Critical Questioning - Navigating Anxiety

Question 1

You feel a bit anxious before a work presentation. Your mind immediately jumps to, ‘I’m going to mess up, and everyone will think I’m incompetent.’

Answer 1

Catastrophizing

You’re assuming the worst-case scenario without any real evidence. Catastrophizing amplifies anxiety by exaggerating potential outcomes, making it harder to think clearly.

Question 2

You get stuck in traffic and think, ‘I’m going to be late and then my whole day will be ruined.’

Answer 2

Catastrophizing

You’re focusing on the worst possible outcome, even though it is likely that one small delay won’t ruin your entire day.

Question 3

You send a message and don’t receive an immediate reply, thinking, ‘They must be angry with me.’

Answer 3

Catastrophizing

You’re jumping to conclusions without evidence, assuming the worst without considering other possibilities like the person being busy.

Question 4

You receive feedback from your manager that you need to improve in a certain area. You start thinking, ‘If I can’t do this perfectly, I’m a failure.’

Answer 4

All-or-Nothing Thinking

This is seeing things in extremes—either perfect or failure. All-or-nothing thinking ignores progress and makes you focus on unrealistic standards.

Question 5

You missed one gym session, and now you’re thinking, ‘There’s no point in going anymore, I’ve already failed.’

Answer 5

All-or-Nothing Thinking

You’re viewing one missed session as a total failure, ignoring the progress you’ve made so far.

Question 6

You start a new hobby and struggle at first. You think, ‘If I’m not great at this right away, I might as well give up.’

Answer 6

All-or-Nothing Thinking

This kind of thinking focuses on instant perfection, ignoring the learning curve that’s natural with new skills.

Question 7

Your friend seems quieter than usual, and you start thinking, ‘They must be upset with me. I must have done something wrong.’

Answer 7

Personalization

You’re assuming you’re the cause of someone else’s behavior, even though there could be many other reasons.

Question 8

A co-worker frowns during a meeting, and you immediately assume it’s because of something you said.

Answer 8

Personalization

You’re taking responsibility for someone else’s reaction without considering other possible explanations, like stress or unrelated issues.

Question 9

You notice that your partner didn’t text you back quickly, and you immediately think it’s your fault.

Answer 9

Personalization

You’re attributing someone’s delayed response to something you did, when in reality, they may just be busy.

Question 10

You have a job interview next week, and you’re already convinced, ‘I won’t get the job, no one ever hires me.’

Answer 10

Fortune Telling

You’re predicting negative outcomes without evidence, which can lead to self-fulfilling anxiety.

Question 11

You’re preparing for an exam and think, ‘I’m going to fail, no matter how much I study.’

Answer 11

Fortune Telling

You’re assuming failure before it even happens, which increases anxiety and makes it harder to focus.

Question 12

Before going to a social event, you think, ‘No one will like me, and I’ll feel awkward the whole time.’

Answer 12

Fortune Telling

You’re predicting a negative outcome without any real evidence, and this thinking heightens social anxiety.

Question 13

You feel anxious about not meeting a deadline, and you think, ‘I should have worked faster. I should never fall behind.’

Answer 13

Should Statements

‘Should’ statements set unrealistic expectations, increasing anxiety and guilt when you don’t meet them.

Question 14

You forgot to return a call, and now you’re thinking, ‘I should be more organized. I should never let anyone down.’

Answer 14

Should Statements

This kind of thinking sets impossible standards for yourself and increases anxiety over minor mistakes.

Question 15

You had to cancel plans due to being overwhelmed and think, ‘I shouldn’t need to take breaks. I should be able to handle this perfectly.’

Answer 15

Should Statements

‘Should’ thinking creates unnecessary pressure and guilt, making it harder to manage your mental health.

Question 16

You notice that during a social event, someone isn’t talking to you as much. You think, ‘They must not like me.’

Answer 16

Mind Reading

You’re assuming what others are thinking without any evidence, which can amplify social anxiety.

Question 17

In a group setting, someone checks their phone while you’re talking, and you think, ‘They’re clearly not interested in what I’m saying.’

Answer 17

Mind Reading

You’re making assumptions about others’ thoughts or intentions without actually knowing.

Question 18

You didn’t get a reply to your email right away and think, ‘They must be annoyed with me for sending that.’

Answer 18

Mind Reading

You’re assuming others’ feelings based on incomplete information, which can cause unnecessary worry.

Question 19

You make a mistake at work, and your first thought is, ‘I always screw things up; I’ll never be good at this job.’

Answer 19

Overgeneralization

You’re taking one mistake and turning it into a broad, negative statement about your overall ability.

Question 20

You miss an appointment and think, ‘I’m always so disorganized. I’ll never be able to keep it together.’

Answer 20

Overgeneralization

You’re taking one instance and applying it to your entire self-worth, which increases anxiety.

Question 21

You don’t get a response to a job application and think, ‘I’m never going to get a job. I’ll always be stuck in this situation.’

Answer 21

Overgeneralization

You’re assuming that one rejection represents a permanent situation, rather than seeing it as a temporary setback.

Question 22

You feel anxious about a conversation you need to have, and you think, ‘I feel nervous about this, so it must be a bad idea.’

Answer 22

Emotional Reasoning

You’re assuming that because you feel anxious, the situation is negative. Emotions aren’t always reliable indicators of reality.

Question 23

You feel uneasy before trying something new and think, ‘This feels bad, so I shouldn’t do it.’

Answer 23

Emotional Reasoning

You’re letting your initial discomfort determine your actions, even though the situation might turn out to be positive.

Question 24

You feel nervous in a meeting and think, ‘I’m anxious, so I must be doing a terrible job.’

Answer 24

Emotional Reasoning

You’re assuming that your feelings reflect the truth of the situation, which isn’t necessarily the case.

Question 25

You have a panic attack in a public space, and you think, ‘I’m such an anxious person. I’ll never be able to handle this.’

Answer 25

Labeling

You’re assigning a fixed negative label to yourself based on one experience, which amplifies anxiety.

Question 26

After feeling nervous during a presentation, you think, ‘I’m such a failure. I’ll never be good at public speaking.’

Answer 26

Labeling

You’re defining your entire ability based on one experience, rather than seeing it as a learning opportunity.

Question 27

You had an argument with a friend, and now you’re thinking, ‘I’m such a terrible friend.’

Answer 27

Labeling

You’re giving yourself a negative label based on one incident, ignoring your overall positive qualities as a friend.

Question 28

You planned to follow a new workout routine to reduce stress but missed a few days. You think, ‘I missed those days, so I’ve completely failed at this.’

Answer 28

Black-and-White Thinking

Missing a few days doesn’t mean you’ve failed. This thinking pattern ignores progress and leads to all-or-nothing conclusions.

Question 29

You had a bad day at work and think, ‘This job is never going to get better. I should just quit.’

Answer 29

Black-and-White Thinking

You’re seeing a single bad day as representative of the entire experience, rather than viewing it as a temporary setback.

Question 30

You forgot to prepare a meal for your diet plan, and now you think, ‘I’ll never be able to stick to a diet.’

Answer 30

Black-and-White Thinking

One slip doesn’t mean total failure, but this kind of thinking ignores the progress you’ve made.