Cognitive restructuring is defined in psychology as ‘a technique to help the client identify their self-defeating beliefs or cognitive distortions, refute them, and then modify them so that they are adaptive and reasonable’. Also referred to as cognitive reframing, it comes from the work of Aaron T. Beck in the 1960s – he is a psychiatrist, known for fathering cognitive therapy as well as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). In other words, this technique is used to help you identify and change your thinking patterns. Your brain believes everything you think, explaining why your thoughts either ignite or extinguish your next action.
Cognitive reframing is an emotion-regulation strategy primarily associated with resilience, and its effectiveness has been proven again and again via studies. More recently, neuroimaging studies have shown that it stimulates activity in the thought control regions of the brain while decreasing activity in the emotion centre of the brain. James J. Gross, a psychologist known for his work in emotion regulation, says, ‘Reframing has emerged as a really strong form of emotion regulation, and one that’s associated with a range of good outcomes. People who practice it report less anxiety, less depression, and better social connections.’
This is why it’s important to learn how to control your thoughts, as opposed to the other way around. Here are 5 steps by Frederique Murphy, a leadership mindset strategist, keynote speaker and author of new book, Lead Beyond The Edge: The Bold Path to Extraordinary Results. Frederique will help you do exactly that and as you take more control, consciously taking charge of your potential and growth, your attitude towards life, both professionally and personally, will strengthen as you shape your future.
Catch yourself in the act
Gaining more awareness about something makes it more tangible, thus increasing its reach and your ability to work on it. Awareness leads to change. This first step is a great situation to increase your awareness: it requires you to catch yourself in the act, or rather in the thought. Any time you do, you help shift this thought pattern behaviour from unconscious to conscious, and that helps you consciously step up.
STOP!
This is it, a one-word step, where you command your mind to stop with a verbal interruption. The scientific term is thought-stopping. When a group of neurons fire together, they form a thought. The STOP command acts as the trigger to interrupt the self-sabotaging thought. It is like a jolt: it helps you get out of it by interrupting the path in your brain that it usually goes down.
Soar
Once you’ve interrupted the usual path of that negative thought, as you are changing its connections, you can now create a new connection, so you aren’t only rewiring but also forming new connections. Thanks to your thought-stopping step, you have redirected it and can turn your negative thought loop into a positive one. Replace it with whatever positive thought you want: make it short, strong and empowering.
Breathe
This entire process helps you regulate. Breathing is tied to your nervous system and conscious breathing helps you regulate your autonomic nervous system, bringing feelings of calmness and wellbeing throughout your body. Any time you feel the need to reset, do 12 rounds of Box Breathing, and in 3min, experience its benefits. Exhale for 4 seconds, pause for 4 seconds, inhale for 4 seconds, pause for 4 seconds.
Reframe
Changing the negative thought that triggers the negative emotion enables you to regulate your emotions. This step shifts control over to you thanks to your ability to influence how you experience the situation. By changing the frame – that is, the meaning of the situation – you are changing its narrative. This leads you to shifting how you view things, finding a different and more positive interpretation of the situation, thus impacting your next move.
Cognitive reframing helps you shift how you look at something, appreciating different aspects of it. It is about looking at things differently, which therefore helps you to adapt your reactions to it. As entrepreneurs and SME owners, this is an extremely useful and empowering technique, as it gives you the ability to reinterpret any situations that come your way. Some situations and events are out of your control, but you can control your reactions to them.
