Catastrophizing is a type of cognitive distortion. It's a faulty and inaccurate way of thinking that involves imagining the worst possible outcome in a given situation. Catastrophizing can hold people back in life, work, and relationships and we all do it in some way, and some of us do it a lot more than others. Understanding the natural psychological processes behind catastrophizing can help us build awareness and learn to create a more balanced and productive view of our futures. - - - Connect with Sam: Sam's newsletter on creativity - Explosive Thinking Watch the pod - YouTube - Growth Mindset Twitter - @samjamharris Instagram - @SamJam.zen - - - Chapters 00:00 What is catastrophising 03:00 Build awareness 05:52 Magnifying and minimising 07:15 The problem with imagined details 08:58 The human tendency to invent stories 12:01 Catastrophizing and being diagnosed with ADHD 14:56 Balancing worst and best scenarios 16:02 Social anxiety 17:48 Write a journal 19:10 Alex Hormozi selling gym subscriptions 19:48 Want and don't want chair 22:08 4 step method for mitigating catastrophization 22:13 Step 1 - Awareness 23:20 Step 2 - Challenging the thought 24:03 Step 3 - Imagine the best 24:34 Step 4 - Accept uncertainty 26:19 Catastrophizing is the opposite of Growth mindset 26:40 Therapy & CBT 29:20 Episode Summary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
No persons identified in this episode.
This episode hasn't been transcribed yet
Help us prioritize this episode for transcription by upvoting it.
Popular episodes get transcribed faster
Other recent transcribed episodes
Transcribed and ready to explore now
Before the Crisis: How You and Your Relatives Can Prepare for Financial Caregiving
06 Dec 2025
Motley Fool Money
OpenAI's Code Red, Sacks vs New York Times, New Poverty Line?
06 Dec 2025
All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg
OpenAI's Code Red, Sacks vs New York Times, New Poverty Line?
06 Dec 2025
All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg
Anthropic Finds AI Answers with Interviewer
05 Dec 2025
The Daily AI Show
#2423 - John Cena
05 Dec 2025
The Joe Rogan Experience
Warehouse to wellness: Bob Mauch on modern pharmaceutical distribution
05 Dec 2025
McKinsey on Healthcare