Shift: Managing Your Emotions—So They Don't Manage You

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Kross challenges several popular beliefs about emotions, such as the idea that negative emotions are inherently bad or that avoidance is always unhealthy. Which of these challenged assumptions resonated most strongly with you, and why?

2. Considering the book’s structure around “emotional shifters,” did you find this organizational framework helpful for understanding the various tools and techniques? How did it compare to other frameworks you’ve encountered for managing emotions?

3. The book critiques the “one-size-fits-all” approach to emotional regulation. To what extent did you find Kross’s more personalized, context-dependent approach refreshing or challenging compared to other emotional management systems?

Encourage readers to reflect on how the book relates to their own life or work and how its lessons could help them.

1. The chapter on perspective shifters discusses how distanced self-talk (for instance, using one’s name instead of “I”) can create psychological space from problems. Try writing about a current challenge using a third-person perspective. How does this shift in language affect your perception of the situation?

2. The book argues that physical environments profoundly influence emotional states. Have you ever observed a change in

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