We can use reframing for behaviours, feelings or emotions, and physical symptoms.

We all do things that we do not like or wish to change! And this is when we need to reframe our behaviours.

For example, some of us have habits like smoking, drinking or even overeating that cause problems. And we recognize those problems, but we fail to fight them and continue indulging in these behaviours.

Furthermore, we often have feelings or responses that we don’t like, or we would like to control such as feeling angry, being afraid, or impatience.

When we reframe, we often come to understand the depth of the problematic behaviour or feeling and shift focus from behaviour or feeling to the higher motives that we wish to achieve.

New choices of behaviour can be identified and implemented which would still satisfy the positive intention but not have any problematic by-products or consequences.

We would use reframing with a physical symptom. Sometimes physical symptoms contain psychological messages that we must recognize.

For example, a backache can be a message to slow down. A shoulder ache may be telling us that we are taking on too many burdens. A migraine headache may be telling us we need to relax and get more rest. Getting physical symptoms can be a response to unconscious requirements that are being ignored. We can consciously restructure our daily responsibilities to avoid deliberate pain by learning to interpret the message of these physical symptoms.