The SHIFT Technique

Does it ever feel like distressing emotions can go from 0 to 100 rather quickly?  The SHIFT Technique will help you shift gears so that you can slow yourself down and respond in constructive ways.  SHIFT stands for:

• Stop
  
• Hone in on your breath
  
• Investigate your thoughts
  
• Frame a new perspective
  
• Take action intentionally
  

When the emotional part of your brain is highly active, the analytical part of your brain goes somewhat offline.  When that happens, it increases the chances of being instinctively reactive instead of responding thoughtfully.  The SHIFT Technique will have you first pause and, if possible, step away from what triggered you. Then, focus on slow, mindful breathing to help settle your nervous system. Once calmer, you’ll turn inward and notice your thoughts, emotions, body sensations, and urges. From there, you can identify any unhelpful thoughts and reframe them in a more helpful, balanced way. Finally, you’ll plan your next steps thoughtfully, choosing a response that aligns with your values and goals.  In some moments, you’ll have the luxury of going through this whole tool.  In other moments, you’ll need something quicker that you can use on the fly.  For those moments, you’ll find a “SHIFTing Faster” version of this tool below. Use the questions below to guide you through this process the next time you feel overwhelmed.

The SHIFT Technique

Stop

• Just pause for a moment. If there is a trigger present, step away from it if you can.
  

Hone in on Your Breath

• Focus on your breath as you slowly inhale and exhale. Breathe in through the nose, hold your breath, breathe out through the mouth. Repeat for as long as you need.
  

Investigate Your Thoughts & Feelings

• What thoughts are going through my mind right now?
  
• What emotions am I feeling?
  
• What body sensations do I notice?
  
• What behaviors am I feeling prompted to do?
  
• Pause and take more relaxing breaths. Focus your mind on how your breath feels.
  

Frame a New Perspective

• If a friend was in my situation, what advice would I give them?
  
• What would a trusted friend say to me right now?
  
• What evidence suggests my thought is true? What evidence suggests my thought is false?
  
• Could I be making assumptions that aren't based on a fair evaluation of the evidence?
  
• Am I viewing this in a black and white way when it is really more complicated?
  
• Could my thoughts be magnifying the situation? If so, what’s a more realistic view?
  
• Am I predicting a worst case future scenario? What's the most realistic future scenario based on evidence?
  
• Am I getting tunnel vision in this situation? If I zoom out, what's the bigger picture?
  
• Pause and take more relaxing breaths. Focus your mind on how your breath feels.
  

Take Action Intentionally

• What can I do that would be most helpful for me, others or the situation?
  
• How can my values influence my actions in this moment?
  
• What strengths do I have to help me through this?
  
• What is the first step I can take to make a wise choice?
  
• Pause and take more relaxing breaths. Focus your mind on how your breath feels.
  
  

SHIFTing Faster

There will be times when you can pause and move through the full SHIFT Technique, thoughtfully answering each question. But in real life, moments of stress or emotional triggers don’t always give us that kind of time. Sometimes you need to calm yourself and respond in the moment—quickly and wisely. That’s why it’s helpful to memorize one favorite question from the “Investigate Your Thoughts and Feelings” category, one favorite question from the “Frame a New Perspective” category and one favorite question from the “Take Action Intentionally” category. That way, when a situation escalates and you don’t have time to go through every question above, you can still stop and take a breath and then quickly ask yourself one question from each of those 3 categories. This simplified, quicker version still gives you the benefit of the SHIFT Technique—just in a faster, more flexible way. Take a moment now: Look through the questions in each category and choose one favorite from each. Memorize them so you’re ready the next time life gets intense. Which questions will you pick?