How to tell if you suffer from emotional reasoning

How to tell if you suffer from emotional reasoningHow to tell if you suffer from emotional reasoningWhen something happens that makes you upset, how doyouhandle it? Are you able to separate your emotions from the reality of the situation with a clear head, or do they wind up blurring together?Its a problem that many of usanxiety-ridden overthinkershave a situation brings emotion out of you, which leads you to think about it so much that the reality youve created in your mind is separate fromactualreality. Stress is created about things that arent real problems simply because of how you felt and thought about them - you let your feelings guidehow you interpret reality.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreIt turns out this phenomenon has an actual nameemotional reasoning. Emotional reasoning is a cognitive distortion where a part concludes that their emotional reaction proves somethin g is true, regardless of evidence proving otherwise. Your emotions cloud your thoughts, which in turn clouds your reality.Its a real pattern of negative thinking, and is one that can cause a lot of unnecessary distress in someones life. As always, if youre struggling, consider seeking professional help from a therapist. Here are a few ways you can tell if you suffer from emotional reasoningExamples of emotional reasoningSigns of emotional reasoninginclude thoughts like I feel guilty, so I must have done something bad, Im feeling inadequate, so I must be worthless, or I feel afraid, so I must be in a dangerous situation.It often correlates with depression and anxiety disorders - because things feel so negative to someone,the person assumes things actually are that negative, rather than taking into account the role that emotions play in their feelings.The harmEmotional reasoning can lead to feeling like a failure before we even begin working toward something. ur mind letting our emoti ons take over is exhausting, and can trick us into thinking weve failed before weve even begun. This can lead to procrastination, and sometimes, not doing the task at all. The emotions taking over also decrease a desire to change, because you feel that change isnt possible even if you were to try.How to know if you have itIf your emotions dictate your thoughts, and in turn, your actions, you might have emotional reasoning.Seeking help from a therapistcan help you to work through the toxic cycle of negative thoughts that it entails, but in your daily life, there are a few tricks you can use to help overcome your pattern of thinkingSeparate fact from fiction when your emotions are taking over your thoughts and ruining your day, ask yourself Is what Im focusing on fact, or is it a reality Ive created in my mind?Understand that your feelings are not representative of your worth. Just because you are feeling a certain way doesnt mean you have evidence for an argument against you.Remember thatfeelings are just feelings- while your feelings are always valid, they shouldnt dictate how you view reality.When your emotions are taking over, take a step back and think about what youd tell a friend or family member if they were feeling the same things, and remind yourself of that.This article originally appeared on The Everygirl.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people