Is Reframing a Luxury?

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About the Author: Julie Wickstrom

The other day, I wrote about reframing — about choosing how we look at things.

Someone responded with a comment that stopped me in my tracks:

“Reframing is a luxury.”

At first, I bristled.
Then I got curious.

Is it?

Is reframing something only available to people with free time, stable lives, financial security, and supportive environments? Is it something reserved for people who can afford therapy, coaching, yoga retreats, or quiet mornings with journals and lattes?

Or do we all have access to it?

Let’s Be Honest

There are real hardships in this world.

Chronic stress.
Financial strain.
Health issues.
Systemic inequities.
Grief.
Burnout.

I would never suggest that reframing erases those realities.

Reframing does not cancel pain.
It does not deny injustice.
It does not magically fix circumstances.

But here’s what it does do:

It gives us agency inside the experience.

And agency is not a luxury. It’s a muscle.

The Space Between What Happens and How We Respond

Every day, things happen.

Someone sends a sharp email.
A client ghosts you.
A partner says something that stings.
Your plans fall apart.
You make a mistake.

In those moments, there is a split second — sometimes so small we miss it — between the event and our reaction.

That space?

That’s where reframing lives.

Not in pretending everything is positive.

But in asking:

What else could this mean?
Is there another interpretation?
How do I want to show up here?

That pause is not a luxury item.
It’s a practice.

Is “Shifting Your Energy” Just Baloney?

I get why it can sound that way.

“Shift your energy.”
“Choose your mindset.”
“Look on the bright side.”

If it’s used to bypass real feelings, yes — that’s baloney.

But that’s not what I mean.

Shifting your energy doesn’t mean slapping positivity on top of exhaustion.
It means noticing what’s happening internally and deciding whether the story you’re telling yourself is helping or hurting.

For example:

Instead of:
“I’m being ignored. I must not matter.”

What if:
“They may be overwhelmed. This might not be about me.”

Same situation.
Different internal experience.

That difference impacts how you walk into your next meeting.
How you speak to your family.
How you sleep that night.

Reframing Is Not Privilege. It’s Responsibility.

We don’t control most of what happens around us.

But we do have influence over:

The meaning we assign.
The tone we take.
The energy we bring.

Is that always easy? No.
Does it require awareness? Yes.
Does it sometimes require support? Absolutely.

But it is available.

Even in small ways.

You may not be able to change your job today.
But you can decide whether you walk into work already defeated — or curious about what might go differently.

You may not be able to stop someone from judging you.
But you can decide whether you internalize it — or question it.