduces emotional reactivity to negative stimuli. Furthermore, it improves behavioural regulation, or your ability to resist unhealthy behaviours to handle strong emotions.

There are many ways to practise mindfulness; each example, simply by sitting in a comfortable place and taking deep breaths to calm your mind and body.

5. Counter your assumptions

Each time you find yourself expecting the worst, counter the assumption by asking important questions like:

• Is this the only outcome that’s possible?
• Am I only paying attention to the negative?
• What other alternatives are there?
• What positive thought can I replace this bad thought with?
• How does this thought serve me?

6. Ask yourself gratitude questions

Overcome catastrophic thinking by leveraging gratitude – a powerful antidote to any negative emotion caused by automatic thoughts.

Focus on all the positive things in your life right now, no matter how small they may seem. To kickstart your daily gratitude practice, ask yourself questions such as:

• What inspired me today, and how?
• What made me laugh?
• What have I learnt?

Write down these questions and answers in your journal.

7. Make time for self care

You may think that exercising, eating nutritious food, and getting adequate hours of sleep are only beneficial physically, but these have a significant impact on your mental health. They lower your stress, improve your ability to focus, and increase your resilience.

These positive effects will enable you to quickly bounce back from difficult situations.

Dennis Relojo-Howell is the managing director of Psychreg and host of ‘The DRH Show’. Connect with him on Twitter @dennisr_howell.