Mind Reading: Assuming You Know What Others Think

04:23

Mind Reading: Assuming You Know What Others Think

by Kionna Howell

Rated

5

Type

talks

Activity

Meditation

Suitable for

Everyone

Plays

4

Do you ever find yourself assuming you know what someone else is thinking? This track explores mind reading, a common cognitive distortion that can lead to anxiety, self-doubt, and misunderstandings in relationships. Together, we’ll practice recognizing assumptions, making space for uncertainty, and approaching situations with greater curiosity and self-compassion. Feel free to pause the audio to reflect on the questions below, or return to them later as journal prompts. Reflection Questions: What am I assuming? What evidence do I have to support that assumption? What evidence might suggest another explanation? Am I projecting old experiences onto this moment? Pause the audio at any time to reflect on these questions, or return to them later as journal prompts. There are no right or wrong answers—only an opportunity to better understand your thoughts with curiosity and compassion.

Cognitive Distortion Mind Reading Self Inquiry Self Compassion Anxiety Curiosity Relationships Nervous System Awareness

Meet your Teacher

Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Meet your Teacher

Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Transcript

Hey guys, And welcome. My name is Kiona, And I'm a licensed professional counselor in the Pennsylvania area. I help people heal from trauma and help them heal their nervous systems. And so this is a informative talk to help people understand what possibly could be going on if they're experiencing what is called cognitive distortions. And so if you haven't already, I invite you to check out my video that goes over so cognitive behavioral therapy is, And then it will give you insight into the different types of cognitive distortions I will be sharing here. And so today, What we're going to explore is mind reading. And this is the habit of assuming we know what others are thinking, Often in ways that hurt us. And take a big deep inhale in through the nose. And exhale letting it go. So this first start, What is it? And so mind reading sounds like they think I'm annoying. They're mad at me. I embarrass myself. They're probably judging me. They don't like me. Without realizing it, We begin treating assumptions like they're facts. It can be helpful to know, Well, Why does this happen? Sometimes mind reading develops from experiences where we had to stay hyper aware of others' emotions to feel safe. And so your nervous system may have learned, Pay attention, Don't miss something. But awareness and assumption are not the same thing. And so if you're not familiar with this setup, We're going to use this time. If you would like, You can pause and answer the questions so there's a moment to reflect. And I'm going to share these questions. If you don't have time, You can come back to it. And the questions are listed in the description so you can jot it down, Copy and paste, Whatever suits you best to just have for now or just for practice if you notice that you're experiencing mind reading. And so what can be helpful is pausing and asking yourself, What evidence do I actually have? What am I assuming? Could there be another explanation? Am I projecting old experiences onto this moment? And so the goal is that we want to think, What if I gave people the benefit of uncertainty? When we're experiencing a cognitive distortion, Also known as a negative thought, What can be helpful is working on ways to reframe it. And so instead of, They must be upset with me, It could be helpful to try, I don't actually know what they're thinking. Instead of, I embarrass myself, We want to try, I may be judging myself more harshly than others. And those are just two examples. So as we close, I invite you to take a big, Deep inhale. And as you exhale, Gently remind yourself, I do not need to mind read to be safe. I can tolerate uncertainty. And my worth is not determined by assumptions. You did a good job showing up for yourself today. I invite you, If you haven't already, To check out the other cognitive distortions just to kind of help you have an idea of what it is and what can be helpful with the distortion. Please leave me a review because this helps me know what resonates, What doesn't, So I can continue to make informative meditations or talks, I should say. Have a beautiful day.