Midterms have a way of turning even the most grounded college student into a bundle of nerves. The pressure ramps up—papers pile, exams loom, and sleep is something you wish for but have little of. If you’re a high achiever, you probably feel this pressure more intensely. You hold yourself to sky-high expectations, aiming not just to pass, but to excel. And when you start to worry about whether you’ll actually meet those standards, anxiety goes from background noise to center stage.
Suddenly, studying isn’t just about learning material—it’s about quieting the constant loop in your mind: What if I’m not good enough? What if I blow this test? I have to get an A or I’m basically failing. Everyone else seems like they are coping just fine, what’s my problem?
If this feels familiar, you’re not alone. Many high-achieving students fall into “thought traps” during midterms. In anxiety therapy terms, these are called cognitive distortions or thinking errors. They are types of thinking that twist reality, fuel anxiety, and make stress feel bigger than it actually is. The good news? Once you can name these traps, you can challenge them and free up mental space to focus, breathe, and study more effectively.
And if you’re a student looking for anxiety therapy in Provo, you don’t have to wait until the end of the semester to get support. Even a few sessions during this busy season can help you learn how to reset your thoughts and reduce the intensity of academic stress.
Here are five of the most common thought traps I see students fall into around midterms along with ways to break free.
1. All-or-Nothing Thinking
The trap: You believe you’re either perfect or a failure. If you don’t ace the exam, it feels like you’ve completely bombed.
What it sounds like in your head:
“If I don’t get an A, this class will be a disaster.”
“Either I nail this test or I might as well give up.”
Why it’s a problem: This type of thinking creates enormous pressure and makes studying feel like life or death. It also ignores all the shades of progress between “perfect” and “failure.”
How to challenge it: Try asking yourself: What’s a more balanced way of looking at this? Instead of “all-or-nothing,” aim for “good enough.” For example: “Even if I don’t get 100%, I can still do well overall. This one grade doesn’t define my whole semester.”
2. Catastrophizing
The trap: You imagine the worst-case scenario—and then treat it as if it’s inevitable.
What it sounds like in your head:
“If I fail this test, I’ll fail the class, then my GPA will tank, and then I’ll never get into grad school.”
“If I stumble during my presentation, everyone will think I’m incompetent.”
Why it’s a problem: Catastrophizing ramps up your anxiety and convinces you you’re powerless. Instead of focusing on the actual test, you’re mentally spiraling into a future that hasn’t even happened. This isn’t your fault, it’s just how anxiety rolls.
How to challenge it: Pause and ask: What’s the most likely—not the worst—outcome? Play with probabilities. Chances are, one test won’t ruin your life. Even if you do poorly, you’ll likely recover, adjust, and move on. Remind yourself: I can handle setbacks. I’ve done it before.
3. Mind Reading
The trap: You assume you know what other people are thinking—and usually, you assume it’s negative.
What it sounds like in your head:
“My professor probably thinks I’m stupid because I asked that question.”
“Everyone in the study group knows this material better than me. They must think I’m incompetent."
Why it’s a problem: Mind reading keeps you stuck in insecurity and comparison. Instead of focusing on your own studying, you waste energy worrying about imagined judgments.
How to challenge it: Notice when you’re filling in other people’s thoughts without evidence. Ask yourself: What proof do I actually have? More often than not, none. Replace mind reading with curiosity: “Maybe others are struggling too. Maybe my professor actually respects that I asked for clarity.”
4. Should Statements
The trap: You pile on “shoulds” as if they’re motivational—when really, they just make you feel inadequate.
What it sounds like in your head:
“I should have started studying weeks ago.”
“I should be more focused right now.”
“I should be able to handle this better.”
Why it’s a problem: “Should” language piles guilt and shame onto already high stress. It focuses on what you haven’t done instead of what you can do now.
How to challenge it: Swap “should” for more compassionate, realistic language. For example: “I wish I had started earlier, but I can still review today.” Or: “I’d like to be more focused, so taking a small break might help me to reset.” Shifting your self-talk helps you move forward instead of getting stuck in self-criticism.
5. Discounting the Positive
The trap: You brush off your accomplishments, focusing only on what you haven’t done.
What it sounds like in your head:
“Sure, I got an A on that paper, but that was just luck.”
“I did okay on the quiz, but that doesn’t matter because the midterm is harder.”
Why it’s a problem: When you dismiss your successes, you rob yourself of confidence and motivation. It keeps you chasing validation you’ve already earned but refuse to acknowledge.
How to challenge it: Practice catching the moments when you downplay your achievements. Try writing down one thing you did well each day, no matter how small. Let yourself actually feel proud: “I studied for two hours today. That counts.” Over time, this builds resilience and combats perfectionism.
Putting It All Together: A Practical Reset
When midterms anxiety hits, it’s easy to feel like your thoughts are the truth. But thoughts are not facts.
Here’s a quick tool you can use whenever you notice yourself falling into one of these traps:
Name the distortion. (“Oh, that’s all-or-nothing thinking again.”)
Question the thought. (“Is this really true? What evidence supports this? What’s the bigger picture?”)
Reframe with compassion. (“I don’t have to be perfect to succeed. I’ve gotten through hard weeks before, and I will again.”)
Think of it as mental decluttering. The less energy you give to distorted thoughts, the more energy you’ll have for studying, resting, and actually enjoying parts of your college life.
Midterms don’t have to be a battleground between your high standards and your peace of mind. By spotting and challenging these five thought traps, you can approach exams with more balance, confidence, and calm.
Ready to Find Relief with Anxiety Therapy in Provo?
Remember, your worth is not measured by a single grade. You’re learning, growing, and building skills that go far beyond midterms week. And when anxiety spikes, take a breath: you’ve got tools, you’ve got resilience, and you’re not alone in this. For more support, give us a call 801-699-6161 or message us at insidewellness.com. At Inside Wellness offer virtual anxiety therapy sessions you can do from the convenience of your room, car, or a campus study room. You only need your device & some privacy to get the support you need.
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Midterms don’t just test your academic knowledge—they can challenge your mental stamina, trigger unhelpful thought patterns, and leave you overwhelmed by pressure to perform. At Inside Wellness, we offer more thaneating disorder treatment and body image therapy. We provide anxiety therapy in Provo & Salt Lake City, Utah, as well as support for perfectionism, burnout, and the deeper emotional patterns that tend to flare up during high-stress weeks like this.
Whether you’re stuck in spirals of self-doubt, avoiding studying out of fear of failure, or holding yourself to impossible standards, our anxiety therapists are here to help you reset and find a more grounded way through. College is demanding—but it shouldn’t come at the cost of your peace of mind.
Visit our blog or FAQ to explore how therapy can support your mental health during midterms, help you interrupt anxious thinking, and offer realistic tools to manage stress without sacrificing your goals.