Reframing technique to fight negative thoughts

"Reframing", cognitive reframing or cognitive refraining is a technique of psychology that refers to process of changing the way a situation is seen or experienced or an emotion to change its meaning and, ultimately, change how one feels and behaves in front of it.

This process implies Identify negative thoughts or perceptions and replace them with more positive or useful. Refadre does not imply ignoring or denying reality, but rather seeing the same reality from a different perspective that may be more beneficial or constructive.

For example, if someone is struggling with the idea of ​​speaking in public and has the perception that it will be a total failure, it could refraining that perception of something such as: "speaking in public is an opportunity to improve my communication skills and learn from any Error I can make ".

Recadre is a technique commonly used in several forms of therapy, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, where the objective is to help people identify and change destructive or harmful thinking patterns.

Content

• Where does the term cognitive reframing come from
• In what cases the reframing technique is useful
• The most used techniques in cognitive reframing
• How long does it take for reframing
• Who can perform the reframing technique
• A PRACTICAL CASE OF REFRAMING
• Humor in Reframing
  • Bibliography

Where does the term cognitive reframing come from

The term "cognitive reframing" or "cognitive refund" comes from the field of systemic family therapy and It was popularized by the therapists and writers Richard Bandler and John Grinder, which are co -founders of neurolinguistic programming (NLP). The basic idea behind the term is that our subjective interpretation of an experience, rather than the experience in itself, determines our reaction to it.

In their work, Bandler and Grinder focused on how people could change or "refraining" their interpretations of events and experiences to change their emotional and behavioral responses, argued that changing the frame (frame) or the interpretation of an event, a person You can change your event experience.

Although Bandler and Grinder popularized the term and technique, the underlying idea of ​​changing the interpretations of experiences to change emotional and behavioral responses has been a central part of many forms of therapy and advice, including cognitive-behavioral therapy (TCC) , long before the term "Reframing" was coined.

In what cases the reframing technique is useful

Refusion or Reframing can be useful in a variety of situations, such as in the Stress management and anxiety, Where the grip can help people see stressful situations from a different, less pessimistic perspective, which helps reduce anxiety and stress. For example, instead of seeing a job interview as a threatening situation, one could see how an opportunity to learn and improve, regardless of the result of it.

Recadre is also a technique usually used to help people with depression to challenge and change entrenched negative thoughts that may be contributing to their depressed mood.

It is useful in posttraumatic stress disorder helping people to change the way they see and respond to traumatic memories, And in duel and loss, where the refraining can help people deal with loss, allowing them to see the situation from a perspective that emphasizes personal growth and resilience.

In the resolution of conflicts, the refraining can help the parties in dispute to see the situation or problem from different perspectives, which can facilitate empathy, mutual understanding and agreement, and in the case of people who face chronic diseases or serious medical diagnoses allows you to change the focus of what they have lost to what they can still do or enjoy.

The most used techniques in cognitive reframing

There are several techniques that can be used to practice refraint, and one of the most common is the technique of "positive thinking". It is about identifying negative thoughts or perceptions and then trying to find a way of seeing the same situation in a more positive way. For example, if someone feels overwhelmed by a list of outstanding tasks, I could reinforce the situation thinking: "I can advance step by step starting with the first task without overwhelming the following".

Another technique is to "The alternative history", which implies imagining a different result or an alternative interpretation for a situation, for example, if someone feels bad to make an error at work, they could reinforce the situation imagining how the error could lead to significant improvement or learning to avoid this U other more serious mistakes in the future.

The "Powerful question technique" It is another form of refraining, which implies asking questions that change a person's perspective about a situation, for example, instead of asking "why does this always happen to me?", you might ask" what can I learn from this situation?"or" How can I handle this differently in the future?".

Finally, the "Context Refusion" It is a technique in which the context or the frame of reference is changed to change the perception of a situation. For example, a person who is fighting with loneliness could change his perspective thinking about his current situation as an opportunity for self -knowledge and personal growth, instead of seeing him simply as isolation.

Recadre is a skill that often requires practice and patience to develop, in some cases, it may be useful to work with a therapist or professional advisor to learn and apply this technique effectively.

How long does it take for reframing

The effectiveness of cognitive regub and the time you need to see the results varies significantly depending on the nature of the problem or challenge that is being addressed, of the disposition of the person to change Your thinking patterns and support you receive, either from a therapist, counselor, coach or even self -help books or other resources.

For some, the refraining can have an almost immediate impact, a new perspective or interpretation of a situation can quickly relieve anguish or stress, for example, if you are nervous to give a speech and manage to reinforce it as an opportunity to learn and grow, You may feel an immediate relief of anxiety.

For others, the refraining may require more time and practical, it can take weeks or even change entrenched thinking patterns, especially if these patterns are linked to traumas or significant vital experiences, in these cases, the refraining may be a part of a longer therapeutic process.

