Longer-Term Catastrophizing Work

My final tip on catastrophizing is to figure out WHY you are catastrophizing. What is at the core of it? And start addressing that. 

This is longer term work than the other tips this week, which are more helpful in the moment. 

There are often patterns to your catastrophizing. 

For instance, many of us catastrophize at work about either getting fired or people being mad at us or disappointed in us, but not much else. 

Figure out what your patterns are. Then answer these questions: 

▫️ Why are you so afraid of whatever outcome your brain is catastrophizing about? 

▫️ What does your brain think it is protecting you from or solving for by catastrophizing? 

In my experience, at least in large part, it is this:

You are afraid of the way you will feel if what you are catastrophizing about actually happens. 

For example, if you get fired, you are afraid of the shame you will feel. You are afraid of being less than less than. Or more accurately, that you will tell yourself you are less than. That you are not enough. That you are a failure. That this means something about you as a human being.  

Or maybe you are afraid of the embarrassment you will feel. Or the anxiety. Or the fear. 

Of all of the above. 

But by catastrophizing, you are feeling all of those things already. 

Which means you can handle whatever feelings come your way if the thing were to happen. It might not be much fun. It might be hard but you can handle it. 

And you have so much more power over the way that you feel than you think you do. 

Can you erase all negative emotions from your life? No. 

Can you always change the way you’re thinking and feeling immediately or quickly? Absolutely not. 

But you do have the power to impact your emotional experience now and the future. Even if it’s incrementally or just for small periods of time at first. 

You can start working now on the way that you treat and talk to yourself.  

On deciding that even if the worst case scenario happens, you are going to have your own back. Whatever that might look like. 

On deciding that you are still a completely worthy human being no matter what. 

On deciding that “failures” or “mistakes” or getting fired do not mean a thing about your value as a human. 

On creating new more helpful neural pathways. 

Right now the opposite is happening in your brain. You’ve (unintentionally) decided in advance that getting fired or making a mistake or whatever it is you tend to catastrophize over is a disaster and that you won’t be able to handle it. 

So OF COURSE you are going to obsess about it. That’s what your brain does. 

But you don’t have to accept that premise. 

A ❤️ note to you: This is exactly what coaching is with me is all about. Learning how to rewire your brain and how to have your own back. Send me a DM or sign up for a free consult at https://jenndealcoaching.as.me/consult, and let’s get started now on making your career and life feel so much less stressful. If you’re working on your catastrophizing with another mental health professional (which I also recommend), coaching is a great additional tool. 

⭐️Check out my prior posts on catastrophizing for tips for how to stop or lessen the spin in the moment:.

⭐️Grab my free Catastrophizing workbook and get yourself on the list for more good free stuff: https://jenndealcoaching.as.me/consult