On Par
Impact of Thinking Errors
“Man is disturbed not by things, but rather by the view he takes of them.”
- Epictetus, Philosopher.
Interpretations can impact our emotions; our interpretation of the event is often viewed as the cause
of the unhappiness. Similarly, interpretations influence what we do. We tend to adapt our actions and
behaviours on how we perceive events.
As the game of golf has a very strong mental aspect to it, being self-aware of unhealthy thinking patterns
is a strong antidote to preventing a mismatch between interpretation and reality.
Looking at the cognitive distortions that have been highlighted here, can you relate to any of these?
Golfer, Observe Thyself!
Maybe you can start noticing your thought processes during your game. Is there a tendency on your part
to catastrophize? Or do you scan and look out for physiological symptoms to confirm that something
sinister will happen? Or is there an all-or-nothing perspective in your assessment of events? Self-
awareness is part of therapeutic healing.
Catastrophizing
Is there a tendency
on your part to
catastrophize?
Hypervigilance
Do you scan
and look out for
physiological
symptoms to
confirm that
something sinister
will happen?
Assessment
Is there an all-or-
nothing perspective
in your assessment
of events?
In our final instalment, we will be discussing how some CBT techniques can help you cope cognitively,
behaviourally and emotionally. Watch this space!
RESORT VIEW 15