Your brain is the worst crystal ball.
At least it is when you’re catastrophizing about the worst case scenario. Because that is the only scenario it is showing you. You look into the future, and all you see are the bad things that could happen.
So… Not really a crystal ball at all.
But it tries to convince you that it is a crystal ball.
Showing you the truth.
Your brain was designed this way.
To keep you safe.
A useful tool for our ancestors. A very long time ago, the worst case scenario was likely and deadly. Humans were in actual danger all the time.
That’s very rarely the case now for most of us when we are catastrophizing. We usually aren’t in any real danger.
Although the brain has evolved in many ways—sometimes your brain still jumps to the worst case scenario. Because its only goal is keeping you alive. Keeping you safe. It doesn’t recognize that you aren’t in actual danger.
And the more you catastrophize, the better you get at it. The more often it happens. And without you even realizing it.
You think you are just “planning” or “preparing.”
In reality, you aren’t doing any of those things. You aren’t thinking about how you would handle the worst case scenario if it did happen. Instead, you are imagining it happening, assuming you won’t be able to handle it, and experiencing the same emotions you would have if the worst case scenario came true.
You spin out.
You feel terrible.
And then you try to avoid feeling terrible by distracting yourself from the emotions you are feeling or by trying to act your way out of those emotions. By making decisions you never would have made if you weren’t catastrophizing. By doing things you don’t actually want to do. Always feeling that low hum of anxiety - like you are waiting for the other shoe to drop even when things are going well.
Catastrophizing never actually fixes anything.
But it can feel hard to stop.
So let’s talk about how to stop. Join me for a free webinar in my Survival School for Associates Series:
Stop Catastrophizing
Tuesday April 16 at 1pm EST
Register to attend or to get the replay:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Hkt6fxVoR_S5EcVHsUX5lQ
