“Perspective is a powerful antidote to worry.” -Dave Sweet and Sarah Graham from Skeletons in my Closet
Catastrophizing. The irrational thought that something is way worse than it is: “it can prevent us from moving forward, and hinder our ability to reframe or remove emotion from an emotional event”. This quote from Skeletons in my Closet perfectly sums up the impact of this mindset upon our daily lives and our future growth. Reading this book by co-authors Sarah Graham and Dave Sweet, I have realized how much catastrophizing has robbed me of moments of peace. Despite my new found acknowledgement of it, this concept is one myself along with many others experience regularly. It is key for individuals to recognize the impact of this mindset in which one must work to gain back their lost moments.
Throughout my childhood, I always had a tendency to anticipate the worst out of a situation. Did I do something wrong? Did something terrible happen? Was someone hurt? These were always the thoughts that ran through my head when I had been called to talk to an adult whether it was one my teachers, principal, or parents. It was through these times of worry and anxiety did I realize the importance of reframing my mindset to not allow my worry get the better of me. Instead, I use my stress and worry as motivation to buckle down and just get the work done. These past years I have learned that it is pointless to fret over the little things that happen within your life. Rather, you can find moments of happiness and continue to move forwards within your life. No matter what life throws at you, I urge you to not let the circumstances of your situation define your reaction, nor allow yourself to catastrophize what you anticipate to happen.