Mental Filtering is a cognitive distortion that causes us to think negatively.
Having a mental filter means appraising an experience by focusing on a single detail – which is taken out of context and magnified; and at the same time other important details are discounted or ignored, thus leading people to ,fail seeing, the whole picture while trying to make sense of their experiences.
Mental Filtering not only involves enhanced processing of select stimuli but also filtering out or selective suppression of other information. For example, people with anxiety often neglect signs of safety while those with depression fail to notice signs of gain. Mental filtering also leads to developing blind spots.
People who mentally filter may have blind spots when it comes to
- Attending to information that does not fit with their beliefs or expectations.
- Accepting compliments and feedback.
- Viewing situations in context.
- Recognizing achievements and successes.
A person who engages in mental filtering sees the glass half empty, despite having succeeded or experienced positive events and consequently their anxiety worsens.
Here are a few relatable examples:
- He was just being nice when he complimented me.
- My children are perfect in every way.
- One person did not clap at the end of my speech.
Here are five steps to unsubscribe from mental filtering
- Identify the thought.
- Name it, call it what it is.
- Explore a new thought to replace it, by working on finding what went well that you have filtered out and focus on that more.
- Challenge yourself by asking – was everything bad or did something good come out of this? Replace harmful thoughts with positive ones, so that your brain gets used to recognizing when good things happen.
- Start journaling! When you write down your thoughts it is easier to see patterns. You can also look back when you feel calmer and brainstorm another way to think about the situation.