This lesson introduces the concept of reframing or cognitive restructuring and how it can be applied to improve wellness and relationships. Reframing is changing one's perception of people, places, and events to have a more positive outlook. It can reduce stress by replacing negative thoughts with positive ones. Too much stress from thoughts and emotions can increase inflammation and disease risk. The brain and body are connected, so positive affirmations and managing thoughts can impact physical and mental health. Reframing one's perspective can enhance relationships and remove self-imposed limits.

1. “Reframing Course Lecture 1”
Lesson Summary:
This lesson covers the definition of the concept of reframing or “Cognitive Restructuring” and
how we can apply it to our everyday lives to elicit a daily wellness enhancement in personal and
professional relationship. We also will cover some key notes in “brain physiology” and its
importance in understanding the mind-body-stress connection.
Lesson Content:
Reframing is a way of seeing people, places, and things (events/stressors) in a different way by
changing your perception or view of the person, place, or thing. It has the capacity to turn a negative
situation or challenging conversation into one with a positive connotation that breeds unity and
cohesion in interpersonal relationship. This is done by switching up or replacing our thoughts we are
thinking in the moment and the words which we speak about ourselves, others, and life in general to
cause our stress response to be lowered to a healthier level. In the study of human physiology we
learn that when stress is in excess many diseases can be given life to and even further exacerbated.
Stress kills is a common phrase spoken in the health and wellness world today because it really is
true! Of course, there is such a thing as good stress, or eustress. The physiological stress response is
a good thing when in the right healthy balance because without it we would not be able to react to a
speeding bus, perform intense exercise, and have great alertness in the workplace. This is called an
alarm reaction or fight or flight. Cortisol is the main stress hormone that has many important
functions in the body.
On the flip side of things, cortisol due to the nature and hurried pace of modern living, tends to cause
an array of health problems when in excess amounts. Too much cortisol secreted in the body can be a
significant reason why a person may struggle to lose the belly fat covering up their abdominal muscle.
Cortisol has also been shown through scientific research to be damaging in the brain. It has the
ability to speed-up the aging process via the inflammatory response. Just like food can be
inflammatory to our gut which also weakens the immune system via systemic inflammation but
thoughts, words, and toxic emotions may also be “inflammatory.”
Emotions are containers of power a wise woman once said. They have the power to move us
towards or away from our dreams, goals, and desires. All humans experience a wide range of
emotions as we all have countless thought processes and speak many words daily. Nobody is
immune from these things as they affect how we live and the quality of live we experience by
our interaction with people. What we think about ourselves influences how we see others so you
can clearly see how imperative it is to take our “thought life” seriously as it spills over into
everything we do including professionally.
Positive affirmations are simple statements that anyone can begin practicing which can develop
into a habit that can entirely change a person’s inner state of being. I can’t emphasize enough
how important our self-relationship is because you can’t ever get away from yourself. Let me
repeat that. You can’t get away from you! Everywhere you go, there you are. There is a reason
that many business entrepreneurs talk frequently of affirmations and coach others in this practice

2. as a business or life coach. Surely, if a person is willing to invest hard earned $$ into improving
their psyche and also become more emotionally intelligent, then there seems to be great value in
time invested in this area of wellness.
Scientists used to believe that the mind (brain) and the body were distinctly separate almost as if
they were two different companies or countries. The latest research in psycho-neuro-
immunology shows us that these two are definitively connected. In fact, our thoughts can
actually cause a physical stress response and be a causal agent for disease. When I realized this
truth, it completely transformed how I view my thoughts and emotions. By the way, in case
nobody told you, your emotions follow your thoughts so the next time you are angry, upset,
depressed, or feeling insecure, ask yourself the question, “What have I been thinking about
lately?”
Hopefully, this ignites a spark in you to learn more about the unique physiology of our beautiful
brain that is the command center for everything we do, and further your exploration with how to
apply simple, doable positive affirmations and the power of your chosen words to cause your
relationships with family, friends, significant others, co-workers, and business partners to go up
to another level! I encourage you to take the limits off your future because the only thing that
limits the things we can do, the people we can meet, the fun places we can go, and the dreams we
can fulfill is our own thinking.