Because we only construct our reality based on the filtered crumbs of information, rather than the whole cake, if that information isn’t balanced (like ignoring any positives and only absorbing the negatives), the result is a cognitive distortion or skewed perception of reality. But these shortcuts are made for speed rather than accuracy, which can leave us vulnerable to making errors in our interpretations. That filtering process and those shortcuts mean we’re able to judge situations quickly, and prevents us from going insane from sensory overload. That second’s worth of information is then filtered so that consciously we can focus on somewhere between seven and 40 pieces. Humans are so good at this that the subconscious mind can take in about 20 million different pieces of information via our main senses in just one second. We have to be selective about what information we pay attention to, because there’s simply too much information and too many possible stimuli in any given environment for our brains to possibly process. This means we each create our own individual reality by consciously and unconsciously selecting what to pay attention to, based on our interests and previous experience.
We all take in snapshot scenes from our surroundings, the information from which we make a best guess at interpreting.
The second notices the gentle breeze, the blossoms on the trees, and the delicious smell of garlic bread in the air. The first notices the broken glass, the dog poo, and a couple shouting angrily at each other. Imagine two people are walking down a busy street side by side.
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Research has shown that negative self-talk like “I’m so stupid” can have a domino effect leading to self-defeating emotions such as anxiety, which can lead to self-defeating actions like bunking off school, which can lead to severe issues such as depression if left unchecked.įortunately, it only takes a few simple steps to teach teens how to refocus and unskew their cognitive distortions or climb out of their thought holes.
“Cognitive distortion” is the psychological term for skewed or distorted perceptions of reality, and describes the usually negative interpretations a person makes of day-to-day situations that are based on poor, negative, or false assumptions. When kids who get into a habit of negative thinking face difficult situations, they can get weighed down by cognitive distortions (sometimes referred to as thought holes). It’s normal for them to jump to conclusions or let things blow way out of proportion sometimes, but regular unchecked negative self-talk can be insidious. Occasional negative thoughts are not unusual for teens (and adults too). Is your teen a negative Nelly, jumping to the worst conclusion all the time, or constantly thinking of the most depressing outcome of a situation? Amber Hall explains why “cognitive distortion” can cause teens to get into a habit of negative thinking – and how to help them break out of it.
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