275. Stress Series - 05 - Distress and Distorted Thoughts

Written By Ali Novitsky, MD

🧠 Episode Summary

In this solo episode, Dr. Ali Novitsky continues her transformative Stress Series by breaking down how stress hijacks your thoughts — and what to do when it happens.

When your stress level hits a 7 or higher, your brain gets hijacked: the amygdala (fear center) takes over, and the prefrontal cortex (rational thinking) gets shut down. The result? You spiral into distorted thought patterns that feel real but aren’t rooted in truth.

Ali explains the top thought distortions — like catastrophizing, personalization, and all-or-none thinking — and shows how they often align with your dominant stress type. Once you learn how to identify these patterns, you can regulate your stress, pause, and choose a new, more grounded response.

This episode offers a practical, compassionate framework for understanding your stress response and building emotional resilience.

🔍 What You’ll Learn

  • What happens in your brain during a “mental hijack”

  • The most common thought distortions under stress

  • How thought patterns connect to your dominant stress type

  • Why we catastrophize, personalize, or spiral when we’re overwhelmed

  • How to regulate your nervous system before trying to “fix” your thoughts

  • Real-life examples of how Ali applies this work in daily life and coaching

💡 Thought Distortions & Stress Type Pairings

  • Validation Type → Personalization: “It must be my fault.”

  • Impulsivity Type → Jumping to Conclusions: “I have to fix it now.”

  • Assertive Type → All-or-None Thinking: “If I don’t do it perfectly, I’ve failed.”

  • Control Type → All-or-None Thinking + Should Statements: “I should have done more.”

  • Isolation Type → Should Statements + Self-Blame: “It’s all on me.”

  • Catastrophizing Type → Catastrophizing: “The worst is definitely going to happen.”

Ali emphasizes that any person can experience any of these distortions under pressure—but your dominant stress type tends to shape your most common response.

🛠️ Tools to Disrupt the Spiral

  • Pause & Regulate before solving: Your best thoughts come when you’re calm.

  • Distraction for Acute Stress (7–10 on the scale): Functional first aid for your mind.

  • Cognitive Reframes once regulated:

    • Personalization → “What if it’s not about me?”

    • Impulsivity → “What if there’s another option?”

    • All-or-None → “Some is better than none.”

    • Should Statements → “I could have…”

    • Catastrophizing → “What’s possible vs. what’s probable?”

Listen to Episode 275 Here

Or listen on your favorite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | YouTube

Chapters

00:00:00 - Introduction to the Stress Series
00:00:27 - Taking the Stress Test
00:01:10 - Understanding Stress and Thought Distortions
00:02:24 - Recognizing Thought Hijacking
00:03:31 - Common Thought Distortions
00:05:08 - All or None Thinking
00:06:34 - Validation and Personalization
00:10:20 - Impulsivity and Jumping to Conclusions
00:12:07 - Assertive Stress Type and Control
00:15:30 - Should Statements and Isolation
00:18:44 - Catastrophizing and Its Implications
00:20:53 - Review of Stress Types and Thought Distortions
00:21:57 - Strategies for Regulating Thoughts
00:23:22 - Transform 10.0 and Stress Management
00:24:17 - Conclusion and Resources

Resources:

*Ali Novitsky MD, this podcast, and podcast write-up are NOT providing medical advice. We do not recommend you start any exercise program without first consulting with your doctor!*

Ali Novitsky, MD https://www.mindbodymarriage.com
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276. Stress Series - 06 - Distress and Its Impacts on Your Body
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274. Stress Series - 04 -Resilience in High-Stress Settings