The Ability to Tolerate Uncertainty: Studies have shown that a lack of flexibility in tolerating “uncertainty” is a major factor in anxiety and depression. Often, people who struggle to handle uncertainty engage in avoidance behaviors, procrastination, seeking reassurance from others, hesitation, excessive checking, and refusing to delegate tasks.
The Ability to Recognize “Rumination Thoughts”: Rumination occurs when troubling thoughts repeatedly disturb you. When individuals ruminate, their problem-solving ability diminishes.
The Ability to Identify Thinking Errors: Thinking errors include: fortune-telling, mind-reading, minimizing positives, personalization, all-or-nothing thinking, catastrophic thinking, “should” and “must” thinking, and making black-and-white judgments about yourself or others instead of seeing the gray areas.
The Ability and Willingness to Use Mindfulness Meditation Techniques: Mindfulness meditation techniques help reduce anxiety and increase willpower. Practicing mindfulness will assist you in: reducing avoidance behaviors, making better choices even when anxious, and minimizing rumination.
The Ability to Speak to Yourself Kindly About Your Flaws and Mistakes: Harshly criticizing yourself when you make a mistake is likely to lead to rumination and avoidance behaviors. Research shows that speaking to yourself kindly not only helps you feel better but also boosts your motivation for self-improvement.
