Reframing thoughts – Why is it important?

Do you ever catch yourself thinking negatively about yourself? How often do you notice this? Are you able to get yourself out of this negative thought pattern when you see this happening? Sometimes we don’t catch ourselves thinking negatively, or if we do, it can be difficult to move on from our negative thoughts. This is why the skill of reframing is so important to practice and use.

What is reframing? Reframing is a tool that is used in cognitive behavioral therapy to change a person’s perspective on themselves or a situation. The purpose of reframing is for an individual to identify and challenge negative self-talk with the replacement of neutral or positive thinking. The skill of reframing takes time and practice especially when the negative thoughts have been in our train of thinking for a longer period of time. 

Some examples of negative self-talk may include “I am a failure,” “I am not good enough,” “I will never be satisfied with my body,” etc. These thoughts can either be conscious or subconscious depending on the situation and how we respond to them. Examples of reframing for the prior negative self-talk statements may include “I made a mistake but I can learn from it,” “I am good enough now,” “I am learning to accept my body for how it is,” etc.