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

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 setting impact someone’s mood? What factors do you think contributed to this effect? 

3. Think about the cultural beliefs that have shaped your approach to emotional regulation. How have family, work, or social groups influenced your understanding of “appropriate” emotional expression? Which of these cultural influences have been helpful, and which might benefit from reconsideration?

4. Kross suggests that helping others generates significant emotional benefits. Reflect on a time when supporting someone else improved your own emotional state.

Prompt readers to explore how the book fits into today’s social landscape.

1. How might the concepts in Shift apply differently across various cultural contexts, particularly considering Kross’s observations about collectivist versus individualistic approaches to emotional expression? Are there aspects of the book that seem culturally specific rather than universal?

2. The book was published shortly after a global pandemic that dramatically affected mental health worldwide. How do you see the timing of Kross’s insights in relation to collective emotional processing needs in the post-pandemic landscape?