• Remember that negative emotions are important to your survival, rather than something to be feared and avoided at all costs. Also remember that distress is not permanent, but a changing experience that is always fluctuating and eventually passes.

• Accepting distress is about seeing the negative emotion for what it is, and changing how you pay attention to the emotion. In essence you become the watcher of your emotions, and this skill is often referred to as “mindfulness”.

• Being mindful of your emotions involves: watching or observing your emotions, labeling or describing your emotions, being curious and non-judgmental towards your emotions, using imagery to detach from your emotions, focusing on the present moment, and dealing with emotional comebacks.

• Being mindful of your emotions is about learning to catch and watch your emotions, not about being so absorbed in the present moment that you don’t feel any emotions.

• Being mindful of your emotions is a skill that takes practice, patience and persistence. It is best to practice when you are not distressed, so you might be better able to apply the skill when you are distressed.