We all get time when we feel down, and one negative thought or emotion can quickly spiral into another.
If we can identity that’s it happening we can intervene with a simple technique called reframing to move us in a more positive direction.
Really simply we want to acknowledge and understand the initial problem the negative) whilst presenting a solution (the positive) to recast the entire thing into a more positive light.
I call this the shift from obstacle to opportunity thinking.
For example, the sentence “Even though I didn’t finish all of my assignments for the day, I managed to do most of them and had time to spend with my family.” is the reframing method at work.
The first is the “negative” aspect. We acknowledge the issue. We then finish the second part of the sentence with the positive.
Studies show that a lot of the time, we remember the last part of a sentence or a conversation the best.
This is why we should put the optimistic aspect of the sentence at the end.
By formatting our thoughts this way we’re taking two-fold action – there’s a pattern interrupt of a positive thought after the negative to stop that downward spiral AND we are coaching our mind to look for the positives in situations and so become more optimistic over time.
Our thoughts create our reality so why not think positively?
There’s a wealth of research showing that yes, optimists do experience better life outcomes than pessimists including better health, relationships, life satisfaction, earnings…
They expect a good outcome and are more often rewarded with it than those who expect a negative outcome.
(If you want to read a great book about this check out The Expectation Effect by David Robson).
All of us can teach ourselves to think more positively and the science says we’ll have a richer life for it.
So today where can you apply a reframe to your life?