Thoughts → Feelings → Garage Repairs

Last spring, I had one of those days at work — the kind where everything feels heavy, and instead of letting myself disengage, I carried it home. 

I pulled up to my garage, determined to park close enough to avoid shoveling snow in that little strip between my car and the garage. I hate that.

So there I was: beating myself up over the day, grabbing my lunchbox from the back seat, and listening to a podcast.

NOT paying attention to whether or not my car was in Park.

CRUNCH.

Like any fully functional adult, my first thought was: 

“Did anyone see that?”

Cue the frantic mirror-checking, quick reverse, and a casual stroll into the house.

Let’s CBT This:

Here’s how my brain-to-behavior chain went down:

1. I had a crap day and kept replaying it.
2. Rumination = distraction + self-criticism.
3. Distracted me rammed into my garage door.
4. I imagined my neighbors whispering, “She’s losing it.”
5. I felt even worse.
6. I sneaked inside without even checking for damage.

The Takeaway

This wasn’t really about the garage.
It was about how my thoughts had the steering wheel that day, not my hands. Rumination was in the driver’s seat, and I was just the passenger along for the crash.

CBT lesson? 

Thoughts → Feelings → Actions. 

Everything is behavioral, and if you're not careful, it can cost you a few hundred dollars to replace a garage door.

Have you ever had your brain distract you from the moment and cause an accident (literally or figuratively)?

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