What is Cognitive Reframing?

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cognitive reframing

Cognitive reframing is a way of changing how you look at a situation so it feels less overwhelming, more accurate, and easier to deal with. It does not change the facts, but it changes the meaning you give them, which then changes how you feel and what you do.

Cognitive reframing typically have the individual withdraw from the situation where they noticed themselves being triggered in order to reframe it, and remove the trigger. Dynamic reframing, moves that process into the current cognitive loop – the now-moment. By doing so, triggers can be dealt, with in-flow, with no loss of in-the-moment clarity or focus.

Core idea

Cognitive reframing is about noticing a thought (self-talk) like “This is a disaster” and gently asking, “Is that actually true, or is there another way to see this?”.

By shifting from a harsh, one‑sided, often triggering story, to a more balanced one, your emotions usually calm down and your choices open up.

Why it helps

• Thoughts, feelings, and actions are linked: extreme negative thoughts often lead to intense distress and unhelpful behaviour.
• When you change the “frame” (the story in your head), the same event can feel less hopeless, more manageable, or more meaningful, even if it is still hard.

Simple steps to reframe a thought

Catch the unhelpful thought

• Notice phrases like “always,” “never,” “I’m useless,” “It’s ruined,” “Everyone thinks…”.
• Write the thought down in plain words: “I’ll never cope with this.”

Question it like a friendly detective

• “What is the evidence for and against this thought?”
• “Have there been times this wasn’t true?”
• “If a friend said this, what would I say back?”

Find a more balanced version
Aim for realistic, not fake‑positive. For example:

• From “I’ll never cope with this”
• To “This is really hard, and I’ve handled other hard things before; I can take it one step at a time.”

Act from the new perspective

• Ask, “If I believe this more balanced thought, what is one small, helpful thing I could do now?”
• Take that step (message someone, break a task down, rest, ask for information).

Everyday examples

Exam result

• Old frame: “I failed once = I’m stupid and doomed.”
• New frame: “I did badly this time, which shows I need a different way to study; this is feedback, not a final verdict on me.”

Argument with a friend

• Old frame: “They snapped at me = they secretly hate me.”
• New frame: “They snapped, which might mean they’re stressed; it could be about me, but I won’t know until we talk.”

Setback at work

• Old frame: “I made a mistake = I’m not cut out for this job.”
• New frame: “I made a mistake; uncomfortable, but it’s also a chance to learn and improve how I do this next time.”

What cognitive reframing is not

• It is not pretending everything is fine or denying real problems.
• It is not forcing yourself to be cheerful about things that genuinely hurt.
• It is shifting from “all-or-nothing, catastrophe, or self‑attack” thinking to a fairer, kinder, more complete view.

Cognitive reframing is the habit of stepping back from your first, harsh story about a situation and deliberately choosing a more accurate, helpful way to see it, so that your feelings and actions can follow a healthier path.

Dynamic Reframing carries out that task automatically, within the current cognitive loop, avoiding the need to break out of it in order to carry out the reframing.

Further Reading