The word ‘Cognitive’ means conscious intellectual activity, ie, our thinking. So a ‘Cognitive Distortion’, is simply a ‘Thinking Distortion’ and something we ALL experience from time to time. However, it is quite hard to notice yourself that you are having cognitive distortions, because our experience of thinking often feels so correct and accurate. Ultimately, we tend to believe our thoughts, and why wouldn’t we – we certainly don’t intend to lie to ourselves.

However, In times of stress our thoughts do become distorted, as the distortions are often a result of biases and coping mechanisms impacting how we interpret events and situations. Becoming more aware of your most common distortions can help you mindfully identify when a distortion may be occurring. See our PDF resource below to learn about the most common distortions, which ones do you identify and resonate with?

PDF Free to download