Changing Your Anxious Thoughts and Expectations
115but everyone puts their foot in it at times.” In contrast, people who feel anxious around 
others are more likely to think, “It would be a disaster to have others think badly of me.” 
Below are more examples of catastrophic thinking:
Examples of Catastrophic Thinking
UÊIt would be terrible if my anxiety showed during my presentation.
UÊI would not be able to handle making a fool of myself.
UÊIt would be terrible to be unable to think of things to say during my date 
on Saturday night.
UÊIf someone shows signs of not liking me, it feels like the end of the world.
UÊIt would be terrible to lose my train of thought during a presentation.
UÊIt would be a disaster if I blushed while answering a question in class.
In the space below, list examples of times when you have catastrophized or exaggerated 
how bad a particular outcome would be if it actually were to occur:
All-or-Nothing Thinking
All-or-nothing thinking (also called black-and-white thinking ) is the tendency to judge any 
performance that falls short of perfection as being completely unacceptable. People who 
engage in this style of thinking tend to categorize their behavior as being either perfect 
or awful, without acknowledging all of the possibilities that lie between these two 
extremes. As with “should” statements, all-or-nothing thinking is associated with exces -
sive perfectionism and a tendency to hold unrealistic standards. Following are several 
examples of all-or-nothing thinking:
Examples of All-or-Nothing Thinking
UÊIf I lose my train of thought even once, I will blow the entire presentation.
UÊEven one person thinking I look nervous is too many.