It is safe to say that 2020 put the majority of us through the ringer without much notice or anticipation. Challenges and stressors presented themselves in all aspects of life: relationships, health, work, roles and responsibilities, finances, self-care, and accessibility to services and activities that were typical of life pre-COVID-19. With the pandemic, social injustice, and politics, we have been left with feelings of heaviness, discouragement, anxiety, fear, anger, and hopelessness. These feelings can often influence us to focus on all of the stress and negativity in our world today that may be causing them and how our day-to-day lives have been impacted, which tends to heighten these emotional experiences.
The good news is that even though we don’t always have control over events or situations like those that took place in 2020 that directly or indirectly impact us, we do have the ability to control how we think about them, which therefore influences what types of experiences we have. Empowering ourselves to choose the types of thoughts we want to welcome in is a game changer especially during uncertain and trying times.
So how can we create healthier, more satisfying experiences in situations that trigger negativity and stress? By finding the silver lining in each of the challenges we encounter. This may require us to dig deep since recognizing something positive that may come out of a negative situation may not be so obvious as well as requires us to shift our focus and challenge our automatic thought patterns.
One effective strategy for taking control of our experiences is through cognitive reframing. Cognitive reframing is an evidence-based tool within Cognitive Behavior Therapy, otherwise known as CBT, in which it aims to target ineffective or problematic cognitive processes and elicit more realistic and healthier thought patterns. This creates alternative perspectives and realities that directly influence the types of experiences we have. Cognitive reframing can help us find those silver linings that exist within these dark and challenging times. Here are some reframing prompts that may be helpful with finding our silver linings in any negative situation:
In what specific ways have my resiliencies and capabilities shown up?
What opportunities existed that would not otherwise have occurred or been a priority?
What specific values and beliefs have come to the forefront?
How can this be an opportunity for growth?
What are you grateful for as a result of this situation?
What is the lesson learned?
So whenever you find yourself focusing on the negative aspects of any given situation or are struggling with a negative emotional experience, empower yourself to choose to find the silver lining.