Cognitive Restructuring: Change Your Thoughts, Change Your
Attitude Cognitive restructuring teaches you how to recognize
distorted thoughts and replace them with realistic ones.
Sometimes stress can lead to a chain reaction of thoughts that
starts with a small, simple problem and leads to full-blown
anxiety and panic over unrealistic fears. We all get ourselves
worked up from time to time, but these irrational thoughts can
cause undue stress. With cognitive restructuring, you can learn
to control those thoughts, and not just stay positive, but be
realistic, too. Cognitive Restructuring: What Is It? Cognitive
restructuring, also called cognitive reframing, is a behavioral
technique associated with cognitive therapy. "Cognitive
restructuring involves learning how to think differently, to
change fundamental ‘faulty thinking,’ and replace it with more
rational, realistic, and perhaps positive thinking," says Sally
R. Connolly, LCSW, a clinical social worker, therapist, and co-
founder of CounselingRelationshipsOnl