Cognitive Reframing – A New Perspective

When life presents us with a situation, we usually decide what meaning that situation has for us almost immediately. What happens is that we “frame” the situation. The good news is that we don’t have to continue viewing it in that frame. Instead, we can give it a different meaning by changing the way we think and feel about it.

What is Cognitive Reframing?

Cognitive reframing is a therapeutic technique to help transform specific negative events into more positive ones. With cognitive reframing, you can change the way you look at something and as a result change how you experience it. If you want to change something, how you do things or what you believe, the change always begins with you switching your thoughts and reframing how you see reality. 

The path to positive thinking as a priority is something many people strive to be on, yet might not have the tools to stay on. Struggling with depressive, anxious, or negative thoughts can often be a barrier to understanding that it’s not always about what happens to you, but how you frame these situations.

How does reframing work?

Learn and recognize thinking patterns: The first step in reframing is to understand some of the negative thinking patterns.

Common Cognitive Distortions:

Filtering: magnifies negative details and filters out all positive aspects of the situation

Polarized thinking: things are black or white or good or bad

Overgeneralization: make a conclusion based upon only one small fact

Magnifying: exaggerating the degree of the problem

Personalization: blaming self or others for things that you have no control over

Notice your thoughts:

Being aware of your thoughts is an important step in challenging and changing your though process. Keeping a journal can be useful in recognizing patterns. In your journal you will list what is happening in your life currently and your thoughts surrounding these events. Next, you will start to examine these thoughts through new “lens”.

Challenge your thoughts:

As you start to notice your thoughts, an effective part of reframing involves examining of these thoughts. Are the things you’re telling yourself even true? What are some other ways to interpret the same set of events? Which ways of seeing things serve you better? Instead of seeing things the way you always have, challenge every negative thought, and see if you can adopt thoughts that fit your situation but reflect a more positive outlook.

Replace your negative thoughts with more positive thoughts:

Changing your negative thought patterns is not about pushing away your true feelings or becoming overly optimistic, but rather choosing realist but helpful statements over harmful ones.

Some examples:

I am different (don’t belong) instead say I am okay as I am

I don’t deserve love instead say I deserve love; I can have love

My friend never listens to me instead say my friend is not listening to me right now.

I did something wrong instead say I learned (I can learn) from it

Finally, remember to be patient with the process and practice, practice, practice. Most people are surprised at what a big impact reframing can have on their daily life. Changing the way you look at life events can truly impact your life.