Positive Reframing: Looking At Things From Another Perspective

Sometimes being able to see things from another point of view improves our ability to deal with difficulties. Positive reframing is an example of this and how, by rethinking certain aspects or dimensions, the confusion, discomfort, and tensions we have with those around us are reduced. It’s a very useful feature that we can all use.

There is one thing we must admit: applying this kind of mental art is difficult for us. People tend to be stubborn in their interpretations, stubborn in their assessments of certain situations, circumstances and relationships. We do not hesitate to label as toxic a colleague who is always in a bad mood or as a controller who is obsessed with the organization.

Maybe that toxic person is having a bad time and is suffering in silence. Anyone obsessed with organization can have one of those brilliant minds that would be worth learning from. Let’s face it: our reality has many faces, and it’s not good to stick with the most negative.

What is positive reframing?

Positive reframing is a technique widely used in therapy. It wants the person to be able to see things differently and change the meanings they attribute to them. The essential idea is to make you understand that the point of view you apply about certain realities that cause you suffering works as a filter capable of blurring everything, changing emotions, thoughts and behaviors.

Let’s take an example. I am a person with a flashy nose or extremely thin or short. In addition to working on my self-esteem and self-acceptance, I must also be able to apply a positive framework to each situation. Instead of thinking that everyone will look at me if I go to a party, I should put this idea into perspective and focus on other aspects: on fun, on assuming that we all have our particularities and that this is what makes us unique.

Should I avoid going to social events because of this? Obviously not. Because the mindsets we apply to certain areas of our lives not only limit us but act as blockers of happiness. And if there’s one thing we should consider, it’s that a large part of us make use of these mental processes. To think that there is only one perspective and one way of looking at things is very human.

Moving from the “problem board” to the “goal board”

Positive reframing follows a very specific process  in which we move from negativity to a more open, constructive, and hopeful attitude. To better understand, let’s put ourselves in someone else’s shoes, someone who has just been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

This particular person tells herself that her life is over, that she will never work again, and that her future will be terrible.

• The problem picture is the following: she assumes that this chronic disease is degenerative and that all is lost, that there is no other option but to assume the end.
• In this case, within the therapeutic process, the use of positive reframing is essential. For this, we will apply the objective framework that consists of making the person see other options. It is moving from the concrete problem to a goal that acts as a hope, as a way out to break this negative pattern.
• In this case, the focus will be on understanding the disease, understanding it and knowing that there are options to stop it and maintain an adequate quality of life.

Positive reframing does not fall into excessive optimism, but rethinks experiences to provide solutions

Positive framing is part of the positive psychology started by Martin Seligman in the 1990s. It is important to understand that this technique is not intended to make someone be able to always see the good in life. It is to enable, within the context and reality of each patient, it is possible to consider what options exist to manage the situation and improve their lives.

Something like this implies understanding that sometimes we cannot change what happens to us. If I lost my job, it’s lost. If I have been diagnosed with a disease, the evidence is this and none other. However, positive reframing allows me to see what approaches I can consider to deal with and address these events.

It serves to weaken the negative and defeatist bias that has held me, to feed my gaze with other possibilities, from other perspectives, to improve my motivation and the possibility of better dealing with these complex circumstances. Thanks to this resource, I find emotional calm, mental clarity, and I can redefine the meanings I give to certain things.

In conclusion, this technique to restructure cognitions (thoughts) is a life tool that we should make use of. It’s a way to advance a little better in the difficult days ahead. If we are not able to do this on our own, it is important to seek professional help.