When you jump to conclusions, you overestimate the likelihood that something bad will happen, such as that you will contract an illness, fail a test, or die from a panic attack. When the threat or danger is real, this is a very helpful pattern of thinking, because it prepares you to deal with the threat or perhaps even to avoid the danger. This is your anxious mind at its best. However, this pattern of thinking becomes a thinking trap when you’re not able to quickly and easily step out

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