Deep Dive with Ali Abdaal
Snippet 26: Cognitive Biases That Are Giving You Anxiety (And How To Avoid Them) - Dr Julie Smith
Nov 7, 2023
Anxiety often stems from cognitive biases that twist our thinking. Dr. Julie Smith discusses how personalizing events can amplify anxiety by turning neutral situations into personal criticisms. She emphasizes the importance of recognizing these mental traps and provides practical strategies to reframe our thoughts. By understanding these biases, we can foster a healthier self-perception and emotional well-being, ultimately breaking the cycle of anxious thinking.
05:49
AI Summary
Highlights
AI Chapters
Episode notes
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Personalizing is a biased response where we interpret events as negative reflections of ourselves, but acknowledging it allows us to disengage from anxious thinking.
- The mental filter is a cognitive bias associated with depression, filtering out positive thoughts and fixating on negative aspects, but recognizing it empowers us to shift our attention to more constructive thoughts.
Deep dives
Personalizing anxious thoughts
Personalizing is a common anxious thought pattern where individuals tend to interpret events as being about themselves in a negative way. For example, if someone doesn't wave back when we say hi, we might immediately think it's because of something we did wrong and spiral into self-loathing. However, personalizing is a biased and quick response from our brain, trying to keep us safe but not always reflecting reality. Acknowledging personalizing allows us to consider alternative explanations and disengage from anxious thinking.
Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts
Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.
