Common Thought Traps That Keep You Stuck in Anxiety - And How To Escape Each One

It's all too easy to get caught up in spiraling worries and thoughts when we're struggling with anxiety. Most of the time, trapped in a seemingly-endless cycle of dread, it feels like there's no way out. But there are ways to break through this, to reach a calmer space and start to find relief from your anxieties. All you need to do is know what thought traps you can fall into, and how to escape each one.

One thought trap many people get stuck in is an excessive focus on blaming themselves for their anxieties, believing they are ultimately responsible for simply feeling anxious. This kind of thinking only serves to exacerbate those feelings of anxiety and guilt, instead of helping you manage it more effectively. To escape this trap, it's important to remember that it is never your fault if you feel anxious in response to triggers - it's just your normal, natural reaction. Taking responsibility is great - but there is a difference between taking responsibility and beating yourself up. Allow yourself some grace.

Another common thought trap is catastrophizing - precisely the opposite of the first one. Catastrophizing occurs when we ascribe a catastrophic outcome to every situation, imagining disaster and assuming the worst will always play out. While these worries might be logically-based, the outcome almost never matches the fear. To break out of this trap, first acknowledge that your worst-case scenario is unlikely to happen. Next, focus on the present moment to break the grip of fear, and give yourself credit for handling it.

A third major thought trap that keeps people stuck in anxiety is perfectionism. Perfectionism is a habit of expecting perfect outcomes from our actions, having extremely high standards and worrying incessantly if those perfectionist measures aren't met. To break free from this trap, learn to accept the reality of uncertainty, recognize that striving for excellence is different than expecting perfection and focus on developing self-compassion over harsh self-criticism.

The last major thought trap is getting caught in a series of hypotheticals and "what ifs", prompting endless worrying and obsessive scenarios of worst-case outcomes. To break out of this trap, take a step back to observe your racing thoughts and establish a little perspective. If you can do that, it can help you to evaluate which worries are realistic and worth exploring further, and which ones don't need your attention right now.

Recognizing which thought traps have been keeping you stuck in anxiety is the first step to breaking free. Once you identify the recurring themes in your worries and begin to understand them better, make an effort to actively apply the techniques described above, to develop better tools to process those feelings and eventually to start overcoming them.