We’ve all heard those motivational sayings like, “Problems are opportunities in disguise,” and “The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity while the optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty”. They represent examples of “relabeling” – which is simply the process of labeling something differently. In psychology, the term has come to refer to the process of giving a more positive interpretation to an idea or event that can also be interpreted negatively.
The benefit of a positive label is that it gives the individual a sense of control that can lead to action to make good things happen. Focusing on problems and worries leads to wallowing whereas focusing on solutions can lead to action.
Relabeling is not a spectator sport. It requires and active and positive mindset. It doesn’t take much of an activity level to look a problem and determine that you are defeated and it’s not worth trying. There is a certain comfort in blaming your troubles on outside sources that you have no control over – such as your parents, spouse, children, employer, so-called friends, the economy, government, or bad luck. Confronting and overcoming a negative situation, on the other hand, requires an activity level that begins with relabeling.
I’ve found the following steps to be a useful framework for relabeling a problematic situation:
1. Honestly assess whether you have any chance to control the outcome;
2. You probably know what can go wrong – so ask, “What can go right?”
3. Figure out whether the potential positive outcome will be beneficial enough to make it worth the effort that will be needed on your part;
4. Understanding the consequences of trying and falling short, and understand the consequences of doing nothing;
5. If you are going forward, now is the time to relabel. Get creative with your relabeling. Give the problem a new name; instead of calling it a problem call it a challenge or opportunity or goal or exciting. Some relabeling will simply involve toning down a more negative label – so that something can be seen as annoying or inconvenient rather than terrible.
If you start to think in relabeling terms, you will be surprised at how many opportunities you have in the course of your daily life to do relabeling. Active and successful people do this all the time. If you’ve successfully used the technique, I hope that you will share it with us.