How to Reframe Negative Thoughts: A Simple Method to Transform Your Mindset

2 minute read

Humans are naturally wired to see the negative in situations due to our evolutionary disposition stemming back from the caveman era, where encountering danger or something unfamiliar was considered a threat. As we’ve evolved, we’ve let go of some of our caveman mentality, but there are other survival mechanisms that we’ve retained.

Whilst it’s natural to focus on things that didn’t go well in situations, this tendency isn’t emotionally fulfilling and can leave you trapped in a loop of negativity that serves no constructive purpose in modern life.

Here’s what I believe. If we can generate a negative response to a situation, we can also generate a positive one.

Why can’t the response be positive? This doesn’t mean we’ll always get the outcome we wanted, but it does mean we can find something valuable, perhaps it’s a lesson about ourselves or a different insight from the situation, creating a more balanced and broader perspective without letting the negative loop catastrophize our experience.

The Science Behind Reframing

Research in psychology shows that our brains have neuroplasticity, the ability to form new neural pathways. When we consciously practice reframing, we’re literally rewiring our brains to default to more balanced thinking patterns rather than automatic negativity.

Introducing the ‘Black, White, or Sometimes Grey’ Method

I created this exercise to help break the cycle of automatic negative thinking. Write down a statement you consider negative, then deliberately flip it to show yourself an alternative perspective.

Examples in action:

Negative thought: “I feel behind in life.”
Reframed response: “Everyone has their own journey, some quicker than others. That doesn’t mean I’m less than anyone else. I need to focus on becoming better every single day, at my own pace.”

Negative thought: “I don’t feel good enough.”
Reframed response: “I bring value to everything I say, do, or write. Every day I’m building evidence of my abilities, and I can only move forward from here.”

Negative thought: “I’m stuck in a career I don’t want to be in.”
Reframed response: “Recognising that I want to do more will support me in refining and gaining clarity about what I truly want, leading to greater fulfilment.”

Why This Works:

The ‘Black, White, or Sometimes Grey’ method helps you:

• Break free from default negative autopilot
• Develop a new response pattern that supports your growth
• Create space between initial reaction and considered response
• Builds resilience for future challenges

Think of a negative thought that’s been circling your mind lately. Write it down, then challenge yourself to find the alternative perspective.

The power to shift your perspective has always been within you, sometimes we just need to remember how to access it!