There is a lot to be said for looking on the bright side of life. Sure, it’s not always easy, but attempting to develop a positive mindset is far more preferable to thinking in a negative way.

Many people as’ how can I change my attitude from negative to positive’ and then when they find out that it’s not going to happen overnight, they give up and carry on in the same way. However, with a little perseverance and hard work, you can alter that mindset and look forward to a happier, healthier, and certainly more positive future. 

Within the workplace, having a positive workplace culture has many benefits, not least boosting team spirit and pulling everyone together towards one common aim. However, if you have employees who are generally quite negative in their own mindset, your efforts might be in vain. 

It really all comes down to the individual and a will to change. So, if you’re reading this and you’d like to change your own positivity level, there is one very effective method you can try - reframing. 

What is Reframing?

Reframing is a cognitive behavioural therapy method which teaches you how to change negative thoughts into positive ones, repeat it, and then over time, your brain will start to recognise the positive before the negative. However, this is something which takes time and effort, and at first, it’s likely to be quite tiring, because you have to be aware of every negative thought you’re having and acknowledge it as being negative. 

Reframing looks like this:

• The next time you have a thought which you recognise as negative, stop for a second and acknowledge that it is indeed negative
• Take the thought and replace it with something positive. For instance, if you’re thinking ‘I hate Monday mornings’, you can change that to something like ‘Mondays are the start of a fresh new week of opportunities’ 
• Then, you need to repeat that new positive thought several times. If you can do it aloud, even better, but in your head is also useful
• Really visualise a Monday morning and try and picture yourself with a smile on your face, looking for opportunities whilst sat at your office chair 
• Repeat it a few times more 
• The next time you have the thought about Mondays, bring the smiling picture to the forefront of your mind

Over time, your brain will start to connect the new thought with the Monday mornings you’re experiencing. It might not happen straightaway and you might have a few false starts, but eventually, it will replace the negative one. 

You need to be aware of negative thoughts in order to use reframing, which can be quite difficult. This means being mindful and aware of everything that is going on in your own mind. It will get easier, however, the more you do it. 

Positivity in general is ideal for a healthier and more upbeat life, but in the workplace, it can help employees be far more productive from their office desks. Positivity breeds happiness, job satisfaction, and contentment, and this also means you’re likely to notice more ideas and creative solutions coming to you from around the modern boardroom tables. 

Whilst reframing isn’t an easy solution, it’s certainly one of the best in terms of long-term brain rewiring and focus. When you have a sunnier outlook, you can cope with stress and challenges far more effectively and easily, as opposed to having a negative and ‘down’ outlook on life. It isn’t easy to change the way you’ve been thinking over a long period of time, but it’s a challenge you can face and take on for yourself. 

The key to reframing also lies in repetition. If you don’t repeat what you’re trying to reframe, it’s not going to become firm in your mind, and as a result, you’ll end up forgetting it. Repeat, repeat, and repeat some more!