Recognising and Correcting Cognitive Distortions

Cognitive distortions are automatic, unhelpful thought patterns that increase stress and make situations seem worse than they are. In optical practice they often appear under pressure, after criticism or incidents, during conflict, or following emotionally demanding shifts.

These distorted thoughts can trigger strong emotions, defensive reactions, reduced confidence and repeated rumination after difficult conversations or clinical encounters.

Common distortions in optical practice work

• All-or-nothing thinking: "If I do not handle this perfectly, I have failed."
• Catastrophising: "If this goes wrong, it will become a major disaster."
• Overgeneralisation: "That one difficult interaction proves the whole shift will be awful."
• Personalisation: "The patient or customer is upset, so this must be entirely my fault."
• Mind reading: "My colleagues must think I am not coping."

These thoughts rely on exaggeration, assumption or a narrow view of events rather than on balanced evidence.

Recognising a distortion does not dismiss the real stressor. It helps you respond to the situation without adding extra strain from inaccurate thinking.

Corrective techniques

• Thought questioning: check whether the thought is supported by facts.
• Thought balancing: replace an extreme thought with one that is more accurate and less absolute.
• Perspective shift: assess the event as you would for a respected colleague rather than only for yourself.

Clinical role example