 Hey, Psych2Goers. Welcome back to another video. Before we start, we would like to thank you all for the support you've given us. Psych2Go's mission is to make psychology and mental health more accessible to everyone. Now, let's begin. Do you often worry that the one bad mark you got on a test means you'll fail the year or a missed phone call with your boss means you'll be fired? Sometimes you may get caught up in negative thinking cycles or cognitive distortions, which can affect everything from how you view yourself to how you feel others view you. It's important to acknowledge this negative thinking because it can be damaging in the long term and lead to depression and anxiety. So, here are 10 perceptions that cause depression and anxiety. Before we begin, we would like to mention that this video is created for educational purposes only and is not intended to substitute a professional diagnosis. If you suspect you may have anxiety or depression, we highly advise. You seek help from a qualified mental health professional. Number one, catastrophizing. Have you done poorly on a test and feel like it'll wreck your grade or even worse ruin your future? Maybe you didn't get into your dream college and think it means you won't be successful in the future. You may pursue the results or consequence of your action to be much worse than what is realistic. This habit of focusing on worst case scenarios if not addressed may lead to worsening feelings of anxiety and depression. Number two, overgeneralization. Do you always assume that you're not good enough and your work will get rejected? Maybe you didn't get the parts you wanted in the school play or you received a poor grade for a project. Whatever it is, you assume it's because you lack the talent or the ability. Overgeneralizing is taking an isolated instance and using it to summarize yourself. This tendency to see failure in your work as a failure of your ability can be damaging to your self-esteem, which may lead to anxiety and depression. Number three, mind reading. You always assume that you know what others are thinking about you. You might notice someone acting differently and think they're judging you. This feeling that other people are constantly judging you may make you become self-conscious and anxious. As a result, this anxiety may prevent you from doing what you really want to do, like taking risks or trying new things. Number four, minimizing. Do you downplay all of your accomplishments? You may think that your achievements aren't that big of a deal or think that many others have achieved it too, so it's not worthy of celebration. The habit of minimizing your success or even ignoring the work you've done may ultimately affect your self-esteem and cause feelings of depression. Number five, black and white thinking. Are you the kind of person who thinks that if something isn't perfect, it's not good enough? Thinking in black and white terms may make you feel like there are only two sides to a situation. You may think that if you don't reach a certain goal, then you never will, or that a failed test means you'll never get it right. This mindset can contribute to a defeatist attitude and keep you from reaching your goals and pursuing your interests. Number six, maximizing. Do you look at a missed job opportunity to mean that you'll be unemployed forever? Just like how a missed note in an audition doesn't mean the entire performance is ruined, one mistake doesn't mean you failed. There are other opportunities you've yet to explore. The tendency to focus and magnify one's mistakes to mean more than it actually is may heighten your feelings of anxiety and depression. Number seven, predicting. Have you avoided joining a club or competition thinking that you won't get in anyways? You might justify quitting or not even starting based on fears of getting rejected. Constantly predicting or expecting the worst can contribute to a lack of motivation or inspiration to do the things that you want to do. You may end up feeling more anxious or depressed because you keep expecting failure or defeat. Number eight, self-blame. Do you often blame yourself for a failed group project or a failed relationship? By inserting yourself into a situation that you may not have had control over in the first place, may lead you to internalizing the problem and blaming yourself for it. Self-blame can be especially harmful to your self-esteem, which can lead to a negative cycle of thinking that ultimately leads to depression. Number nine, filtering. Have you ever gotten a job but say it's not a big deal since you've also been rejected by ten other places? You might think about all of your failures without considering the success as you see your failures to outweigh everything else. If you focus on only the rejection that you faced without acknowledging some of the good things that have come out of it, you may end up falling into a depressive cycle of constant negativity. Number ten, disregarding the positive. Do you feel like you don't deserve the achievements you've received? Maybe you've gotten a promotion over someone else and feel like it should have gone to them instead of you. Constantly thinking about others and how they may be more deserving or suited for something over yourself can be harmful to your self-esteem and lead to feelings of anxiety and depression. Do you have an outlook similar to the ones we mentioned? Which thinking error did you resonate with the most? Tell us about it in the comments below. If you enjoyed this video, please like and share it with others who may find it helpful too. Don't forget to hit the subscribe button for more Psych2Go content. Thanks for watching and we'll see you in our next video.