April 7, 2023 Written by Maggie Osinski, LCSW
Do you call yourself a "Failure?"
Riding the struggle bus is a part of life and does not make you a failure! Labeling yourself as a failure is a cognitive distortion called, well, labeling.
We often criticize ourselves with labels and then believe them to be true. Some of us believe them so hard that they become part of our identity!
Frequent and persistent labeling creates a negative self-image that leads to low self-esteem, depression, social anxiety, self-doubt, low motivation, isolation, and hopelessness.
OMG I'm labeling... How do I stop?
Here’s the thing, just because you believe the label you have created for yourself, does not mean that it is true! 👏🏼
We can learn to separate our cognitive distortions from our identity by using Mindfulness and CBT techniques.
◾️1: Notice your thoughts
◽️2. Identify the cognitive distortion
◾️3. ‘Zoom Out’, Fact Check, and Reframe your cognitive distortion
◽️4. Accumulate new evidence for alternative beliefs
Practice, Not Perfection
Practicing this regularly will literally create new neuropathways in your brain, thus changing the way you think and feel about yourself. Nothing like a little CBT and neuroscience for your Friday afternoon, am I right?!
So next time, practice using Mindfulness to identify the labels you are creating for yourself, and apply these CBT skills to call it out for what it is: a cognitive distortion!