I don’t know about you, but I’ve lived most of my life in survival mode. Growing up with OCD, I’ve naturally catastrophized pretty much every situation I’ve been in, dwelling mostly on potential negative outcomes. It wasn’t until my late 20s that I finally started focusing more on positive possibilities and results. 

Of course, this hasn’t been easy, and it’s still an everyday challenge. But shifting from a permanent crisis mode into a more peaceful energy has been a godsend. 

If you’re anything like me and are operating from a place of fear and insecurity (I think many of us are doing this in today’s world), here are four tips to stop catastrophizing and get out of survival mode.

1. Meet Yourself With Compassion

It’s often instinctual for some of us to get angry at our catastrophizing tendencies. At least in my case, I spent years rejecting and despising this side of myself, failing to realize it was trying to protect me all along.

“Many therapists view catastrophizing as a product of thought distortions, requiring reframing and correction. I take another approach,” says Matthew Willner, LCSW, IFS-Certified psychotherapist based in New York City. “Instead of treating catastrophizing as an obstacle to be overcome, I bring compassion about the positive intent and self-protective instinct of those thoughts.”

“From my lens, catastrophizing is almost never irrational—it is a protective part of ourselves trying to keep us safe,” he adds. “For many, catastrophizing is a part that remembers times or instances of feeling powerless or blindsided, and says, ‘never again.’ Trying to rationalize these thoughts out of their self-protected role can lead to them becoming stronger, not lighter.”

2. Get Curious

Curiosity will help you better understand why your brain works the way it does. Once you know the “why” behind your catastrophizing, you can start to address the bad habit.

“Instead of trying to fight the thought with logic, get curious about what that part of you may be trying to protect you from,” Willner says. “Ask, ‘If I stopped thinking this way, what is the fear of what may happen?’ By getting curious rather than critical, you can begin to feel more understanding and self-compassion.”

3. Acknowledge the Positive Intentions

I know, I know…It’s not easy to see the positive in such a toxic, self-sabotaging pattern. But your tendency to catastrophize often stems from a desire to keep yourself safe.

“When we are able to acknowledge the protective intent of the parts of us that catastrophize, the thought spiral can begin to relax,” Willner says.

In other words, you no longer see yourself—or at least a part of yourself—as the enemy.

4. Ground Yourself in Your Body

Being present in your body can help you feel safe in the moment, not caught up in a future that might not even exist.

“Catastrophizing shows up physiologically, not just mentally,” says Willner. “Using distress tolerance and grounding skills such as mindfulness, box breathing, and soothing distractions can help give you some breathing room from the thought spirals.”

If I’ve learned anything in OCD therapy, it’s that we must be able and willing to tolerate uncertainty. Nothing in life is ever certain or guaranteed, and accepting that reality—and all the potential outcomes, no matter how grim—is crucial for a regulated nervous system. Trust that you can navigate even the roughest of seas.