We are what we think.  So, what are you thinking?  

For cheerleaders who want to perform well, the ability to quickly identify and change your thinking is key to success.  I’ve written about this topic in previous posts but this one provides a different slant on the topic. 

Cognitive distortions are so common (not just for cheerleaders) that psychologists have devoted books to the topic.  Because I believe this topic is so important, I plan to devote a series of blog postings about it. 

Much of the time we take our feelings for granted.  We don’t consider that we are responsible for how we feel, not others.  We too quickly blame circumstances or other people for how we feel and yet the truth is we can choose to feel one way or the other – if we want to! 

Remember, feelings follow thoughts so if you can work on changing your thoughts, you will be able to change your feelings.  You don’t react to an event itself (although it may seem like you do!), you are really reacting to your interpretation of the event. Your interpretation of an event precedes your emotional response to it.  Usually, your interpretation will be automatic and you will not be aware of it.  In other words, this is an unconscious process. 

Your job is to actively keep track of your thoughts so you can begin to catch the automatic thinking that leads to painful feelings. Remember, these are habits of thinking that seem to pop out of nowhere; they are not the result of reasoned thought.  

There are 4 categories of cognitive distortions: Overgeneralization, Mental Filters, Jumping to Conclusions, and Emotional Reasoning. 

Stay tuned as I look at each category and provide examples and tools of transformation.