THINGS THAT ARE IN OUR CONTROL
– our wishes and fears
– our capacity to direct attention
– our capacity to see ourselves from other perspectives
THINGS THAT ARE NOT IN OUR CONTROL
– our fortunes and reputation
– the actions of others
– the natural world (including our bodies)
OBSERVING SELF
– observe your thoughts and feelings rather than trying to judge or control them
– identify thoughts or actions that cause your emotions to escalate
– identify your self-critical reactions to having particular emotions
DIRECTED ATTENTION
– learn how to shift attention between focused, distracted and wandering mind
– focus on immediate physical sensations or environment to regain attention
COMMITTED ACTION
– excessive focus on achieving goals can prevent people from living according to their values
– problems with motivation often come from values that are adopted rather than freely chosen