Simply noticing and identifying when this may be happening is a good place to start. You can label catastrophic thoughts (telling yourself, “I’m having the thought that I am a failure” rather than embracing the thought “I am a failure” for example), give names to thoughts that keep repeating themselves (“This is my ‘I’m a failure’ story”), and even sing them or say them in a funny voice to try to drain their power—among other active ways of responding. After identifying a catastrophic thought, it may help to replace it with a more realistic thought (such as “This is going to take more time and energy, which is frustrating” in place of “I won’t be able to get this done”). Getting sufficient sleep and engaging in physical activities may also help you stop catastrophizing.