Thinking is somewhat of an automatic process, but it's not a very good one and I tend to make a lot of errors in that sense. Here is a list of common thinking traps.
#1: OVERGENERALIZATION
A tendency to think of singular negative events like parts of a constant pattern, thinking in absolutes like always or never (when in reality it's sometimes), everybody or nobody (when in reality it's some).
"I always end up being an outsider" - ignoring the fact that I do have friends, I am invited to things, I am often included; though sometimes I withdraw, I don't relate well in groups,
"I am always disrespected" - ignoring that I am generally not; though I have had a pattern of involving myself with shitty people and have had my fair share of disrespectful
"I am completely alone in the world" - ignoring the fact that I am in touch with people every day, there are people who do care about me;
"I can't do anything" - ignoring that I've done things all week, am doing things currently, and if I recall: "oh but that's just things everybody does"
"It's impossible to get a date in this town; maybe nobody wants me; I have to figure out a new method" - ignoring that I've had dates all the last times, and I currently have four guys messaging me to go on a date...
#2: GRAND BIG PICTURE PROBLEM SOLVING
Influence of overactive Ne (abstract, long-term vision) and ungrounded Si (blocked access, low trust to my catalogue of experiences when Si says it's all been hopeless before)
When distressed or facing a problem I often tend to default to looking to solving it forever or fixing my entire life. It's not: "what can I do now in order to solve this assignment that needs to be handed in in two days?", it's "how do I create a perfect system for my assignments that I can use forever?" It's not: "how can I feel better now that I've been in an emotional episode?", it's "I have to find a method to fix my emotional issues forever" It's not: "how do I solve this situation where my friend disrespected me?" it's "what is the root of my experiences of disrespect through five different psychological frames and which therapeutic methods should I comit to in order to fix my psyche and never get disrespected again". It's not "which steps can I take now to improve my life and move it toward a better direction?" it's "which kind of system should I make to reinvent myself and figure out life every day and achieve the career and life of my dreams?" Things are often thought of in the long-term, grand scale of my life. And things become huge things to solve, I get into over-analyzing and over-planning everything, get confused and overwhelmed.
Some reminders:
#3: ALL-OR-NOTHING
"Either I fix the entirety of my life forever, or I life is completely unbearable."
#4: I HAVE TO...
I have to figure it out, I have to solve this or I can't live on.