Learn how to break free from the domino mindset and not let one small mistake ruin your day

The domino mindset is a term given to the profound impact that small setbacks can have on our overall well-being and productivity. One minor mishap, if not addressed promptly, can set off a chain reaction of negative events, ultimately derailing our entire day. 

Dr Julie Smith, a clinical psychologist and content creator describes this extensively in her Instagram reel. “This one single (bad) event suddenly seems to represent both your past and future. ‘Everything goes wrong for me. I’m always going to be a loser. I don’t know why I bother.’ Statements like this sound like a domino mindset,” she captions the post. 

 

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A post shared by Dr Julie Smith | Psychologist (@drjulie) 

Whether it’s spilling coffee on your shirt in the morning, encountering unexpected traffic on the commute, or receiving critical feedback on a project, these seemingly inconsequential incidents can snowball into a cascade of frustration, stress, and diminished performance.

Celebrity psychologist Raashi Gurnani says, “The domino mindset, often referred to as the ‘domino effect,’ can significantly impact our perception of setbacks and challenges in our daily lives.” 

From a psychological perspective, she says that this mindset suggests that one setback or challenge can lead to a cascade of negative events, much like a row of falling dominoes. Individuals with this mindset may interpret setbacks as inevitable precursors to further failures, leading to feelings of hopelessness and a diminished sense of control over their circumstances.

using techniques like cognitive restructuring to help reframe negative thoughts. (Source: Freepik)

Strategies can individuals adopt to prevent a small setback from cascading into a series of negative events

According to counselling psychologist and mental health advocate, Sohini Rohra, there are many lines of treatment that a clinician or psychologist can use to address the domino mindset of overgeneralising, but a few steps that the individual can take to save themselves from emotional turmoil are as follows:

*Try to make a list of evidence and facts to support the thoughts that are driving you to conclude the worst.

*Are you being guided by feelings or evidence?

*Make a list of evidence that might prove your conclusion to be false.

*Make a list of the pros and cons of your way of thinking.

*Is everyone around you in agreement with your conclusion

*Try to step outside of yourself and see if you would come to the same conclusion if your loved one were in your shoes.

*Learning to form individualised and situation-specific judgments rather than global judgments.

*Recall specific events where you have succeeded in proving yourself otherwise.

*Learning to set expectations that are not overly optimistic but, in fact, realistic.

Cognitive biases or psychological factors that contribute to the domino effect

The domino effect often stems from cognitive biases such as the negativity bias, Gurnani informs, which causes us to dwell more on negative events than positive ones. “It magnifies the consequences of setbacks, while confirmation bias reinforces our belief in the inevitability of failure.”

To counter these biases, she suggests using techniques like cognitive restructuring to help reframe negative thoughts, while mindfulness fosters a more balanced perspective. 

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