Reframing replaces negativity with positivity
Stress management employs a group of mental and physical techniques that allow us to process potentially harmful stimuli in healthy ways. I value stress manage- ment in all areas of my life because it frees me to perform at my best professionally and personally.
One of the stress management tools I use regularly is reframing. Basically, reframing is trading a negative thought for a positive thought.
In many cases, negative thoughts enter the mind when people’s performance does not meet their own expectations. In their disappointment, they turn on themselves with negative self-talk.
Negative self-talk consists of phrases like “How could I do that?” or “What’s wrong with me?” Never would they say something like that to another person in the same situation. Such internal critiques can be devastating for self-confidence, creating a toxic environment where one mistake spirals into anxiety or depression.
The first step of reframing is to recognize the negative thought, to notice what you’re saying to yourself. This recognition allows one to isolate and identify the negative thought as sort of an “intruder” and deal with it accordingly.
The goal is to convert the negativity into a positive thought. So instead of thinking, “How could I do that?” and diving into the associated self-analysis, a healthy reframing might be “Let’s get the next one.”
Although subtle, reframing a negative thought into something more motivational or inspirational can dramatically change the way one experiences the world, and how the world experiences them. The self-analysis that follows “Let’s get the next one” is constructive and future-focused.
This is an altogether different mindset that supports growth, improvement and achievement.
I like to use reframing techniques during floor exercises. Self-analysis seems to come more naturally to me while I’m lying down, and I use the time to perform a few floor movements. This week’s exercise just happens to be one of those movements.
The Single Leg Hip Raise helps to strengthen the gluteal group as well as the lower back and hamstrings.
1. Lie face up on an exercise mat with your legs outstretched and arms resting at your sides.
2. Bring the right foot in toward your hips by bending the knee. The sole of your right foot should be flat on the floor.
3. Press your palms against the floor for balance.
4. Lift the hips off the floor by pressing down on your right foot. Allow the left leg to remain straight as it rises off the floor with the hips.
5. As you reach full extension, slowly lower the hips back down without allowing the left leg to touch the floor.
6. Continue repeating this single-leg hip raise until you have performed two sets of 12 repetitions.
Reframing while performing floor-based exercises can also be useful for those experiencing negative self-talk about their fitness or health. Combining the mental exercise with physical movements allows one to think positive thoughts while actually taking action to achieve a health goal. It’s a win-win!
Director of business development and population health solutions for Quest Diagnostics, Matt Parrott began this column 20 years ago at Little Rock. He has a doctorate in education (sport studies), a master’s in kinesiology and is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine.