This type of distortion turns the consequences of a negative event into a catastrophe.

For example, if you usually get angry when you are two minutes late for a meeting or miss a particular call, you are probably magnifying the problem. Ask yourself if you are making a mountain out of a molehill. Do you have a tendency to take something that is unfortunate and turn it into the worst possible situation?

There are some things you can do to control your tendency to magnify a bad situation. These three steps can help you neutralize your anger:

• Make a realistic assessment of the situation. How bad is it really?
• Be very precise and accurate in the language you use to describe the bad situation. For example, this wasn’t the worst restaurant you’ve ever eaten at. The soup was cold and service was slow.
• Look at the whole picture, not just the annoying piece.

Here are some coping thoughts that you can use:

• “Yes, this is frustrating but it’s not the end of the world.”
• “By next week, none of this will matter.”
• “It’s a setback; it’s not worth getting all bent out of shape.”