Reframing… sometimes we just need to see things differently.
Reframing is seeing a situation from a different perspective. It can be really helpful in problem solving and in conflictual situations where you want to move from a stuck place. At times when you’re feeling confused, puzzled, or you have a big decision to make, reframing can be amazing and it also really then helps in learning.
There are times when I’m working with someone and they consider themselves stuck, where they have thoughts that they are recycling or behaviours which are related to thoughts that they are recycling, and they want to move forward.
If you find that you or someone you are interacting with is feeling stuck, you might try a reframe. What it might look like is moving from past to future or to present. When someone says to me, “I could never do that” or “I’ve never been able to do that” that’s a past thought. Reframing will provoke new thinking, new ideas, and new possibilities. I might ask a question like, “What could you do now that you’ve never done before?” Thinking differently allows you to sit for a moment, reflect and brainstorm what you DO have access to become unstuck. This moves us from past to present state. We can even go one step further to contemplate what we will do in the future.
We can also use reframing to move from a negative to a positive state. Have you ever heard someone having a very dis-empowering conversation and you want to invite them to a more empowering place? You might ask a question that would put them in the mindset of thinking in a more empowered way. That’s what I love about reframing, it empowers you to act from a different place and be different for a moment, to see what’s available to you.
If you are ever feeling stuck, puzzled, confused, have a decision to make, or a problem that you want to break through, I invite you to try a reframe. Download our Reframing Exercise. There are 4 steps that are simple…but not easeful unless you practice them! Give them practice and let me know how it goes. Reach out if you’ve got any questions at all to dale@consciouslead.life. Looking forward to hearing from you!
