What are thought patterns?

Do you ever find yourself getting stuck in the same negative thought patterns? Maybe you constantly worry about things that are out of your control, or perhaps you struggle to break free from a cycle of self-doubt. Whatever your thought pattern woes may be, one thing is for sure: we all have them.

So what exactly are these pesky thought patterns, and how do they affect us? Read on to find out.

Understanding Those Tricky Thoughts

First things first: what are thoughts anyway? If aliens were studying our planet and came across humans talking to themselves, they’d probably think we’re insane. But really, we’re just engaging in an internal dialogue – aka thinking.

Thoughts can range from fleeting and inconsequential (like contemplating which flavor of ice cream to order) to heavy and life-changing (such as making a decision about career paths). Regardless, nearly everything that human beings experience originates with some type of mental activity.

A Fickle Beast

Now here’s where it gets interesting (and frustrating): thoughts aren’t stable. They shift around constantly based on mood, surroundings, past experiences…you name it. As much as we might like to think that our minds operate like well-oiled machines with concrete processes at work – nope! Things don’t always make sense up there.

For example: You could be feeling perfectly content watching TV one second- then someone makes a snide comment towards you/hurtful statement- next thing know it, Wham! That soothing feeling disappears.. Replaced by anger/rage/resentment depending on magnitude/belief/strength characters display through this unwanted interaction!

Weirdly enough though – despite all the fluctuations going on concerning thoughts & feelings-, certain groupings/thought combinations become repeat players…Just when think person has overcome particularly negative reasonings etc-It appears right back. Time and again, certain thoughts take root in our minds – and we call these thought patterns.

Types of Thought Patterns

Diving into the specifics of it all: there are countless types of thought patterns. But for simplicity’s sake, we’re going to focus on three common ones:

1. Catastrophizing

This is a fancy way of saying “expecting the worst.” And let me tell you: if catastrophizing was an Olympic sport, I’d have a guaranteed spot on Team USA. (I don’t know why I’m like this – trust issues maybe? Childhood trauma? Who knows!)

In all seriousness though- catastrophizing is pretty self-explanatory; It’s when someone always goes straight to imagining the most extreme negative outcome(s) of every situation.. Even without any evidence! This overthinking creates anxiety/depression/etc., making handling daily tasks difficult & daunting!

If this sounds familiar/mostly represents how you think, Take heart: You aren’t alone! Many people struggle with catastrophic thinking as well. Awareness/positive affirmations/comedy/self-awareness-(like what Is written in bold letters:”) can go long way towards easing such mental stressors.

2. Black and White Thinking

The hallmark characteristic here – zero room for grey area; everything exists outside or within predetermined categories shaped by one’s beliefs system / outlaid experience- The result = A blinkered perspective that sees life /situations/people only through binary lenses…& all humans know nothing rests or falls strictly under “two options”

For example: Let’s assume an individual has decided they established a healthy diet plan so they cut off entirely on sugar/moderately watch intake-Cue colleague at work bake party cakes using actual product-picture perfect while other colleagues rave about deliciousness …Someone who adheres to black-and-white style may see themselves/judge others against very rigid dietary rules. This can result in missed moments of present happiness.

3. Overgeneralizing

Another pattern- that as you might have guessed..Involves taking an extreme view & then interpreting all future experiences within that viewpoint; often opposite of catastrophizing-only ever favours the negative –

Every time a similar situation comes up to remind person concerned of prior failure/useless quality , they see it through foggy lens unfairly, quickly assuming same outcome irrespective different variables:this is over generalisation.

Example / illustrator: Someone gets arrested for stealing from grocery store…while being out on bail another shopping center staff member accuses them (wrongly)of thefts / snatches again-“see how everyone thinks I am thief,” Person may say at this point

The Takeaway

There’s obviously much more nuance and complexity when it comes to breaking down thought patterns -and managing these patterns – but generally speaking, understanding some basic ideas around thoughts provides helpful launching points!

Remember we opened with noting how thoughts impact actions/behaviors/generally create human experience-events feelings etc? One suggestion might include identifying and separating emotions from fact(s), counseling or #therapy/talk tactics.

It’s easy to get caught up in our own heads sometimes – but hey! Recognizing some basic tendencies around thinking is kind of cool too; These nuances shape who we are…. We humans hold incredible adaptive powers -even the ability to shift/change established emotional responses..One step at a time. So, let’s take control one head-full-of-thoughts day-at-a-time.

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