When the sky is always falling – fighting catastrophic thinking

Dr. Tsasha Awong, an instructor at the G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education at Toronto Metropolitan University, defines catastrophizing as “when we make ‘mountains out of molehills’ and when we get caught up in believing that a challenging event or stressor is a bigger deal than it actually is.”

Those who tend to overemphasize or hyper-focus on their worst fears coming true see a significant impact on their quality of life and professional performance and may be more prone to burnout. The first steps to quelling catastrophic thinking are understanding it, learning how to work around it, and ensuring we aren't contributing to catastrophe culture.

Ancient anxiety

Anxiety, fear and worst-case-scenario mindsets are not just psychological phenomena. They are deeply rooted in our evolutionary history. These traits developed from our ancient ancestors and have been passed down over millions of years as remnants from when humans were literally prey. According to Slate, “Our ancestors evolved many traits to help them escape that fate – if not forever, at least long enough to reproduce and pass their genes along. These responses still frame how our bodies work today, which would be great if we were still being stalked by large cats. But Vegas performers notwithstanding, most of us are not.”

In ancient times, danger caused a hormonal reaction, increasing the blood flow to muscles and speeding up the heart – preparing us for literal “fight or flight.” Unfortunately, today, many of these stress responses can be triggered by ordinary activities in our personal and professional lives.

Bad habits

Catastrophizing is a common habit, particularly during times of stress. Awong notes that “Catastrophic thinking itself is not a ‘disorder’ that has long-term side effects. However, it is often seen in conditions like major depression and anxious disorders.” It can become a chronic habit that impacts daily life if not properly managed. Research reveals that catastrophizing is most common in people aged 18 to 35, because these years involve the most change and uncertainty. It is also worth noting that the prefrontal cortex of our brains (responsible for problem-solving) is still developing until around age 25.

Steps in the right direction

Identifying catastrophizing is a good first step, but there are other proven methods to deflate the power of intrusive thoughts. Regular practice can rewire neural pathways, making people less likely to catastrophize in the future.

Indulge yourself

Before letting go of these thoughts, indulge in three “what if” scenarios. Think of the worst-case scenario, and play it all the way through. This can be fairly comedic and help us realize that our lives can and will go on even if the worst happens. Next, think about the best possible outcome, and make it as dramatic and exciting as your worst-case scenario. Finally, think about a middle-of-the-road scenario, or what would likely happen. After this exercise, even something close to the worst-case scenario seems a little less scary.

Awong provides a social example for context: “If we thought that something we said at a social event would turn out to be a total disaster, but it wasn't, then we should use that as evidence against the faulty belief that something ‘disastrous’ would ensue. Our beliefs about events are just that: beliefs, and they are not facts. Our interpretation of events reflect our biases; similarly, these interpretations are not factual.”

Build confidence

Increasing confidence is a sure-fire way to combat catastrophizing. In moments of stress, it can be helpful to think about past meetings, presentations or examinations that have gone well. Some people find it helpful to keep a “kudos” file to review personal and professional gold stars. These can also be helpful when it comes time for performance reviews.

Be a goldfish

Apple TV’s Ted Lasso is popular because it entertains and inspires. In season one, Ted Lasso tells struggling defender Sam Obisanya to “be a goldfish.” He does this because goldfish are known for having a short memory. This advice encourages Sam to stop dwelling on mistakes and move on. This also serves as a reminder to leaders not to judge the mistakes of their teams too harshly, but instead focus on how they react to and learn from them. When leadership dwells on mistakes, they are more likely to cause the team to catastrophize, hide mistakes or have trouble moving on.

Self care

Self care and balance are essential to overall health. To quote a famous meme, “If you feel like you hate everyone, eat something. If you feel like everyone hates you, go to sleep. If you feel like you hate yourself, have a shower. If you feel like everyone hates everyone, go outside.” Exercise, meditation, talking to a good friend and journaling can also help.

Leading without catastrophe

Management sets the tone for an organization. Harvard Business Review showcases how the language used by leaders can impact levels of stress among staff, and suggests leaders should refrain from being overly pessimistic or constantly using negative words such as horrific, shocking, dangerous, or their euphemisms of challenging, problematic and undesirable.

Leaders may also unintentionally be causing their team to catastrophize by expecting instant responses (not respecting the right to disconnect), making everything an emergency or high priority in a non-first responder/emergency environment, and ignoring the team’s emotional needs. Another critical factor in catastrophic thinking is a lack of transparency, training and communication (this includes setting a meeting without an agenda to let staff know what it’s about).

More than just the Sunday scaries

When we start catastrophic thinking, sometimes reminding ourselves out loud to stop helps. If catastrophic thinking is negatively impacting your life regularly, it may be time to seek professional help. Consider speaking to your doctor about anxiety and depression or exploring therapy to learn and practice coping skills for future stressors.

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