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Reframing Ideas

Tony Robbins writes that we give our experiences meaning by interpreting them through "frames," or contexts. These frames are made up of our beliefs about how the world is and how it should be. Rearranging our understanding of the world and, on occasion, our expectations, allows us to "reframe" our ideas, which can lead to healthier and more beneficial responses.

  1. A New Model

    • We frame our experiences in psychological models that help us make sense of different situations. One way to reframe a situation is by creating a new model that fits the same facts with an equal or better interpretation. For example, you may interpret the failure of a product line purely in terms of lost profits. A successful reframe takes the same facts and interprets them with a different focus, such as noticing that it will now be easier for the company to make a strategic shift into a different market.

    Return to Action

    • One productive way to reframe stress or worried thinking is to re-envision the situation from the perspective of actions that are currently available to you. When you frame a worry as something negative that might happen to you, it reduces your impression of control and can erode your sense of well-being. To reverse the process, turn your focus to the things you can control, such as the decisions you make and the actions you take.

    From "Against" to "For"

    • Shifting emphasis from what someone is against to what that person is for can be a powerful way to reframe a situation and build consensus among former opponents. For example, if one spouse is against an expensive vacation while the other doesn't want to stay home all the time, the couple can reframe the situation by emphasizing something they both want, such as special memories together. This allows new solutions to arise, such as an inexpensive local getaway.

    Rearrange Assumptions

    • Someone who hears voices downstairs when she thought she was home alone will respond very differently than someone who thought her family was fixing dinner. In cases where you interpret reality based on assumptions that may not be true, replacing those assumptions with equally likely alternatives can greatly alter your perceptions and reactions. For example, if a coworker seems apathetic and you find yourself assuming he does not like you, you can reframe your perceptions on the alternative assumption that he is not getting enough sleep and his unenthusiastic reactions are simply a matter of low energy.

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