LEAD February 2022 | Page 36

always on the list of potential causes ?) Before you know it , a little back pain has you googling , “ Doctors for a spinal cancer screening .”
The Reading-into-the-Relationship Train . You recently started dating a guy . He drops you off after your third date . He says , “ I had a nice time ,” and then gives you a side hug . As you walk through your front door , you start overanalyzing . What does “ nice time ” mean ? And a side hug ? Really ? What am I — his cousin ? You begin wondering if this guy even likes you . You think , I bet there is someone else . I bet he likes Sarah . Next thing you know , you ’ re stalking Sarah on Instagram to see how often he is liking her pictures . Then you think , He ’ s probably going to break this off . You know what ? I ’ m going to break up with him before he breaks up with me ! A couple of anxious thoughts put you on the
“ Break Up with Him Before He Breaks Up with Me ” express . Why ? Because our thoughts take us places .
The “ My Boss Doesn ’ t Like Me ” Train . You send an email to your boss and don ’ t get a response . You think , Huh . No response . I wonder if he got the email . Wait , of course he got my email . You can ’ t not get an email . I guess he must not have liked my idea . He probably doesn ’ t like me ! It doesn ’ t take long until you ’ ve decided , I bet I ’ m next on the chopping block . I need to update my LinkedIn profile . Only problem is that I can never remember my password .
The What-If Train . This may be the most common train of thought we jump on . This train looks at the future and focuses on what could potentially go wrong . What if I get COVID-19 ?
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