Do you find yourself using the words always or never? Do you tend to categorize things as either/or extremes (wonderful or terrible, friend or foe)? Black-and-white thinking can arise when we are feeling stressed or it could be a habit we learned. We limit our creativity, however, if we think there is only one “right” solution or viewpoint.

If you catch yourself thinking or speaking in black-and-white terms, take a moment to reflect. Is the event something that really only happens occasionally? Is it accurate to say there is only one possible explanation or can you think of any others? Can you imagine another person’s perspective? If you try this experiment, you may also find  it is a way to bring a little kindness and patience to yourself and your interactions with others.