CalmCBT

The 7 thinking traps, explained

A cognitive distortion (or thinking trap) is a biased, automatic thought that makes a situation feel worse than it is. Learning to name them is the first step CBT uses to loosen their grip. Here are the seven CalmCBT helps you spot in a thought record:

Catastrophizing

Jumping to the worst possible outcome — "one mistake means I'll be fired."

Mind reading

Assuming you know what someone thinks — "they didn't reply, so they're angry with me."

All-or-nothing

Seeing things as total success or total failure, with no middle ground.

Fortune telling

Predicting the future will go badly, without real evidence.

Should statements

Rigid rules — "I should never feel anxious" — that fuel guilt and pressure.

Overgeneralizing

Treating one event as a never-ending pattern — "this always happens to me."

Emotional reasoning

Taking a feeling as fact — "I feel anxious, so something must be wrong."

What is a CBT thought record? It is a short four-step worksheet — note the situation, write the automatic anxious thought, mark the thinking traps, then write a more balanced thought. Putting a worry into words and challenging it reduces its emotional charge. Try a thought record now ›

These tools are educational, based on established cognitive behavioral therapy techniques (Aaron Beck; David Burns, Feeling Good). They are not a diagnosis and not a substitute for care from a licensed professional.