Rapid Reframe Tool
Reframing: the recasting of ideas, thoughts, events, or situations in a different light; a potent tool for turning unhelpful or negative thoughts into neutral or positive ones
Synonyms: changing perception, converting negatives into positives
Use this tool to re-frame your unhelpful thoughts and feelings into neutral or positive ones
The way we perceive a problem, event or circumstance determines how we feel about it (glad, bad, mad, or sad). How it feels to us often reinforces old thought patterns and life-scripts which, in turn, reinforce the intensity of our feelings. This constant feedback loop between thoughts and feelings that are negatively charged can wreak havoc with our self-image, and invariably leads to anxiety, depression, and a sense of hopelessness.
The purpose of this Re-framing Tool is to help you:
- see things from a different perspective
- overwrite old thought patterns
- improve your self-image,
- become more optimistic, and
- generally feel better
The goal here is not so much to bring new light through old windows, as it is to change the very windows (or frames) through which you view the world.
If you use this tool frequently, you will begin to see:
- problems as opportunities
- weaknesses as strengths
- impossibilities as distant possibilities
- distant possibilities as near possibilities
- oppressive acts by others ('against me') as neutral ('doesn't care about me'), and
- unkindness from others as lack of understanding
As you use this tool, try to bear in mind it’s not the problem, event or circumstance, but our perception of the problem, event or circumstance that determines how we feel. Change your unhelpful perceptions, and you change your feelings; change your feelings, and you enhance your overall state of wellbeing!
Instructions: In the first text field below, state the situation or problem, and then follow the arrows to describe the thoughts, feelings and behaviors the situation or problem has triggered.
When complete, use the “Reframe It” fields to re-state your thoughts, feelings and behaviors from a different perspective. If you wish to add additional reframes, click the “Add Another Reframe” link. Adding more reframes allows you to see the situation or problem from multiple perspectives.
Example:
Situation/Problem
What you think/thought
What you feel/felt
What you do/did
We are under-staffed for this new
project
I’m going to lose my mind
I feel stressed/angry
I drank some wine and took a sleeping pill
Reframe #1
The project could be done in stages
I feel less stressed
Made a priority list
Reframe #2
The project is pretty interesting
I feel energized
Started reaching out to the other team members
Reframe #3
I could get a lot of recognition
I’m feeling excited
I’m going to ask to be the lead on this project
Reframe #4
I have a really good job
I feel fortunate
I’m going into work tomorrow with a better attitude
Situation/Problem
What you think/thought
What you feel/felt
What you do/did