Skip to main content

These skills support us to manage day-to-day life and the variety and range of tasks we need to navigate. This includes tasks we engage in a lot of the time, such as weekly food shopping. This might involve focussing on what meals we want to cook so we can write a shopping list, deciding what to buy, choosing an alternative if what you want has sold out – and stopping yourself from buying only ice cream. It also includes much more complex tasks such as taking exams, managing a large work project, moving home, or coping with the practical aspects of a loved one’s death.

These skills are:

  • Focus our attention
  • Be aware of and direct our thoughts
  • Weigh up information
  • Make decisions that are right for ourselves and others
  • Solve problems
  • Pause before we act
  • Be flexible
  • Keep going
  • Bounce back

Why do these skills matter for a happy and healthy life? 

The ability to focus our thoughts and manage tasks effectively is essential for day-to-day functioning and achieving longer term goals. By focusing our attention we can prioritise tasks, stay organised and make informed decisions. For example, when grocery shopping, we can stick to a list, make adjustments when needed, and ensure that we stay on track. These skills also help us to navigate more complex social challenges, such as disagreements between friends and family. 

These skills also help us solve problems and stay resilient in the face of obstacles. The ability to pause before acting allows us to consider options carefully, while being flexible helps us adapt when plans change. Persisting through difficulties, keeping our attention focused on our goals, and bouncing back from setbacks are key to maintaining a sense of control and direction. These skills help us to avoid stress and frustration, to make healthy choices, and to achieve the things that matter to us. 

We asked experts in the field to share their thoughts

Find out more about the other clusters of skills within the framework:

Know ourselves

Know ourselves

Who we are as individuals

Manage our emotions

Manage our emotions

How we understand, process and manage our emotions

Communicate with others

Communicate with others

How we recieve and share feelings, thoughts and information

Nuture our relationships

Nuture our relationships

How we get along and build relationships with others

Explore the world

Explore the world

How we explore and discover the world around us

The Shaping Us Framework – Full report

The Full Report describes the framework in detail and outlines how skills develop in early childhood.

The Shaping Us Framework –  Technical report

The Technical Report explains how the framework was created and the research that underpins it.

The Shaping Us Framework – Short guide

The Short Guide gives a quick description of each cluster of skills and why they matter.