Why is everything so hard?
Most of us have asked ourselves that at some point in time. Especially when it seems like one thing after another is going wrong and you can’t seem to get out of the funk.
When life’s circumstances become challenging, it can be easy to fall into a negative mindset and a seemingly endless cycle of ‘bad days’.
‘Reframing’ helps shift your perspective from troublesome circumstances to something you can grow from; or simply put – from the negative to the positive.
What is Reframing?
Reframing is an emotional intelligence technique, based on cognitive psychology.
It doesn’t deny that what we’re facing is challenging but allows us to view the situation from a different angle and pull out some of the positive aspects.
For example, a long commute to and from work.
Problematic: I spend a large chunk of my non-working time driving. Because of the long drive, I also feel anxious of delays causing me to be late and a disappointment to my team.
Reframed: On my journey to work, I have the opportunity to organise my thoughts for the day and time to myself to reflect and wind down on my way home. This sets me up to work efficiently and focused, and to leave any stressors at the door when I get home.
Although the facts don’t change, we can redefine a ‘problem’ as an ‘opportunity’ by reframing.
The end results? We expand our view of reality and improve resilience.
Next time you’re facing a tricky situation, ask yourself:
· How serious is this? Do I need to get this worked up over it?
· Will I even remember this in a week’s time?
· If I view the problem from a few different angles, how would I feel about it then?
· How can I handle things differently?
· Can I direct my emotional energy to more important issues?
If you can change the way you think about a problem, you can change the way it makes you feel, which, in turn, drives more positive behaviours.
