Friday, February 12, 2016
“Since I overate at the last party I went to, I know I will overeat at every party I go to.”
Huh. Really?
Just because one event happened, does not necessarily mean that you will repeat the behavior. In fact, your ability to recognize the error in your behavior is actually a really good sign that you will be able to prepare and have a strategy to prevent the behavior from repeating.
When you overgeneralize you see a single event as a never ending pattern of defeat. It’s… well, discouraging and depressing.
So how can you beat this error of thinking?
Next time you catch yourself overgeneralizing, stop and remind yourself, “Just because I overate at this party, does not necessarily mean that I will overeat at the next party.” You will feel less anxiety, less defeat, and more likely to map out strategies of how to handle eating at the next party.
Remember: You got this!
-Dr. Norton