Behavior Change and Health News
The Power of Reframing Our Internal Conversations
Reframing (or using positive self-talk) is one of the behavior change skills taught in Active Living Every Day (ALED) and Healthy Eating Every Day (HEED), two programs offered by Active Living Partners. These programs are based on research, and they teach adults how to become more physically active and improve their health through better dietary choices, respectively. The following article is written by Heidi Duskey, a certified ALED and HEED facilitator. Heidi is also principal and cofounder of AdvancingWellness, a worksite wellness services provider in the Boston area (www.advwellness.com).
It’s early in 2007 and, if you’re like many people, your New Year’s resolutions have already come and gone. Did you begin to make healthy changes to your diet or increase your level of physical activity, only to quit after two weeks because you couldn’t do it perfectly? Maybe you succumbed to that mouth-watering dessert at dinner one evening or you relaxed on the couch instead of heading outside for a walk or to the treadmills at the gym. Did you then hear that nagging, little voice in your head saying, I can’t do this! This is too hard! and give up?
If this sounds familiar, you were likely derailed by negative self-talk rather than your actions. The good news is that you can learn to reframe this internal conversation to make it positive and empowering. And the result: You’ll develop more self-confidence and the ability to see these lapses for what they are—a single action rather than a statement about you and your capabilities.
How do you do this?
First, you need to become aware of your negative self-talk. Maybe you think in “black and white.” With this type of thinking, you’re always perfect—either a perfect success or a perfect failure! So when you indulge in those two cookies, you think, Well, my diet’s ruined now. I might as well eat the whole box! Or maybe you’re prone to exaggerating the significance of a single event. So if you miss a workout, you think, What’s the use! I’m never going to get fit!
Once you identify your negative self-talk, you can evaluate it. Ask yourself if your internal conversation is truly based on reality. It usually isn’t. Once you acknowledge this, you can replace it with self-talk that is more positive and more truthful. This is called reframing, and it is a powerful tool for helping you change long-held behaviors.
For example, you might acknowledge that eating those cookies is not the same as eating the whole bag. Even though you weren’t perfect and you ate two, there were plenty of times in the past when you would have eaten many more! Or, you can remind yourself that missing a single workout is not going to have long-term repercussions. If the treadmill is your destination, you’ll make sure your gym bag is packed and you’re ready for tomorrow’s workout. If it’s the bike path you’re headed for, you’ll check the weather report and schedule your next walk into your calendar.
Negative self-talk doesn’t have to sabotage your goals. Chances are your actions haven’t ruined your efforts to eat more healthfully or improve your fitness level. Don’t let your mind do it, either.
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