Let’s try it! Reframing.

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According to Adlerian psychology, changing one’s way of thinking and perspective can allow for positive acceptance of oneself and others, as well as problem-solving. A technique that can be useful for this is “reframing“.

What is reframing

Different people can have different perspectives and feelings towards the same thing,
which can be a strength or a weakness.
An example is reframing ‘only 5 minutes left’ to ‘still 5 minutes left.’
Everything can be perceived positively or negatively.

The effects of reframing

There are various benefits of reframing, including

• Thinking becomes more positive.
• Able to discover strengths.
• Able to recover quickly even when feeling down.
• Become better at giving compliments.
• Increase in happiness and satisfaction in life.

Here are various ways to reframe your thoughts and language,
which are categorized into “linguistic reframing” and “cognitive reframing”.

Reframing through language

“Reframing with language” is a technique that involves expanding one’s perspective by replacing negative words with positive ones.

• Sloppy ⇔ Easygoing, not sweating the small stuff
• Timid ⇔ Kind, patient
• Can’t speak up ⇔ Good listener, cooperative
• Loud ⇔ Energetic, cheerful
• Quick to anger ⇔ Sensitive, able to express own feelings

This method can be applied not only to oneself but also to others.
For example, instead of saying “You are always so negative”,
you could reframe it as “I appreciate when you find the positive in situations.”

• Often getting scolded → Being expected, being noticed
• Frequently being laughed at → Popular, having a sense of humor, being true to oneself
• Receiving attention → Being taught, having a chance to grow

To learn this reframing technique, using cards is recommended.
Write the words before and after reframing on the front and back of the card,and have children guess which is which.
You can also create a list of reframed words and phrases and post it on the refrigerator or bathroom wall so that parents and children can review and rethink their perspectives and relationships together.

Reframing of thoughts

Reframing of thoughts involves changing the way we perceive or interpret things in order to change our mood or emotions, or to generate ideas for problem-solving. For example,

• Only 5 minutes left. ⇔ I still have 5 minutes left.
• This work is boring. ⇔ Is there any meaning in this work for me?
• This person hates me. ⇔ Maybe this person has some expectations for me.

Reframing of thoughts involves changing the way we perceive or interpret things in order to alter our mood or emotions, or to generate ideas for problem-solving.
Rather than perceiving things negatively, it involves looking at them in a positive light or through questioning.
There are various types of reframing techniques, and here are some of the most common ones.

Reframing into humor, optimistic reframing.

This is a method of laughing things off or seeing things in a positive light. For example:

• No time left → Let’s turn back time.
• Wrong → Mistakes are the hometown.
• Don’t know → If you don’t know, let me teach you.

It involves expressing things using humor or optimistic words. This can have the effect of easing one’s feelings without blaming oneself or others.

ultimate acceptance

This is a method of feeling ultimate acceptance by looking at things from a larger perspective or over a longer period of time, which makes them feel relatively small. For example:

• Except for dying, everything is just a scratch.
• Things are better than they used to be.
• What will happen in 100 years?

By thinking this way, you can avoid taking your problems or worries too seriously, which can help to ease your mind.


The above are the methods of linguistic and cognitive reframing.
By reframing, you can accept yourself and others positively and solve problems.
Reframing is also a useful tool for improving communication not only among family members but also among relatives, communities, and workplaces.

Please give it a try!