thinking pattern
Catastrophizing: expecting the worst possible outcome
Catastrophizing turns a setback into a disaster — and often adds “and I won’t be able to cope”. A small problem becomes the start of a chain of worst cases.
What catastrophizing sounds like
- “This is a disaster.”
- “If this goes wrong, everything falls apart.”
- “I couldn’t handle that.”
Catastrophizing examples from everyday life
situation
You make a mistake at work.
the thought
“I’ll lose my job, then I won’t be able to pay rent…”
situation
A friend doesn’t reply for a day.
the thought
“If this keeps happening I’ll end up alone.”
situation
You feel a bit off before an exam.
the thought
“I’m going to blank and fail everything.”
Why our minds do this
Imagining the worst can feel like preparing for it. The mind runs ahead to protect you — and skips the many steps where things usually turn out fine.
How to catch catastrophizing in the moment
- 1Ask: if it did happen, what’s the first thing I’d do? You’ve handled hard things before.
- 2Rate how likely the worst case really is, from 0 to 100%.
- 3Bring it back to today: what’s one thing in your control right now?