What Are Reframing Techniques?

Struggling to stay motivated in weight loss, sport, health, or your career? Reframing your perspective can help you move forward – even when progress feels slow or frustrating.

Reframing is a mindset tool used by high performers, therapists, and coaches to help people shift how they view challenges. Instead of thinking “I’m failing,” you shift to something else along the lines of “This feels hard, but it doesn’t mean I’m off track.” This small shift can radically improve your resilience, performance, and consistency.

Let’s look at how reframing works in real-life situations – from gym setbacks to work stress – and how you can start using it to stay consistent without falling into the trap of toxic positivity.

How to Practise Reframing

Reframing is not always easy; it requires a conscious effort to catch negative thoughts and reframe them positively. Here are some steps to help you start practising reframing:

Identify the negative thought or belief – Recognise when you’re having a negative or unhelpful thought about a situation.
Challenge the thought – Ask yourself: is there a different way to look at this? What’s the evidence for and against this belief? Am I jumping to conclusions?
Choose a more positive or neutral perspective – Instead of focusing on what’s going wrong, try to find the silver lining or a different angle that empowers you to take positive action.

Step back before you react.

Example Reframing Techniques

My favourite example of Reframing is when I hit a tough climb on my bike. Instead of telling myself “this looks hard” I’ll tell myself “you have trained for this, it will be fun and easy”. Even if you don’t quite believe it (let’s be honest, hills are often tough after all!), you are much more likely to do well if you try to frame things in a more positive light.

Here are some other quick examples of how you can Reframe situations in work, sport, fitness, health, and weight loss:

Work

Negative Thought: “This project is too difficult; I’ll never finish it on time.”
Reframed Thought: “This project is a chance to improve my time management and problem-solving skills. I’ll break it down into manageable tasks and tackle it one step at a time.”

Sport

Negative Thought: “I lost the game; I’m just not good enough.”
Reframed Thought: “Losing the game is a learning experience. I’ll analyse what went wrong and use this to improve my performance next time.”

Fitness

Negative Thought: “I can’t lift as much weight as others; I’m too weak.”
Reframed Thought: “I’m building strength at my own pace. Every workout is helping me get stronger, and progress takes time. I am doing well.”

Health

Negative Thought: “I’m always getting ill; I must have a weak immune system.”
Reframed Thought: “This is a signal to focus on my health. I’ll make small changes, like improving my diet and rest, to support my immune system.”

Weight Loss

Negative Thought: “I ate something unhealthy, so I’ve ruined my diet.”
Reframed Thought: “One unhealthy meal doesn’t undo all my progress. I’ll get back on track with my next meal and continue working towards my goals.”

Quick Recap: How to Use Reframing for Better Results

Start by noticing the kinds of negative thoughts that often pop up like “I’ve failed,” “This isn’t working,” or “I’ll never get this right.” These thoughts usually appear when things feel slow, hard, or uncertain.
Pause before reacting. Instead of spiralling, ask a more helpful question like: “Is there another way to look at this?” or “What’s the next small step I can take?”
Reframing doesn’t mean pretending everything’s fine. It means acknowledging what’s real, while choosing a version of the story that helps you keep moving.
Try shifting your focus from the final outcome (like weight loss or a promotion) to the process – showing up, staying consistent, and making choices that align with your values. If you need ideas for alternative signs of progress, these non-scale victories can help reframe what success looks like for weight loss.
You can use reframing in training, eating habits, work, or even when motivation disappears.
It’s not about ignoring problems – it’s about responding with more flexibility, clarity, and self-respect.

These Reframes encourage a growth mindset, turning challenges into opportunities for improvement and helping to sustain motivation.

By regularly practising Reframing, you can cultivate a more positive mindset, improve your problem-solving skills, and ultimately, achieve your goals with greater confidence and success.

I feel like this blog serves as a good reminder for myself as well 😉😉😉😉