The Fateful Phone Call

The other day, I was minding my own business when my phone rang – not with the usual banter from a friend or client, but with a call from the taxman doing a survey about IR35. Despite having done nothing remotely wrong, my mind immediately spiralled into a full-blown disaster movie. In an instant, I was envisioning secret conspiracies, shadowy figures in sharp suits plotting to raid my bank account, and an inevitable financial Armageddon. It was as though the mere mention of IR35 had transformed my mundane afternoon into the opening scene of a dystopian thriller.

Delving into Catastrophising

After the initial panic subsided, I couldn’t help but delve into some reading on the subject of catastrophising. I soon discovered that I wasn’t alone in this dramatic overreaction. Catastrophising, it turns out, is a common mental habit where our brains take everyday events and magnify them into catastrophic outcomes. It is as if we all have a built-in doomsday device that misfires at the slightest hint of trouble, turning minor inconveniences into personal disasters.

The Psychology Behind the Drama

From a psychological point of view, it appears this tendency may have once been a useful survival mechanism for our ancestors. Overestimating potential threats could have been the difference between life and death in a world filled with genuine dangers. Fast forward to modern times, and while we are no longer dodging sabre-toothed tigers, our brains still seem to be wired to err on the side of extreme caution. This evolutionary quirk means that even a routine call from the taxman can trigger a cascade of worst-case scenarios in our minds. I used to do it all the time in Reading or England football matches. “Oh that’s it we’re fucked now”, every time opposition pushed forward. Even at my cricket club with a score at 181-1 chasing 200, my brain would be imagining how we could fuck it up.

Not a Disorder, Just a Quirk

The good news is that catastrophising isn’t a recognised disorder – it is simply a common cognitive pattern that most of us experience now and then. While it can certainly contribute to feelings of anxiety if left unchecked, it is generally just our brains being overly dramatic in their attempts to protect us. In my case, the tax call was a perfect example of this overzealous mental response, a reminder that sometimes our inner critic can be a bit too imaginative.

Learning to Manage the Melodrama

Learning to manage this habit is an enlightening journey. I’ve found that the first step forward is to simply to recognise when I am turning a harmless phone call into an epic saga. Once I am aware of the tendency, I can then pause and ask myself, “What’s the actual evidence that this is the end of the world?” More often than not, the reality will be far less dramatic than my mind would have me believe. Embracing a sense of humour about my own mental theatrics will also been invaluable – sometimes, laughing at the absurdity of my worst-case scenarios will be all it takes to deflate the tension.

Final Thoughts

In the end, my experience with the taxman’s call about IR35 has taught me that my brain is simply prone to a touch of melodrama. The more I understand about this common behaviour, the more I can appreciate its quirks – and have a laugh at the cosmic comedy of it all. So, the next time your phone rings and you feel your mind gearing up for an apocalypse, take a deep breath, have a laugh, and remember sometimes our brains are far more dramatic than the world around us.

Right, back to the imminent outbreak of WWIII and the call-up of 50-60 year olds.