THE CATASTROPHE SCALE


This exercise will help you create perspective.

Identify a very unpleasant or stressful situation (Activating Event) you experienced recently at work.
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On a scale from 1 to 100, place an “X” on the spot that indicates how bad the event was for you. 100 is “totally bad,” 50 is “medium bad,” and 10 is “a bit bad.”
  0 10 50 90 100
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CATASTROPHE SCALE
On the scale to the right, write in some examples of bad things that could happen to you or to others. Place the “real” catastrophes at 90-100; things that are bad but not catastrophic at 50-90; and those that aren’t so bad at around 10.

Now using this scale of catastrophes, would you still give the same rating to the negative event at work that you described at the top of the page? Place an
on the second scale where you would now rate the negative situation. Place an “X” on the scale where you rated it earlier.

Is there a difference between
your first and second set of ratings?



Have You Got Things In Perspective Now ???

If Not Try These Thoughts

  1. Don’t blame others for making you unhappy. Take responsibility for making yourself happy.


  1. Give yourself permission to make yourself happy — even if in so doing, others make themselves unhappy.


  1. Make time for yourself to do things which bring you pleasure and enjoyment in the short-term.


  1. Do things for others and your community without expecting anything back in return.

  1. Sacrifice short-term pleasures and put up with short-term discomforts in order to achieve longer-term gains.

  1. Accept the fallibility of others and yourself.

  1. Don’t take things personally.

  1. Take a chance even when you might fail at things at work or in your personal relationships.


  1. It doesn’t matter so much what people think about you and what you are doing.


  1. See uncertainty as a challenge — do not be afraid of it.