Why do I always imagine the worst-case scenario?
Catastrophizing — jumping to the worst possible outcome — is a cognitive pattern where your brain treats unlikely disasters as probable. It's often a learned protective mechanism: if you mentally prepare for the worst, you feel like you're in control.
Stories for this feeling
If this sounds like you, here are three stories.
The Ceiling at 3 A.M.
The ceiling fan turned too slowly to cool anything. She lay with one arm across her eyes, not sleeping, not quite awake — just existing in the narrow
The Badge with Her Name On It
The badge clipped to her collar had her name on it, but some mornings she had to check. She sat down at the desk, opened the same seven tabs, and felt
The Backpack by the Door
The backpack sat by the door exactly where she had dropped it at six, still half-open, still holding the whole day. She kept meaning to unpack it. In