Cognitive reframing is a skill that must be developed and perfected over time, it is not a switch that can simply turn on and off, implies a continuous commitment to personal change and growth, And although it can be challenging, many find that the effort is worth it for the benefits for emotional well -being and the quality of life.

Who can perform the reframing technique

The good news is that Anyone can apply the refraining or reframing technique in their daily lives, You do not need to be a mental health professional to use this tool, in fact, it is a useful skill for anyone who wants to better manage their emotions, improve their resilience and change negative or harmful perceptions.

People can practice the refraining for themselves, especially with the help of self -help books, online welfare programs or even meditation and full attention applications.

That said, in some cases, It may be useful to work with a mental health professional, As a therapist or advisor, this professional can teach you refraining techniques and guide you through the process, this can be especially useful if you are dealing with more serious mental health problems, such as depression or anxiety, or if you find that it is difficult to change Your thinking patterns for yourself.

In addition, mental health professionals often use refraining as part of broader therapeutic approaches, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, to help people change negative or harmful thinking patterns. In any case, remember that although the refraint can be a useful tool, it is not a magical solution for all problems, it is only one of the many techniques that can contribute to greater emotional and mental well -being.

A PRACTICAL CASE OF REFRAMING

Let's see an example of application of the Reframing technique in a fairly common situation, The fear of speaking in public. Maria is a talented professional who gets extremely nervous every time she has to talk at a meeting or make a presentation to her team. His fear is stopping her in her career and she is causing a lot of stress.

This is where the refraining can be useful, instead of seeing each presentation or intervention in a meeting as a fearsome situation where you could make mistakes and be judged negatively, Maria can change her frame of reference.

First, Maria identifies her current negative thoughts and beliefs: "I'm going to stutter and everyone will think that I am incompetent" or "if I make a mistake, my career will be ruined". Recognizing these thoughts is the first step to change them. This may imply being more aware of your internal dialogue and noticing when you are beginning to think about a negative or self -criticism.

Once Maria has identified a negative thought, you can challenge it, this could involve questioning the veracity of thought, considering whether it is based on past events or is simply assuming the worst that can happen, and explor.

Next, Maria can work to reinforce these thoughts, For example, I could change the thought "If I make a mistake, my career will be ruined" for "making a mistake is a part of the learning process. Everyone makes mistakes, and that does not make me incompetent or ruins my career ", instead of" I'm going to stutter and everyone will think that I am incompetent ", I might think" even if stuttering, people will understand that it is normal to be nervous and value quality of my ideas and my preparation rather than the perfection of my delivery ".

To replace these negative thoughts, Maria has to discover the positive side in the situation, remember her abilities and achievements, and focus on what she can learn from the experience.

This change of perspective can help Maria feel less anxious and safer, instead of focusing on fear and possible negative consequences, she focuses on learning and growth opportunities, which can improve her performance and emotional well -being.

To replace negative thoughts with positive, Maria can use different techniques, such as write on paper your negative thoughts and then write to the side the positive thoughts that will replace them, This can help make the process more tangible and allows Mary to clearly see how her thinking is changing.

It is also useful Repeat positive thoughts out loud Or in silence for itself, this practice, sometimes known as statements, helps reinforce positive thoughts and make them feel more real.

Finally, it is possible to apply the visualization technique to replace your negative thoughts, imagining herself in the situation but responding in a different way due to her new positive thoughts, For example, you could imagine giving a successful presentation and feeling confident and safe.

These techniques may require practice and patience, but over time, they can help Mary (and you too) to change their negative thinking and reduce their anxiety. Of course, this change is not always easy and time and practical requires, but with commitment and patience, the refraining can be a powerful tool to change emotional and behavioral responses to challenging situations.

Humor in Reframing

Humor, specifically Humor based on positivity instead of sarcasm, it has been shown that it favors the process of cognitive refuadre. In a study by Andrea C. Samson and James J. Gross, in 2012, several subjects were exposed to a series of unpleasant images.

Subsequently, they were asked to respond to these images creating a positive joke, a sarcastic joke, or simply without making any joke. Those who chose to make a positive joke tended to experience more positive emotions instead of negative.

Based on these results, the researchers concluded that positive humor could represent a form of cognitive refraint, allowing individuals to change their vision of an unfavorable situation or event towards a more positive interpretation of the same circumstances.

Bibliography

• The power of reframing - http: // www.Fisherlawpractice.NYC/BLOG/2019/4/1/FROM-ASET-TO-IINPECTIVE-THE-POWER-OF-REFRAMING
• Cognitive Reframing - https: // in.Wikipedia.org/wiki/cognitive_reframing
• Cognitive restructuring (CR): definition, worksheet and exams - https: // www.Toolshero.com/psychology/cognitive-restructuring/
• Humour as Emotion Regulation: The Differential Concene of Negative versus Positive Humour - https: // archive-ouverte.Just.CH/UNIGE: 98021