Module 5
A way to help with all-or-nothing thinking is using continuums. This helps you see that there is a continuum or a range between opposite extremes.
Things often do not fall into only one of two opposite categories, but are somewhere in between.
Continuums
Using Jamie as an example:
| 1) What is my all or nothing thought? |
| No one will understand my situation, so there is no point at all talking to anyone. |
| 2) What are the two extremes of my thinking? |
| Don’t talk to anyone / talk to others about my situation. |
| 3) Example(s) where I was in the middle of the two extremes. |
| Last week, I spoke to my friend. I didn’t share everything, but I did talk a bit about how I was feeling.
Don’t share anything at all. _________x____________ Share everything. |
| 4) What do these examples mean? |
| I can share a bit about how I am feeling with a close friend. I do not have to share everything about how I am feeling. |
| 5) Results |
| Talking to my friend was easier than I expected. They did not shut the conversation down and we are catching up again next week. |
| 6) What I've learned? |
| I didn’t have to talk about everything in terms of my feelings. It was good to get some stuff off my chest. |
| 7) My new thought (rate how strong your thoughts and feelings are from 0 to 10): |
| I do not have to completely avoid talking about my situation (9/10). I felt relieved (9/10). My friends still want to see me even if I talk about negative stuff (8/10). |
Watch Below to hear from Jamie about how continuums helped:
“Thinking about it on a continuum helped.”
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