Clients who worry and experience feelings of anxiety, can sometimes assign more importance to certain events and outcomes than they deserve. A setback such as weight gain, injury or illness causes short term pain. But then they dwell on it, playing out the worst-case scenarios, often fretting over the downstream effects.
In time, clients often realize their worst nightmares were fantasies that never had any chance of happening. With the benefit of hindsight, they understand that worry and anxiety was a waste of time and energy.
Here is where we use the CBT-Fitness Skill: 5 Year Reframe
Using the CBT-Fitness technique “5-Year Reframe” clients will be able to speed up that realization. Clients will gain the benefit of hindsight immediately instead of days, weeks, or months later. It works by allowing clients to view that negative outcome through the lens of their future-self.
Here is how to complete the 5 Year Fitness Reframe exercise:
- Close your eyes and imagine yourself 5 years into the future.
- Evaluate today’s failure as though it were a distant memory that happened 5 years ago.
- From that future perspective, will you remember today’s struggle? Was it so significant that it will have stuck with you all these years?
- Think about your life since then. How likely is it that you’ll remember this day?
- If you do remember it, evaluate it with the benefit of 5 years distance. How significant was it? How did it affect where you ended up in your fitness pursuits?
- Picture yourself thinking about this experience. Are you laughing about it now? If so, why wait? Laugh about it now.
Interested in learning more about CBT-Fitness and how it can help reduce anxiety? Check out our top selling 4 Week-CBT-Fit Course and use CBT2020 for your special discount!
