Distorted Thinking

Have you ever convinced yourself that someone is angry with you because they replied with ‘K’ in a text message? Or assumed that because you ate one biscuit, the entire healthy eating plan is now ruined, and you may as well eat the whole packet? Welcome to the world of distorted thinking. Also known as cognitive distortions, these are habitual patterns of thinking that can skew how we interpret ourselves, other people, and the world around us. They are incredibly common and part of being human.

Distorted thinking can show up as catastrophising (‘this is a disaster’), black-and-white thinking (‘if I cannot do it perfectly, there is no point’), mind reading (‘they definitely think I am useless’), or overgeneralising (‘this always happens to me’). At the New School of Nutritional Medicine, we are interested in distorted thinking because thoughts influence behaviour, physiology, relationships, nervous system regulation, and ultimately health. The goal is not to judge yourself or police every thought, but to become aware of the stories the mind automatically creates. Sometimes the thought is true. Sometimes it is simply a stressed, overwhelmed, sleep-deprived brain trying to make sense of the world. Awareness is often the first step towards change.