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Marie Lanen
Head of parenting sections (baby, pregnancy, family), psychology and beauty
Your morning was going wonderfully, and yet, an annoyance changed this positive dynamic. You then trigger a “Domino Mindset” mechanism that will ruin the rest of your day. Shedding light on this thought pattern which can have significant repercussions in your life.
We’ve all experienced that day that begins optimally: you managed to catch the bus on time, your children ate properly (God exists!), you finally finished that complicated file at the office… But after these positive dynamics, an annoyance – a delay, a remark from a colleague or even an oversight or an error – the rest of your day seems completely ruined… Julie Smith, psychologist deciphers what is happening in your head at that moment.
A cognitive distortion that ruins your day (and your outlook on life)
In an Instagram post, the American psychologist explains “Every day you accumulate a large number of these small (positive) actions. For example, you meet this deadline and remember your friend’s birthday. But there’s one little thing that’s wrong, and in your mind, this is what happens: You forget everything good that happened in your day. This single event suddenly seems to represent both your past and your future“A mechanism is then put in place.”Everything is bad for me. I will always be a loser. I don’t know why I bother… Statements like this sound like a dominoes mindset” specifies the expert.
According to her, this type of thought pattern is actually a cognitive distortion that resembles an overgeneralization of your life. A domino effect which will therefore ruin your day, but also – and this is a significant risk – the vision you have of/your life…
Good in his body, good in his head!
According to the psychologist, identifying when these intrusive thoughts rear their heads allows you to better combat them. “Spotting when your thoughts might be biased helps take some of the power away from them. This allows you to be open, to consider another way of seeing things” she explains. We can also use a mantra to repeat to ourselves when we feel the shift coming: “No, I’m not bad, I simply forgot such and such an appointment.” Also think of all these little (or big) things that you have accomplished during the day, but also during your life. This helps calm negative thoughts and better tame them. Writing a gratitude journal can also be beneficial in order to better understand how you feel based on what happens to you during the day. If despite your efforts, you still fall into deep pessimism, a consultation with a psychologist can help you take stock of your situation and find keys to get better.