Spotting Your Mind Tricks: A Break Down of Commonly Used Cognitive Distortions for Teens Part II

Spotting Your Mind Tricks: A Break Down of Commonly Used Cognitive Distortions for Teens Part II

💭 Ever feel like your brain is working against you? You might be falling for sneaky “mind tricks” that make things feel worse than they really are. Let’s uncover five of the most common ones so you can catch them in action and take back control of your thoughts.

Our brains can sometimes play tricks on us without us even knowing it. These “mind tricks” can make problems feel bigger than they are or change how we see ourselves and the world. Next up, we’re breaking down five common ones: overgeneralizing, the negative filter, disqualifying the positive, jumping to conclusions, and catastrophizing — so you can spot them and start thinking in a healthier way.

1. All-or-Nothing Thinking (A Recap)

(The Perfectionist Trap)

Do you ever feel like if something isn’t perfect, it’s automatically a total fail? Like if you don’t get 100% on a test, you’re “dumb,” or if you miss one soccer shot, you’re “terrible”? That’s your brain playing the All-or-Nothing Thinking trick.

👉 It makes the world feel black or white, with no in-between.

But here’s the truth: life is mostly lived in the gray zone. You can be smart and still make mistakes. You can be a great athlete and still have an off day.

✨ How to fight back:

1. Catch it: Notice when your brain says “perfect or fail.”
2. Check it: Ask yourself, “Is there some middle ground here?”
3. Change it: Replace it with something balanced like, “I didn’t ace everything, but I still did well.”

💌 Pep talk: You’re allowed to be a work in progress. Nobody nails it 100% of the time. And that’s okay.

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2. Overgeneralizing

(The Always/Never Trick)

Ever mess up once and suddenly your brain shouts, “This ALWAYS happens to me!” or “Things NEVER work out”? That’s Overgeneralizing.

It’s when your brain takes one moment and makes it into a forever-rule.

✨ Why it feels real: Your brain is trying to protect you by making patterns, but instead it traps you into believing things will always be bad.

✨ How to fight back:

1. Spot the red flags: Listen for “always” or “never.”
2. Challenge it: Ask, “Has this really happened every single time?”
3. Rewrite it: Try, “Today was hard, but that doesn’t mean every day will be.”

💌 Pep talk: If your BFF got left out once and said, “I’m always left out,” you’d call her out, right? Be that kind to yourself too.

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3. The Negative Filter

(The Bad-Only Sunglasses)

Picture this: you get 10 compliments and 1 tiny piece of feedback. Which one sticks in your head all day? Yep — the negative. That’s the Negative Filter trick.

✨ Why it feels real: Our brains are wired to notice danger and problems first. But when we only focus on the negatives, we miss all the good.

✨ How to fight back:

1. Catch the filter: Notice when your brain keeps replaying the bad moment.
2. Balance it: For every one negative, write down three positives.
3. Flip the shades: Ask yourself, “What’s good that I’m ignoring right now?”

💌 Pep talk: The bad thing doesn’t erase the good things. Both can exist.

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4. Disqualifying the Positive

(The Compliment Blocker)

Someone says, “Your hair looks so good today!” and your brain instantly goes, “They don’t mean it.” That’s called Disqualifying the Positive.

✨ Why it feels real: Sometimes it’s easier to believe the negative stuff than to accept the good. But throwing away positives is like refusing free gifts!

✨ How to fight back:

1. Pause: Before you brush it off, take a breath.
2. Say thank you: Even if you don’t believe it yet, practice receiving kindness.
3. Keep a compliment log: Write down good things people say so you can remind yourself later.

💌 Pep talk: Believing the good about yourself doesn’t make you cocky — it makes you balanced.

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5. Jumping to Conclusions

(The Mind Reader & Fortune Teller)

Ever just “know” someone is mad at you — even without proof? Or predict your whole day will be terrible because you overslept? That’s Jumping to Conclusions.

✨ Why it feels real: Your brain tries to protect you by guessing what people think or what will happen. But most of the time, it’s just guessing wrong.

✨ How to fight back:

1. Catch it: Notice when you’re assuming without proof.
2. Check it: Ask, “What actual evidence do I have?”
3. Change it: Say, “I don’t know what they think — unless I ask.”

💌 Pep talk: Your brain doesn’t come with a crystal ball. Don’t believe every prediction it throws at you.

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6. Catastrophizing

(The Drama Queen Brain)

Spill your water on your homework? Suddenly it’s “My whole life is ruined!” That’s Catastrophizing.

✨ Why it feels real: Stress pumps up your emotions, making little problems feel gigantic.

✨ How to fight back:

1. Shrink it: Ask, “What’s the realistic worst that could happen?”
2. Flip it: Ask, “What’s the best that could happen?”
3. Focus: Put your energy on what you can control right now.

💌 Pep talk: A bad moment doesn’t equal a bad life. You’re stronger than your brain’s drama.

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🌈 Final Pep TalkYour brain loves to play tricks, but you don’t have to fall for them. The more you notice these patterns, the easier it gets to challenge them. You’re learning how to take back your power, one thought at a time. 💕

Stay tuned for Part III-The Final Chapter where we reveal the final 5 of the mind tricks.

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