Overthinking: The psychology of catastrophizing and how to stop assuming the worst

We don’t see the future. We predict it — and sometimes we predict disaster before it’s even possible.

Catastrophizing is a mental reflex. It’s your mind, desperate for control, drawing monsters where none exist yet.

In this episode, we explore the quiet space between stimulus and story — the moment you could choose curiosity over certainty.

Relationships, careers, self-worth: all suffer when we confuse our imagined outcomes with inevitable truths. But if we learn to watch the story unfold without believing it, something remarkable happens. We reclaim possibility.

You’ll leave with:

Understanding of how the brain creates fear to protect itself

Tools for building awareness instead of reaction

A framework for making peace with uncertainty — and using it to grow

The psychology that makes false fears feel real

Stop letting your brain run disaster drills for things that haven’t happened. Tune in.

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Show: Growth Mindset, psychology of self-improvement

Episode: Overthinking: The psychology of catastrophizing and how to stop assuming the worst

Chapters:

00:00 Why this topic is popular

01:45 What is catastrophising

04:18 Build awareness

07:10 Magnifying and minimising

08:32 More details feels more real.

10:16 The human tendency to just invent stories

13:22 ADHD

15:31 Catastrophizing and being diagnosed with ADHD

16:17 Balancing worst and best scenarios

17:23 Social anxiety example

19:09 Write a journal

20:31 Alex Hormozi selling gym subscriptions

21:09 Want and don't want chair

23:26 4 stages of intrusive thoughts

28:50 4 step method for mitigating catastrophization

28:50 Step 1 - Awareness

29:57 Step 2 - Challenging the thought

30:40 Step 3 - Imagine the best

31:11 Step 4 - Accept uncertainty

32:55 Catastrophizing is the opposite of Growth mindset

33:14 Episode summary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices