Bullying in the Workplace

Recognizing and Correcting Distorted Thinking One of the most damaging effects of bullying is the gradual erosion of your self-confidence. Over time, a bully's actions can so thoroughly distort your thinking that you lose touch with your own sense of worth and reality. Recognizing these thought patterns is a vital step toward protecting yourself. Common Cognitive Distortions and Their Cures **All-or-Nothing Thinking** You see yourself in absolute black-and-white terms — either you're a total success or a complete failure. *Cure:* Play devil's advocate with yourself. Identify even one small thing you do well and hold onto it. **Mental Filter** You dwell on a single negative event and allow it to color your entire view of life, like a drop of ink in a glass of water. *Cure:* Separate individual problems so you can address each one clearly and avoid over-generalizing. **Magnification or Minimization** You blow negatives wildly out of proportion or dismiss your own positives as mere luck. *Cure:* Give yourself credit when you deserve it. Rewarding yourself for overcoming challenges is not arrogance — it's healthy. **Emotional Reasoning** You treat feelings as facts. Because you *feel* incompetent, you assume you *are* incompetent. *Cure:* Give yourself a reality check by listing concrete evidence of your competence. **"Should" Statements** You place unrealistic expectations on yourself, ruminating about everything you should have