The psychological technique can give you a more optimistic outlook when life has you feeling down.
Life has a way of throwing curveballs that can trigger a storm of negative emotions — anxiety, sadness, self-doubt. In these moments, it's easy to forget that your emotions don't define you, and they don't always reflect reality. Instead, they can be mere reactions to situations that awaken your insecurities.
Essentially, your thoughts can shape your emotional responses, in some cases for the worse. But through cognitive restructuring, you’re able to view situations in a light that reveals the truth, neutralizes negativity, and fosters positive emotional well-being. Here’s what experts want you to know about the psychological tool and how to utilize it in your own life.
Understanding Emotions: Feelings vs. Facts
Your thoughts can serve as the lens through which you perceive the world. Even though negative feelings can come from a multitude of sources, they can also be triggered by how you think about the situation in front of you, says Steven D. Hollon, Ph.D., a psychology professor at Vanderbilt University. “It's not just what happens to you, it's the way you interpret it that really makes a difference [in how you feel about it],” he adds.
That interpretation of reality can significantly impact your emotional state, leading to side effects such as low energy, hopelessness, a lack of motivation, a tendency to give up easily, and a low sense of self-efficacy, says Amy Wenzel, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist in Pennsylvania. Imagine you’re attending a wedding. Although you’re enjoying the celebration, the event reminds you that you’re single, leading you to think that you may never find love and get married. So instead of feeling happy for the couple, you find yourself overwhelmed by sadness.
It’s important to note that some negative emotions, including anxiety, anger, and sadness, are natural; they have evolved as adaptive responses to protect and motivate you, says Hollon. Yet, when these emotions intensify due to your own insecurities, you can spiral into a vicious cycle. It's as if you're adding fuel to the fire, leading you to believe you're unlovable or incompetent, he adds.
Your outlook could also impact your physical well-being. Scientific research has found a connection between a positive mindset and health benefits, including improved blood pressure, weight, and blood sugar, reduced risk of heart disease, and extended lifespan, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Cognitive Restructuring, Explained
Cognitive restructuring is a cognitive behavioral therapy tool that helps transform your negative thoughts into more balanced or realistic ones. The technique involves asking yourself a progression of questions that strip away irrational influencing factors and lead to greater clarity of thinking, according to the experts. The resulting shift in mindset can lead to improved mood (or at least the softening of negative mood), motivation, and optimism, as well as a higher sense of self-efficacy, says Wenzel.
Consider this example from Wenzel. A seasoned runner who competed in long-distance races, Wenzel noticed a decline in her pace with age. This change in performance could have made her spiral into all-or-nothing thinking and label herself as a “failure,” she says.
But she recognized this problematic thinking pattern and, rather than accept her negative interpretation of the situation, utilized cognitive restructuring to change her outlook.
First, Wenzel says she asked herself critical questions: "How many 51-year-old women run half-marathons [like I have]?" and "What are some impressive aspects about my running other than my pace?” This process helped her foster a more accurate and positive perspective on her experience: “Only a small subset of the population of women my age even attempt to run half-marathons. And even at a slower pace, running still enhances my life by being a part of the running community and keeping myself healthy at my age,” Wenzel recalls. With this change in her thought process, Wenzel experienced a boost in her emotional state and her commitment to her passion.
How to Practice Cognitive Restructuring
Cognitive restructuring can be practiced under the supervision of a therapist or on your own. While there are multiple guides and templates available online, they all fundamentally adhere to the same set of steps.
When you're feeling down, it can be challenging to reason with yourself, so before you try cognitive restructuring, clear your head, suggests Hollon. “Get up, take a walk, do something active, jump in the water, take a swim,” he says. “And then come back and take a look at it.”
Once you’re ready to start switching your mindset, follow this guide.
1. Recognize the Negative Thought
When you feel like something is bothering you — whether you lost a job, your relationship ended, or your favorite pants don’t fit anymore — the first step is to identify the negative or unhelpful thought that’s causing your emotional distress. Then, establish that direct connection between what you are thinking and how it makes you feel. Ask questions like, "What is running through my mind?" or "What does this situation mean about me?" The idea is to identify one specific triggering thought as narrowly and accurately as possible, according to the experts.
2. Question the Thought
Once you've identified the thought, challenge its validity by asking more questions. In Wenzel’s case, she considered how many other women her age had run a half-marathon and thought through other elements of running she succeeded at. Consider the evidence that supports the thought and the evidence that contradicts it. Explore alternative explanations for the situation and consider the best- and worst-case scenarios. This process will help you gain a more balanced perspective and pull you out of your negative tunnel vision, according to the experts.
3. Replace the Thought
If you discover that the original thought is distorted, replace it with a new thought based on the answers to your questions. Wenzel, for instance, thought about how the running community enhances her life. At times, this new thought can help quickly boost your mood, or at least change the polarity from negative to neutral. It may require a bit of practice to flip your perspective on a challenging situation, but the more regularly you use the technique, the more effective the skill will become, according to information published by Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Los Angeles.
Initially, it's beneficial to write down your thoughts and responses to these questions. In Wenzel’s experience, “people get far more benefit from [cognitive restructuring] when they lay it out and work on it systematically, rather than doing it haphazardly or halfway in their heads,” she says. As you become more proficient, you'll find that you can apply these skills more spontaneously and effectively in the moment, she adds.
The Bottom Line
Remember, it's not always what happens to you but how you interpret the situation that influences your outlook on your life experiences. "Don't believe everything you think,” says Hollon. “Just 'cause you think it, doesn't mean it's true." And by adding cognitive restructuring to your mental health toolkit, you may find yourself feeling far more optimistic.