The Power of Reframing: How to Change the Story That’s Holding You Back

Have you ever caught yourself saying, “I’ll never be able to do that,” or “This is just how my body is now”? Maybe you have struggled with pain, injury, or feeling limited in what your body can do for years and feel like no matter what you do, things never really change. That belief, the story you’ve told yourself, might be the very thing keeping you stuck.

I get it. I’ve been there.

Years ago, after my ACL (knee ligament) reconstruction surgery, I spent two years trying to recover. What was supposed to be a nine-month rehab turned into something that felt like an endless cycle of setbacks. I told myself, “Maybe I’m just not built for this anymore,” and, “What if I never get back to where I was?” That story became my reality for a long time until I learned how to reframe it.

What Is Reframing?

Reframing is the ability to look at a situation from a different perspective. It doesn’t mean ignoring reality or pretending things aren’t hard; it means shifting your perception so that you see new possibilities instead of only obstacles. For example, let’s say you have been dealing with chronic pain. The dominant thought might be: “I’m broken. My body is failing me.” That belief leads to frustration, fear, and hesitation to move. But what if you reframed it to: “My body is adapting, and I can learn to support it differently.” That shift changes everything. Suddenly, there’s an opening for curiosity, action, and hope.

The Hidden Power of Your Story

The way you talk to yourself shapes your experience. If you believe you’re stuck, you’ll act accordingly, hesitating, avoiding, or giving up. But if you believe there is room to grow, you make different choices.

Think about it:

• If you tell yourself, “Exercise always makes my pain worse,” you’ll avoid movement and reinforce that belief. You may even confirm it to yourself when movement leads to a flare-up but ignore it when movement seemingly has no effect on your pain or leads to you feeling better.

• If you shift to, “I just haven’t found the right way to move yet,” you stay open to learning and experimenting. You may now notice when movement does not affect your pain or leads to less pain and greater motivation to move more because this aligns with open-mindedness.

The stories we tell ourselves don’t just live in our minds, they affect how we move, recover, and engage with the world.

How to Reframe Your Own Story

A fundamental problem many people face now is having access to an abundance of information without knowing how to apply it. So, let's look at some simple, practical ways to help you reframe.

1. Notice the Narrative

Pay attention to the words you use when you talk about your body, recovery, or abilities. What’s the underlying message? Are you reinforcing a belief that keeps you stuck?

2. Question Its Accuracy

Ask yourself: Is this absolutely true? Is there another way to look at this? In my own recovery, I had to challenge the belief that my knee would never fully recover. Was that a fact, or was it just my frustration speaking?

3. Create a More Empowering Version

Find a way to reframe your story in a way that feels true but also opens the door to progress. Instead of, “I’ll never be able to run again,” try, “I’m learning how to move differently so I can run again.”

4. Take Small, Aligned Actions

Once you shift your perspective, act on it. If you believe your body can adapt, what’s one small way you can support that today? It could be as simple as practicing deep breathing, walking differently, or exploring new ways to move.

Your Mindset Shapes Your Recovery

If I had stayed stuck in my original belief that I was “just not built for this anymore,” I wouldn’t be where I am today. It took reframing my story, from feeling like my body had failed me to understanding that my body was waiting for me to meet it where it was.

Reframing isn’t about false positivity, it is about giving yourself a chance to see progress where you once saw limitations.

Your body isn’t broken, your story isn’t finished, and you have more power than you think. What’s one belief you’ve been holding about yourself or your body that might need reframing?

If you feel comfortable, I'd love to hear your stories, what you chose to reframe and what effect that had on your life. It doesn't have to be related to your physical body; the value of this message is that it relates to every facet of life.