Overcoming Emotions That Destroy: Learning to Stop Your Anger Before it Starts

For the past several months I have been sharing highlights from Chip Ingram and Dr. Becca Johnson's book Overcoming Emotions That Destroy: Practical Help for Those Angry Feelings That Ruin Relationships.  So far the authors have discussed the three faces of anger, why we all struggle with anger, how to turn anger from foe to friend, and God's Anger Management Plan.  Today's post shares tidbits from Part 6: Learning to Stop Your Anger Before it Starts.

Minimizing Stress

The more pressured, burned out, overwhelmed, or busy we are, the more vulnerable we are to anger. 

Six Strategies to Reduce Stress & Anger

1. Eliminate Hurry

2. Downsize Expectations

3. Admit Your Mistakes

4. Laugh More

5. Take Care of Yourself

6. Know What Triggers Your Anger

Ps. 46:10 says "Be still and know that I am God".

So much hurt and harm could be avoided if people were willing to accept rather than project blame.  All to often, we would rather defend our mistakes, much too much energy is spent trying to cover up, deny, minimize or transfer blame.  Defensiveness rarely (if ever) accomplishes what we want it to.  Rather than protecting our own dignity, reputation, or sense of wounded pride, it alienated others.  A lot of time could be saved with a simple, "I'm sorry".

Next week I'll share the last of my notes from Overcoming Emotions That Destroy with what may seem like a contradiction to all that has been shared before in Part 7: How to Be Good and Mad.