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Counseling Toolkit
Reframing What the New Year Means to You
In January, we often hear about making new resolutions, breaking old habits, and trying to live our lives differently. Committing to healthy habits and life patterns that benefit our emotional, physical, and spiritual health are wonderful ways to start a new year.
However, we can often fall into all-or-nothing thinking and other negative thinking patterns that impact the progress we want to make towards achieving our goals. This counseling toolkit will help you reframe your anxious and automatic thoughts to more realistic thinking and balanced perspectives and give you hope and anticipation for what you want this year to be for you.
Reframing Cognitive Distortions
Negative thinking can significantly impact the brain by activating stress responses and decreasing cognitive function including our ability to reason, think clearly, and form new memories. These cognitive distortions essentially drain the brain’s resources when we continue to engage in negative thought patterns. Reframing our thinking can help us shift our mindset and cope with stressful situations. And the Bible offers us wonderful truths that will transform our minds as we pursue change.
1.All-or-nothing thinking
All-or-nothing thinking happens when you believe that there are only two possible outcomes—success or failure. This cognitive distortion can lead you to set too many goals and lead you to abandon your goals when mistakes happen—you believe you have already failed!
Try this instead: Remind yourself of your small successes and ways you are making gradual progress. Reframing your thoughts from “I’ll always be this way” to “I’m doing the best I can” can help you feel more confident and capable in the face of challenges. The internal conversation we have in our minds has a big impact on our attitude and outlook for our lives. Paul reminds us to meditate positively on what is good in Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
2. Overgeneralizing or Labeling
When you see a single event and assume it is always true you are overgeneralizing. For example: “I didn’t exercise today, so that means I can’t ever lose weight.” Labeling is when you define yourself based on one instance, for example, “I didn’t wake up early to read my Bible so God must think I’m a failure.” This way of thinking can make you feel stuck and make it harder to get motivated to change.
Try this instead: Ask yourself if there is another way to think about your situation. Be kind to yourself and remember that just because you have not followed through this one time does not mean you cannot or will not accomplish this goal or intention with time, practice, or adjustment. Lamentations 3:22-23 says, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning: great is your faithfulness.”
3. Overlooking the positives
Many of us set high expectations for ourselves. Sometimes this makes us focus too much on the negatives if we don’t achieve our goal. For example, if your goal was to walk two miles but you only completed one mile, you might tell yourself that it did not go well: “I’m a failure because I didn’t walk the whole 2 miles.” Overlooking the positives makes it hard to stay motivated.
Try this instead: Remind yourself that you got out there and did something physically active. Pay attention to what you are doing compared to what isn’t happening. 2 Corinthians 5:17 reminds us that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away: behold the new has come.”
4. Practicing Gratitude
In addition to reframing, practicing gratitude can also positively impact our brain health, motivate us towards change, and remind us of what really matters. Research shows that gratitude is positively correlated to more vitality, energy, enthusiasm and motivation to work harder. It acts as a “natural antidepressant” because it produces a feeling of long-lasting contentment.
Start with jotting down the gifts, lessons, and insights of the past year and reflecting on what you’ve learned and how you want to grow. The challenges, blessings and hard-won lessons are all a gift and have served us in some way.
The Bible offers us many reflections on gratitude, joy, and hope for our lives and future:
Psalm 9:1—“I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.”
Psalm 28:7—“The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.”
Colossians 3:15—“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”
Hebrews 12:28-29—“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptable with reverence and awe.”
Expressing thanks for all that God has done in our lives, past, present, and future can significantly shift our mindset, attitude and overall mental health. And deepen our relationship with God, increase our joy, and give us abiding peace.
We would love to help you reflect on your intentions for 2025 and explore your hopes and desires for this year. Reach out to us to schedule at Connect or visit our website The Barnabas Center for more information about our counselors and counseling
resources.
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