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Every Friday on The Verywell Mind Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Amy Morin, LCSW, shares the “Friday Fix”—a short episode featuring a quick, actionable tip or exercise to help you manage a specific mental health issue or concern.

Friday Fix: Episode 204

We all imagine catastrophic things happening sometimes. Maybe whenever a loved one doesn’t reply to a text message right you automatically think something terrible has happened to them. Or perhaps every time your boss asks you to meet, you assume that you’re about to get fired.

You might tell yourself that you’d be completely destroyed if you got laid off or that you’d never recover if your love interest broke up with you. 

Not only do catastrophic thoughts overestimate how bad things are going to be, but they also underestimate our ability to cope if something bad does happen.

It’s a common issue we address in the therapy office–skills for managing catastrophic thoughts. 

Catastrophic thoughts cause us to feel awful. And they can keep us from taking productive action if you let them. While you can’t stop them from happening, you can choose how you respond to them. 

In this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast, I share a strategy that can help take some of the sting out of those catastrophic thoughts. I also explain how to move forward in a productive way even when your brain is dwelling on the worst-case scenario. 

More About the Podcast

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Editor’s Note: Please be mindful that this transcript does not go through our standard editorial process and may contain inaccuracies and grammatical errors. Thank you.

For media or public speaking inquiries, contact Amy here.

Download the Transcript

Links and Resources

  • Follow Amy Morin on Instagram

  • Check out Amy’s books on mental strength

  • Friday Fix: How to Find Inner Strength When You Need It the Most

  • How to Change the Story You Tell Yourself With Psychotherapist Lori Gottlieb

  • Friday Fix: How to Respond to Unhelpful Thoughts