Cognitive Distortions for Kids - Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs) | Thinking Traps - CBT for Kids

Cognitive Distortions

Cognitive distortions, also called Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs), are quick, unhelpful thoughts that can affect how you feel. The video describes four common thinking traps:

• All-or-nothing thinking: Seeing things as completely good or completely bad, with no middle ground.
• Mind reading: Assuming you know what other people think without evidence.
• Jumping to conclusions: Predicting a negative outcome before you know what will happen.
• Catastrophizing: Turning a small mistake or problem into something enormous.

Catch, Check, Change

To challenge unhelpful thoughts, the video teaches this three-step approach:

1. Catch the thought and identify the thinking trap.
2. Check whether the thought is really true, and consider evidence that might not fit it.
3. Change it to a more balanced, helpful thought.

Other suggestions include talking with a trusted adult, writing or drawing thoughts to make them easier to examine, and taking a few deep breaths.

Having negative thoughts is normal, and thoughts are not always facts.

Presenter/source: Mental Health Center Kids; no individual presenter is named.