Key points

Trying to make challenging feelings go away makes them stronger and more persistent.

Pausing before you act gives you space to determine if you're reacting to your feelings or the situation.

Practice responding differently with small doses of discomfort to build confidence in staying present.

When at a stoplight, do you instinctively pick up your phone? What about when you’re standing in a checkout line?

When someone you love is upset, do you find yourself swooping in to make them feel better—perhaps even talking too much (with the best of intentions, of course)?

At work, do you compulsively recheck your projects, replay conversations, and skip lunch—not to get ahead but to outrun the uneasy feeling that you might not measure up?

If these aren’t patterns of behavior or in

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