Reframing Unhelpful Thoughts

By Jade Caswell, MA, LMHC

            As we step into a new year, I'd like to challenge you to take a closer look at your thoughts and how they shape your perspective- on yourself, the world, and others. Most people experience thousands of thoughts per day- some positive, most negative. Looking at how humans developed, this makes sense: our brains are wired to remember, and respond more strongly to threats to survival, which makes negative experiences feel more frequent than positive ones. While this may be a biological fact, it is also true that we can learn to cultivate positive thinking by learning to analyze our thoughts and reframe those pesky negative ones. In fact, cognitive reframing is a common technique that therapists use when practicing CBT to encourage more positive thinking. Let's take a closer look at how to practice this!

1. Identify your unhelpful thoughts

The first step involves recognizing negative thoughts. These may sound like, "I'm no good" or "I'll never amount to anything."  Try looking for any cognitive distortions that may be arising, such as catastrophizing, jumping to conclusions or disqualifying the positive.

2. Challenge the thought

This step involves pumping the breaks on the negative thought and taking a minute to evaluate it. Ask yourself if there is evidence to support the thought. Is there another way to see the situation? Zoom out to see the larger picture- negative thoughts often cause us to have tunnel vision.

3. Reframe & replace your thought

Take the negative thought and find a way to reframe it, ideally to one that is more balanced, or neutral. Practicing this can assist in looking at the situation more realistically. Take a look at the example below for guidance:

Negative Thought: "I will never be good enough."

Reframed Thought: "While I may feel this way right now, I can't overlook my accomplishments and positive qualities"

4. Notice the shift

Focusing on shifting our unhelpful thoughts can lead to a noticeable difference in our perspective, often fostering gratitude and a positive mood. Remember: thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected. Keeping a journal can be a great way to take inventory of thoughts and feelings and even assist in catching and reframing those negative thoughts.

Need help navigating negative thoughts? Please call us today at 813-335-9794. We look forward to hearing from you!