Unhelpful Thinking Styles

Cognitive distortions or unhelpful thinking styles refer to the way our minds convince us of something when it is most likely to be false or inaccurate. These false perceptions frequently perpetuate negative thinking habits, and they may cause serious damage to our confidence and ability to succeed.

Everyone experiences cognitive distortions to some degree, especially during times of stress. For example, an athlete under competitive pressure might be constantly distracted by thoughts related to how everyone will look down on him if he loses. A sales executive may conclude that she is a failure for not being able to meet the quarterly sales target.

There are different (but related) cognitive distortions, and these include: 

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Year End Reflection

As the year ends, we tend to be reflective and often spend time absorbing the good and bad moments that shaped us along the way.

It is a great time for us to reflect on the opportunities and challenges we faced in 2021 and consider how we can make the next year better.

“A lesson will repeat itself until learned…”

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However, reflection and planning can be a difficult process.

For some of us, we may simply be unsure where to begin while some of us may feel anxious and overwhelmed by what ifs, especially during these times of uncertainty.

“What if my efforts are going down the drain again?”

“What if the pandemic takes a turn for the worse again?”

“What if I am deemed a failure if my plans do not work out?”

These thoughts relate to events that are beyond our direct control and focusing on what we cannot control limits our confidence and leaves us feeling helpless and anxious.

To escape these feelings, we may end up avoiding reflection and planning altogether which is certainly not ideal.

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Don’t Just Talk About It….

Model Mindset

Do we show our athletes how we face our own insecurities and push ourselves to have a go anyways, e.g., make use of new technology?

Do we recognize that we may not have all the answers and are willing to seek other experts, and even our young athletes for help?

Do we invest our time and effort in getting better and better (instead of feeling helpless) during this global pandemic?

Role Modelling is perhaps the most important strategy to help not only our athletes, but ourselves develop the Growth Mindset.

Coach Hansen