Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Get started
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
Shift summary
Ethan Kross
Managing Your Emotions - So They Don't Manage You
22 mins
Brief summary
Shift by Ethan Kross delves into the complexities of our inner dialogue, providing actionable techniques to transform negative self-talk into a powerful tool for personal growth and emotional well-being.
Table of Contents
Shift
Summary of 6 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 6
We can't avoid emotions, but we can "shift" them.
Emotions reach into every corner of human existence, guiding our choices from small, daily routines to major life decisions. While they can be quiet at times – like faint background music – they can roar to the forefront at others, making it hard to imagine feeling any other way.
Whichever way they might manifest, emotions are indispensable – they’re signals that help us navigate relationships, interpret experiences, and respond to unexpected events.
But before we move on to how we manage them effectively, we must first dispel a common misconception: the belief that emotional feelings are the opposite of rational thought. On the contrary, feelings and thoughts are inextricably intertwined. Physical sensations – like a racing heartbeat or lump in the throat – require cognitive processing for us to make sense of them. Then, collectively, these two distinct components come together to form an emotional response.
Next, it’s key to remember that, from an evolutionary standpoint, emotions aren’t a bug; they’re a feature. Emotions prompt us to flee danger, seek comfort, and savor triumph. Even so-called “negative” emotions – think sadness, anger, guilt – can be useful, alerting us that something requires our attention or a change in approach.
The question, then, is how to keep emotions from overwhelming us or lingering longer than is helpful. While we can’t stop emotions from arising any more than we can the sun, we can influence whether they intensify or fade.
This is where emotion regulation enters the scene. By deciding how to interpret an internal experience, altering our perspective, and carefully choosing our response, we can affect the duration and intensity of what we feel.
In this Blink, we’ll explore two internal shifters of emotion and two external shifters. Although few of us were ever taught how to wield these tools wisely, they will likely sound familiar – you’ve probably used one or two in the past month without knowledge of the science behind them.
But before we unpack these, let’s just pause for a second to discuss an important point: emotion regulation is not about striving to banish life’s storms and seek only sunshine. Instead, emotion regulation is about building the capacity to appreciate, adapt to, and shift from whatever weather system happens to come our way. In addition, some of us may benefit from complementary support from licensed professionals or prescribed medication.
Either way, emotion regulation starts with recognizing that you have more influence over your emotions than you might have been led to believe and equipping yourself with the following tools to wield if and when needed.
Want to see all full key ideas from Shift?
Key ideas in Shift
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is Shift about?
Shift (2025) is a comprehensive science-based guide to managing – and maybe even mastering – your emotional life. It outlines what emotions are, why they matter, and how they can be tangibly harnessed to help, not hinder, you in pursuit of a life well lived.
Who should read Shift?
- Anyone wanting to better manage their emotions
- Parents and professionals navigating today’s complex stresses and stressors
- Leaders and educators committed to modelling best practice
Categories with Shift
Book summaries like Shift
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked these summaries
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
37 Million
Downloads on all platforms
10+ years
Experience igniting personal growth